Scuba Schools International (SSI) has quietly disappeared from the membership page of the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) United States Council, in what appears to be a significant and unannounced departure from one of the diving industry’s most important standards bodies.
The WRSTC website — which lists the current members of the US RSTC — was updated on 24 June 2026. SSI is no longer among those listed. No statement has been issued by either SSI or the RSTC to explain the development.
The departure is notable given SSI’s deep historical ties to the council. SSI was among the founding members of the RSTC when it was formed in 1987, alongside IDEA, PADI, PDIC, and NASDS — the predecessor body that later merged with SSI itself. The RSTC was established to give member agencies a shared framework for developing minimum training standards and monitoring quality control across the recreational diving industry. Idea-scuba
As recently as February 2026, SSI’s own press materials continued to reference its RSTC founding membership as a core part of its institutional identity. SSI described itself as “a founding member of the RSTC” that plays “an active role in setting industry minimum training standards.” DiveNewswire
The US RSTC currently lists seven remaining members: IANTD, PADI, SEI (Scuba Educators International), RAID, SDI, SNSI, and NASE, along with PSS as an associate member. NAUI, which had rejoined the RSTC in 2017 after years outside the council, is also no longer listed — though that development predates this latest change.
The reasons for SSI’s removal have not been made public. It is not yet known whether the agency withdrew voluntarily, was removed by the council, or whether the change reflects a broader strategic shift by SSI’s parent company, HEAD Group, which has owned SSI since 2014.
The RSTC is the US secretariat for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in matters relating to recreational diving instructional standards, and its standards form the basis for ISO scuba training requirements internationally. Membership carries both regulatory weight and reputational significance in the industry.
For SSI’s 4,000-plus affiliated training centres and more than 100,000 professionals worldwide, the immediate practical implications are unclear. SSI holds independent ISO certification for its training standards, which it has maintained since 2010 — a credential it would retain regardless of RSTC membership status.
Diventures has reached out to both SSI and the RSTC for comment. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Mohsen Nabil is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Diventures Magazine. A mechanical engineer and scuba diving instructor based in the Red Sea, he writes about diving safety, marine conservation, underwater exploration, and developments in the global dive industry. Through Diventures Magazine, he works to connect divers, scientists, and ocean advocates while promoting responsible diving and protection of the oceans.
