Advanced Zone · Specialty · 1–2 Days

Search and Recovery Diving.
Find it. Bring it back.

Name: SSI Search and Recovery Diver
Price: 337 EUR

The SSI Search and Recovery specialty teaches the practical skills that separate a competent diver from a useful one: structured search patterns, line and reel management, and controlled object recovery using a lift bag. Run across one confined water session and two open water dives at Malta's accessible shore sites.

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Certified by SSI

Course Price

^€337

€235 course fee (inc. kit) + €102 SSI eLearning

✓SSI eLearning licence: €102

✓Course fee inc. full equipment: €235

✓1 confined water session + 2 open water dives

✓Lift bag and reel provided

✓SSI Search and Recovery certification

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Course Overview

The skills behind finding lost objects and bringing them back safely.

Most divers lose something eventually, and many witness objects go over the side of a boat. The SSI Search and Recovery specialty gives you the systematic approach to find them: a structured progression from search pattern theory through to open water object recovery using a wreck diver-relevant skill set that transfers directly to drift dives, photography trips, and boat diving in Malta.

The course covers the full cycle: planning a search based on last known position, deploying a reel to maintain orientation, executing the pattern, and using a lift bag to bring a recovered object to the surface without losing control of the ascent. Malta's sandy-bottomed shore sites at Cirkewwa and Anchor Bay are well-suited to pattern swimming and recovery practice.

Plan and execute four structured underwater search patterns
Deploy and manage a reel and line underwater
Communicate and coordinate a buddy search team
Use a lift bag to recover an object to the surface under control
Estimate last known position and adapt the search plan
Apply search skills in open water conditions

SSI Search and Recovery Diver

diveshack Malta, SSI Diamond ITC

Level Specialty

Certification SSI Search and Recovery Diver

Valid Worldwide, lifetime

Min Age 12

Prerequisite Open Water Diver

Max Depth 30m

Open Water Dives 2

What You Will Cover

Theory, confined water practice, and two open water dives.

The Search and Recovery course follows a structured four-phase build: academic theory, a focused confined water session for equipment practice, then two open water dives where you apply everything under realistic conditions.

Phase 01: Theory

Search Planning and Pattern Selection

SSI eLearning: search and recovery theory
Types of search pattern: circular, U-pattern, expanding square, jackstay
Estimating last known position and drift
Line and reel management basics
Lift bag physics: buoyancy, deployment, ascent control
Team roles and underwater communication signals

Phase 02: Confined Water

Equipment Handling and Pattern Practice

Reel deployment and retrieval in confined water
Circular and U-pattern swimming with a buddy
Lift bag deployment: attachment, inflation, controlled ascent
Emergency stop procedures if a lift bag ascends too fast
Instructor sign-off before open water progression

Phase 03: Open Water Dive 1

Pattern Search in Open Water

Pre-dive briefing: target object location and search area defined
Reel deployment from a fixed anchor point
Circular pattern search to 30m maximum
Target located, position marked with a surface marker
Full debrief: accuracy, line management, buddy communication

Phase 04: Open Water Dive 2

Object Recovery with a Lift Bag

U-pattern or expanding square search to locate target
Lift bag rigged to recovered object underwater
Controlled inflation and monitored ascent to surface
Object handed off to surface support
Final assessment and SSI Search and Recovery certification

Pricing

Course options

All-Inclusive

Standard Course

^€337

€235 course fee (inc. full equipment hire) + €102 SSI eLearning. Everything included.

✓SSI eLearning licence (€102)
✓Course fee inc. full equipment hire (€235)
✓1 confined water session
✓2 open water dives
✓Lift bag, reel, and line provided
✓SSI Search and Recovery Diver certification
✓Max 5 students per instructor

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Private Instruction

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One-on-one instruction. Flexible scheduling, dedicated instructor throughout.

✓Everything in Standard Course
✓Dedicated one-on-one instructor
✓Flexible scheduling, any day
✓Priority site selection

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All prices include VAT · See cancellation policy in FAQ

FAQ

Common questions

You need an SSI Open Water Diver certification, or an equivalent qualification from another recognised agency such as PADI, CMAS, or BSAC. Minimum age is 12 years. No minimum logged dive requirement is listed for this specialty, but having 10 to 20 dives under your belt before starting will make the open water sessions more comfortable.

Both are included in the course price. You do not need to purchase or bring your own lift bag or reel. If you already own equipment you would like to use for future dives, your instructor can advise on setup during the confined water session. All scuba equipment is also included.

Search and Recovery dives are run at shallow, sandy-bottomed sites that are well-suited to pattern swimming and object placement. Cirkewwa and Anchor Bay are the most commonly used locations. Final site selection depends on sea conditions on the day of your course.

The skills overlap directly. Line and reel management is standard practice for wreck penetration. Lift bag deployment is used to send up signals or recover items found inside wrecks. The systematic approach to underwater orientation that the course builds also helps divers navigate complex wreck structures without losing track of their position or exit.

The SSI eLearning licence (€102) gives you access to the full SSI Search and Recovery digital learning program via the SSI app or web platform. It covers search pattern theory, equipment use, lift bag physics, and team communication. You complete it at your own pace before the in-water sessions begin. Your instructor will confirm you have completed it before the confined water session.

Cancellations made more than 7 days before the course start date receive a full refund. Cancellations within 7 days are non-refundable, but you can reschedule once at no charge. Cancellations due to weather or sea conditions on the day are always rescheduled at no cost to you.

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Usually within a few hours. We confirm your dates, answer questions, and send full joining instructions.

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+356 9999 3483 · WhatsApp

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SSI Search and Recovery Malta

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Search and Recovery Diving.
Find it. Bring it back.