Upon completion of my SSI Diver Stress & Rescue course, I was immediately qualified for Advanced Open Water Diver recognition.

The qualifications for SSI Advanced Open Water Diver recognition are 24 logged dives plus completion of 4 diving specialties.

This differs from the PADI equivalent, which only requires sampling specialties. SSI requires completed specialties.

My 4 diving specialties are, in the order I earned them:

1. Enriched Air Nitrox

2. Perfect Buoyancy

3. Science of Diving

4. Diver Stress & Rescue

I also completed the React Right specialty course, but it is not considered a diving specialty. It is a prequisite for the Diver Stress & Rescue course, however.

Next up: Master Diver recognition. The SSI requirements are 50 logged dives with 5 completed specialties, one of which has to be the Diver Stress & Rescue specialty. My 5th diving specialty will be the Deep Diver specialty.