Instructor Training Course
Including
ACCOMMODATION &
DIVE 4 LIFE !
Instructor Training Course in
Costa Rica
Rated as one of the best in Central America our Career Program has been the starting point for hundreds of dive professionals from around the world for over 20 years!
We offer the SSI Instructor Training Course.
Included with our ITC:
-
14 Days Accommodation
-
Assistant Instructor Course
-
Instructor Training Course
-
5 Instructor specialties FREE from SSI - Nitrox Enriched Air, Computer Diving, Perfect Buoyancy, Equipment Specialist, Marine Ecology
-
Instructor Digital Materials
-
Instructor Crew-pack
-
No hidden fees !
-
Discount on shop retail
-
FREE T-shirt
-
DIVE for LIFE Membership
Instructor Specialty add-on:
Deep, Navigation, React Right, Night, Ecology Specialty Instructor (Divemaster Instructor Seminar, 2 days)
ITC Dates & Costs
All Instructor candidates are taught by our Professional Staff and then evaluated by external examiners from SSI at a formal 2-day Instructor Examination.
Here in Costa Rica, we offer 3-4 Instructor Training Courses (ITC) per year. The dates of these ITCs coincide with the dates of the Instructor Evaluation (IE). The total course takes 15 days to complete.
Additional dates can be offered if there is enough interest, please contact us for more details. You find our prices HERE.
ITC Schedule 2025
ITC JAN 4 - 13 & IE JAN 15/16
ITC Apr 21 - 1 & IE May 2/3
ITC Sep 22-2 & Oct IE 3/4
Becoming a dive Instructor with SSI comes with a lot of benefits for Dive Professionals. Read more in our blog
SSI vs PADI for Dive Professionals
To all Dive Instructors in Costa Rica.
This limited-time offer is designed to help you advance your career !
Join our 2-Day
SSI CROSSOVER PROGRAM
Do not miss the opportunity to become a SSI Dive Instructor! It is easy !
-
Register online before December 31 and receive your SSI Crossover Kit.
-
Complete your online materials.
-
Contact and schedule your Academic and In-water training with us.
-
Next year crossover s from PADI or other organisations are no longer possible. SSI is the worlds fastest growing dive organisation and this is a great opportunity for dive instructors to benefit world wide job opportunities.
Price $375 USD
6/7 DECEMBER, 21/22 FEBRUARY, 30/31 MAY
Price includes SSI Instructor Membership fee for 2025 and more.
-
Why Rich Coast Diving ?Rich Coast Diving will help you begin your Dream Career as a Dive Professional. Our PRO Courses have been the starting point for hundreds of professionals from around the world. Rich Coast Diving takes pride in the quality and the professionalism of our teaching methods. But also the fun during our courses. Read testimonials of those who have been here recently.
-
How do I get There ?Rich Coast Diving is located in the small town of Playas del Coco. You can either fly to the capital of Costa Rica named San Jose (SJO Int'l Airport) and take a shuttle bus to Playas del Coco (5 hours). We can recommend the Interbus shuttle company. For bookings go to www.interbusonline.com Or you can fly to Liberia (Daniel Oduber Int'l Airport) which is less then 40 min from Playas del Coco and from this airport we can arrange your pickup ($50 USD one way).
-
AccommodationFor our Professional Candidates we have several accommodation options. Contact us for prices and availability.
-
What do I need to Bring ?As a (future) dive professional we highly recommend that you bring your own dive equipment. If you do not own your own set of equipment yet, you can buy your personal set at our dive shop at a discounted rate or rent it (for divemaster internship only). As a dive professional the following items are mandatory and you cannot start you course without them ! We do sell all items with a 20% discount for our PRO participants if you can not bring them from your home country. As per Instructor Manual you need a dive computer, DSMB, compass, knife / divers tool, sound device (wisle).
-
What is the best time of the Year for the Instructor Training Course in Costa Rica ?During the ITC you will spend most of your time in the classroom attending seminars, workshops and presentations. Then there are several pool sessions and a few training dives in the ocean. All of our training dive sites are conveniently located within 15 minutes away. We have access to great training dive sites with shallow and deep water. Conditions underwater can change from day to day but generally the water temperature ranges from 26 - 28 Celcius. So a 3 mm shorty wetsuit will be sufficient to keep you warm. Costa Rica offers year round diving and therefor you can join our Professional courses any time of the year !
-
What is your cancellation policy ?Divemaster Training For divemaster training you may cancel your reservation by written confirmation to info@richcoastdiving.com up to 14 days before the start of your PRO course. We can not refund digital course materials that have been send to the candidate. In case of cancellation with notification within 14 days prior to arrival, your deposit will not be fully refunded. We charge: - 50% of your course fee - 100% of the accommodation price - 100% of the course material price Instructor Training We do not refund payments made towards the Instructor Training Course however if possible we will reschedule to the next available date.
-
Course Price & FeesBecoming a Dive Professional is an investment in an amazing future career and totally worth it. We want to make sure that you can plan your budget accordingly by understanding all the costs and fees. You find an overview of the prices and fees on our price list. Do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or concerns you have regarding the costs of the PRO Courses. If you are interested to know more about becoming and SSI or PADI dive professional. Read our blog SSI vs PADI - The best choice for dive instructors.
-
How do I pay ?We are flexible and offer different payment options for you comfort. Please contact us for the details. Please note that bank and transfer fees are to be paid by the customer. On arrival you can settle your final payments by credit card or payment in cash (USD/EUR/CRC).
Divemaster Instructor Seminar
When you successfully complete the ITC, the next step is to become a Divemaster Instructor. Most Instructor Training Course graduates finish the Divemaster Instructor preparation directly after completing the Instructor Evaluation, as it only takes two additional days. The Divemaster Instructor rating sets you apart as a dive instructor who takes continuing education seriously and is committed to teaching a variety of courses. Which makes you more valuable in the job market.
Once you are certified in 5 Instructor specialties you can start teaching and after reaching 25 Specialty certifications (in any level) a free Divemaster Instructor digital recognition card is automatically issued at no additional charge.
The 5 Specialties that we include as add-on to the Instructor Training Course are:
-
Deep Diving Instructor
-
Navigation Instructor
-
Night & Limited Visibility Instructor
-
React Right Instructor
-
Shark Ecology Instructor
We offer 5 specialties for the price of 4 at a total of $600 USD incl. taxes and certification fees.
These are highly recommended specialties as React Right is a prerequisite for the Diver Stress & Rescue Course and Deep, Navigation and Night are prerequisites for the Dive guide course. On top of that we included one FREE Ecology specialty of your choice !
We offer a very broad range of SSI Specialty Instructor courses depending on your interests. If you want to book them individually the Specialty Instructor courses $150 USD per Specialty.
Don't Miss Out on a Career of a Lifetime
2 Week Preparation for the ITC
Rich Coast Diving developed a special ITC Preparation program for those who need more help preparing for the ITC. For example if you have been out of the diving industry for while or want more practice.
This program will help you gain the confidence you need to start the ITC. The total program takes 2 weeks and starts 2 weeks before the ITC starting date.
During this period we help you to prepare for the ITC and get your knowledge and skills up to date. You will assist on recreational and specialty courses, participate in skill and knowledge evaluation sessions.
The price of the instructor internship ($400 USD) is additional to the costs of the ITC.
The following is included :
-
2 week ITC preparation
-
Assist on courses while shadowing our experienced instructors
-
Skills evaluation pool session
-
Skills evaluation open water
-
Dive theory and SSI Standards class room sessions
