01
01 — The Caribbean as your classroom.
Fifty-four shore dive sites. Warm water year-round. No boat schedule, no current worth mentioning. You teach your first Open Water students in the same conditions they will actually learn in. Real skills, not pool tricks.
02
02 — One Instructor Trainer. Every session.
Stephan runs every briefing, every evaluation, every debrief. No rotating staff, no guest lecturers brought in for a weekend. You train with the same person from day one to your final exam. He knows where you started.
03
03 — Four candidates. That is it.
Most instructor courses run eight to twelve. We run four. You get corrected in real time. You teach real students during your training, not classmates pretending to be beginners. When you leave, you have actually taught.
The professional path
Most candidates start at Divemaster or ITC. The rest follows from what you want to teach.
| # | Course | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Divemaster | Lead dives. Assist instructors. |
| 02 | Instructor Training Course | Teach Open Water independently. |
| 03 | Specialty Instructor | Teach specialties. Expand what you offer. |
| 04 | Divemaster Instructor | Train and certify future Divemasters. |
| 05 | Assistant Instructor Trainer | Assist in ITCs. Path toward Instructor Trainer. |
The Divemaster path
Lead dives. Assist instructors. Build the dive count you need before the ITC.
Prereq: AOWD + Stress & Rescue · 40+ dives · 18+
Learn to lead dives, assist instructors, and run a dive operation. Real mentorship on a working dive center. Small group, real responsibilities from day one.
Certification: SSI Divemaster
Learn MorePrereq: AOWD + Stress & Rescue
Skills need work, confidence needs building, or you want a structured week before committing to the full Divemaster program. Stephan's eyes on your technique. An honest assessment and a plan for what comes next.
Request InfoPrereq: AOWD + Stress & Rescue · 40+ dives · 18+
Prep Week and Divemaster combined into one continuous program. Go from skills review to certified Divemaster without interruption.
Certification: SSI Divemaster
Request InfoTeach
The ITC is our flagship program. Ten days of teaching, evaluation prep, and honest feedback. You leave certified to teach Open Water independently.
The focused ITC tier. Online Prep Course included. No In-water Prep Day. For candidates who arrive prepared and want to keep it direct.
Certification: SSI Open Water Instructor
Apply for ITCOnline Prep Course and In-water Prep Day included. One extra day of practical preparation before the ITC starts. The recommended option for most candidates.
Certification: SSI Open Water Instructor
Apply for ITCOnline Prep Course, In-water Prep Day, and Night, Deep, Navigation, and React Right instructor credentials included. Start teaching the full range from day one.
Certification: SSI Open Water Instructor; Night Diving Instructor; Deep Diving Instructor; Navigation Instructor; React Right Instructor
Apply for ITCInstructor Evaluation (IE)
The IE fee is $550 (€550 for Europe) and is paid directly to SSI — not included in the ITC packages above. Each ITC is immediately followed by the 2-day Instructor Evaluation on Bonaire. No extra travel, no waiting.
These groups are intentionally small to ensure personal coaching. Once a date is full, it is full.
Prices in USD. Dutch candidates benefit from the current exchange rate. Ask Stephan for the euro equivalent at the time of booking.
Prereq: Active instructor certification (recognized agency)
You are already teaching. This is the crossover to SSI. No need to redo your Divemaster. Stephan handles the agency recognition paperwork on day one. Add SSI without losing what you have already built.
Certification: SSI Open Water Instructor
Request InfoInside the ITC
Days 1-3
Instructor development
Teaching theory. How people learn. How to structure a session. How to read your students.
Days 4-6
Teaching practice
You teach real students, real courses, real briefings. Stephan observes, corrects, debriefs.
Days 7-9
Evaluation prep
Full sessions independently. Standards. Paperwork. Rescue scenarios. Everything the IE tests.
Day 10 + IE
Mock exam & IE
Final prep and mock evaluation. Two days IE with instructor certifier. You sit when you will pass it.
A typical day
You are not in a classroom for ten days. You are on a working dive center, teaching real people, in real water, with real feedback every single session.
Advance
Once you are an instructor, these programs expand what you can teach and who you can train.
Prereq: SSI Open Water Instructor
Add individual specialty teaching ratings. Most in-demand: Deep, Night, Navigation, Nitrox, Wreck. Each one expands what you can offer students and increases your value at any dive center.
Request InfoPrereq: SSI Open Water Instructor
Five specialty instructor ratings for the price of four. Pick the specialties most relevant to where you plan to teach. Build a complete portfolio in one program.
Request InfoPrereq: SSI Open Water Instructor · Active teaching history
Four instructor ratings in one: Night Diving, Deep Diving, Navigation, and React Right Instructor. You become qualified to train and certify Divemasters.
Request InfoPrereq: Active SSI Instructor · SSI minimum requirements
You assist Stephan during ITC programs — briefings, evaluations, feedback. The first step toward Instructor Trainer. Available for instructors with strong teaching records who want to move toward training future instructors.
Request InfoAfter the IE
You pass your IE on a Friday. On Monday, you can teach:
Open Water Diver
The full course. Classroom, confined water, open water. Your own students, your own schedule, your own briefings.
Try Scuba
First breaths underwater. The course that gets people hooked.
Nitrox
The most popular specialty in diving. One afternoon, one student, one certification.
Dive Guide
Lead certified divers on guided dives. Pick the site, run the briefing, manage the group.
Stress & Rescue
Serious skill development. You teach people to save lives.
Who trains here
The Dutch Divemaster who got certified in Hurghada and wants to teach somewhere warm without visa paperwork. Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Same passport. Same healthcare. Different ocean.
The American Divemaster who wants Caribbean training without the factory-floor experience. Not twelve candidates in a room. Not a different instructor every other day.
The physiotherapist, the engineer, the teacher who realized they want mornings on the reef instead of mornings in traffic. You need more than a certification card. You need someone who will look you in the eye and tell you whether you are ready.
Your trainer
Stephan is an SSI Instructor Trainer and the founder of Wanderlust. He moved to Bonaire in 2023 and built the island's only Instructor Training Center from the ground up. He teaches every ITC and every Divemaster program himself.
Before Bonaire, he trained at centers where candidates were numbers. Eight in a room. Rotating staff. He built Wanderlust Dive Pro because he wanted to train instructors the way he wished he had been trained. Four candidates. One trainer. Honest feedback from day one.
Upcoming groups
Each ITC is immediately followed by a 2-day Instructor Evaluation on Bonaire. No extra travel, no waiting.
Can't make these dates? We run ITC groups four times per year. Tell us when you are coming.
What they say after
"I did my IDC at a factory in Asia. Eight candidates, three different instructors in two weeks. At Wanderlust it was just Stephan and four of us. He knew exactly where I was struggling before I did. I left ready to teach, not just certified."
Nina S. — ITC December 2025, now teaching at Dive Inn Amsterdam
"I compared programs in Honduras, Thailand, and Bonaire. Wanderlust was the clear choice: small cohort, Instructor Trainer on site every day, and a professional atmosphere from day one. Three months later I'm teaching Open Water and still using the lesson structures Stephan drilled into us."
Jasper M. — ITC November 2025, now teaching at Scuba Republic, Den Haag
FAQ
I am a PADI Divemaster. Can I do the ITC here?
Yes. SSI accepts crossovers from all recognized agencies. You do not need to redo your Divemaster. Stephan handles the crossover paperwork on day one.
What is the difference between an ITC and an IDC?
ITC is SSI. IDC is PADI. Both certify you to teach Open Water independently. The teaching methodology differs, the end result is the same: you can work anywhere in the world.
How many candidates per group?
Four maximum. Not a marketing line. We physically do not take more. It is a space and quality decision.
Is accommodation included?
No. We help you find a place. Most candidates rent a studio in Kralendijk for the duration. Budget approximately $800-1,200 per month.
What happens after I pass?
You are an SSI Open Water Instructor. You can teach independently at any SSI center worldwide. Many graduates stay in the Caribbean or return to the Netherlands. We help with job placement where we can.
Can I work on Bonaire after?
Yes. Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Dutch and EU citizens need no work permit. US citizens need a standard work visa, which is straightforward for dive professionals.
What if I am not ready for the IE?
We do not send you. If you need more time, we extend your training at no extra course fee. You sit the IE when you will pass it, not when the calendar says so.
What is the pass rate?
[X]%. We keep groups small specifically so we can identify issues early. If you do the work, you pass.
I already have specialty instructor ratings from PADI. Do they transfer?
Partially. SSI recognizes some crossover ratings. Contact us with your current certifications and Stephan will tell you exactly what counts and what you need to add.
Not ready yet
Six months away is fine. Here is how to use the time.
If you are reading this and you are six months away, that is fine. Send Stephan a message. He will map out your preparation and check in along the way. No commitment. Just a plan.
Share your trip details and we'll build your dive plan within hours.
