There are many reasons why people learn to dive and so it is impossible to list them all here. Some activities seem to be perfect precursors for scuba diving. Active swimmers take to diving pretty easily. People who enjoy snorkeling also have an advantage as they have already seen some of the fish life beneath the sea and so are “hooked” already. Snorkelers usually have an easy time transitioning to scuba diving.
People who enjoy active outdoor activities or extreme sports are the type of persons who are drawn to the more challenging disciplines of diving, such as decompression diving, rebreather diving, mixed gas diving or diving in an overhead environment. I guess I fell directly into that category all those years ago when I first began my diving journey.
For any diving activities beyond the no-decompression limit, in an overhead environment or with an alternative equipment configuration - such as a closed-circuit rebreather or a semi-closed rebreather, in SSI, we refer to these activities as “Extended Range” or more commonly abbreviated to ‘XR”.
XR activities and training programs are not targeted at the select few adventurous individuals but instead marketed to the global diving community as a pathway for all divers to extend their range of skills and knowledge. XR diving is not a sport for daredevils; but it is a respected, well managed, safety orientated pathway of programs in the diving industry that you can participate with your friends and family. XR programs are a means to learning more in depth knowledge and skills about the beauty, intricacies and challenges that the ever-expanding underwater world continues to present us with.
As was previously written, the term ‘XR” is used to refer to any diving activity that is either beyond the no-decompression limit, in an overhead environment or with an alternative form of diving equipment. SSI is very proud to be able to offer all of these activities under the XR flag. It takes years or dedication, commitment, passion and team knowledge for a training agency to be able to successful provide training programs for all of these activities and that is exactly what SSI have achieved. The following XR programs are available:
If you have ever wanted to stay down a little longer, or go that little bit deeper or explore that bit farther then yes, the range of XR programs offered by SSI are just what you need.
Head to https://www.divessi.com/en-IC/highlights/extended-range/ for more in depth program details and to locate an XR training center near you.
DiveSSI
9th October 2020
