SSI Science of Diving Course in Andaman - The Theory Behind Every Dive
I tell new students the Open Water Diver course teaches you what to do underwater — Science of Diving teaches you why it works. This SSI specialty covers the physics behind your air supply, the physiology behind how depth affects your body, and the decompression math your dive computer quietly handles for you.
You can even complete it from home, with 1:1 guidance over the phone. It's built for anyone chasing a Dive Professional rating — on its own, this course clears roughly half the classroom hours Divemaster candidates need. Any curious diver looking to go deeper into the science is welcome to start.
What Science of Diving Teaches You!
I often find students getting surprised by the same things, dive after dive:
- They go slightly positively buoyant by the end of a dive. As you breathe down the tank, it gets lighter than the water it displaces — courtesy Archimedes' Principle. Practice proper weighting technique to handle it.
- A red tomato turns black by 30 metres. Water absorbs light unevenly by wavelength, and red is the first colour to disappear, gone within just a few metres. A dive torch brings it straight back, which is why we carry one to show divers a reef's true colour.
- They can't figure out where a sound is coming from. I know that exact feeling myself — it happens because water is denser than air, which makes sound travel 4.3 to 4.5 times faster than it does above the surface. Humans just aren't built to judge direction at that speed, so the easiest fix is learning to stop trying.
- They feel a squeeze the first time pressure builds. As depth increases, pressure squeezes the air spaces in your body — courtesy Boyle's Law. Equalising as you descend clears it right up.
- Some feel “high” between 30 and 40 metres. Once the partial pressure of nitrogen crosses roughly 3.5 bar, it starts giving narcotic effects that make you high — courtesy Dalton's Law — which is exactly why we plan every dive's depth and bottom time carefully in advance.
Who Actually Needs This
Anyone with a thirst for knowledge and a love for the vast ocean can learn this course. But if you're working toward Divemaster, Instructor, or any other SSI Dive Professional rating, it isn't optional — it's built into the certification path, and you'll need it on file before you can move up. Most leisure divers can skip it entirely and lose nothing from their diving; it's really aimed at a narrower crowd — divers who want the “why” behind their training, not just the “how.”
Course Pricing
The SSI Science of Diving course costs ₹13,000, all-inclusive. This covers the SSI Digital Kit, your instructor's guidance through the coursework, and your certification once you're done — there's nothing extra to arrange with SSI yourself.
Included
- SSI Digital Kit — e-learning study material, purchased and assigned to you directly through SSI
- Personal instructor guidance through the coursework
- SSI Science of Diving Speciality certification
Not Included
- Accompanying fun dives (billed separately at standard fun-dive rates)
- Diving equipment or rental
- Accommodation and meals
- Transport
Ready for the Next Step?
Science of Diving is one of several specialities in our Speciality Courses lineup — worth exploring if you're building toward something bigger. If Divemaster is on your radar, this course already has you halfway there; from here, Divemaster Pro is the natural next step.
FAQs
You generally need to be a certified Open Water Diver (or the equivalent) before starting Science of Diving. It can also be combined directly with your Open Water Diver training if you haven't certified yet, so you don't necessarily need to complete one before starting the other — just get in touch and we'll work out the right order for you.
Science of Diving costs ₹13,000, all-inclusive — that covers your SSI Digital Kit (which we purchase and assign to you directly through SSI), the e-learning study material, instructor guidance, and your certification once you complete the course. If you'd like to pair the theory with real dives to apply it in the water, those are billed separately at our standard fun-dive rates — the same rates that apply to any other day on the reef, listed on our fun-diving and packages pages.
Yes — Science of Diving is a required course for Divemaster, and for every SSI Dive Professional rating beyond it, not an optional add-on. It also happens to be one of the more efficient prerequisites: a large share of the academic work in this course carries straight over into Divemaster training, so completing it early is rarely wasted effort.
Yes, most of Science of Diving can be completed remotely before you ever set foot in Andaman. The coursework runs through self-paced e-learning, and we offer 1:1 guidance over the phone if you want to work through the material with an instructor rather than alone — leaving your time on the island free for the parts that actually need to happen here.
Ready to Understand Every Dive?
Ready to understand the diving you already love, or check off a requirement on your way to Divemaster? Get in touch and we'll set you up with the next available Science of Diving batch — in person, online, or a mix of both.