The US Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) has issued its first public statement regarding SSI’s status, saying the agency has been suspended, not removed from membership, following several days of speculation within the diving industry.
The clarification follows reports that SSI had disappeared from the US RSTC’s published membership list, prompting questions over whether one of the world’s largest diver training agencies had left the organisation.
In response, SSI stated that the situation stemmed from a disagreement over proposed updates to training standards. According to the agency, it submitted revisions to both the US RSTC and RSTC Europe in February 2026 after identifying what it described as a discrepancy between an existing US RSTC standard and the more recent ISO standard covering Assistant Instructor qualifications.
SSI said RSTC Europe accepted the proposal for inclusion in its next standards update, while the US RSTC did not respond to the submission. The agency also said it was removed from membership without prior notification.
The US RSTC has now offered a different characterisation of the situation.
According to the council, SSI has been suspended rather than removed from membership. While the distinction may appear subtle, it indicates that the council considers SSI’s membership status to be temporary rather than permanently terminated.
At the time of writing, the US RSTC has not publicly released detailed information explaining the reasons for the suspension or whether any conditions must be met for SSI’s reinstatement.
Certifications remain unaffected
Despite the disagreement, SSI has stressed that the status of its diver certifications has not changed.
The agency says its training system continues to be independently certified to internationally recognised ISO standards and that SSI certifications, professionals and training centres remain fully valid.
No information released by the US RSTC suggests that divers holding SSI certifications are affected or that SSI professionals should alter their training activities.
Different perspectives
The latest developments highlight that both organisations are describing the situation differently.
SSI has characterised the issue as a disagreement over modernising training standards and said it intends to continue working toward a resolution.
The US RSTC, meanwhile, has clarified that SSI has been suspended rather than removed, although it has not yet publicly addressed SSI’s description of the standards dispute.
Until further information is released, the precise circumstances surrounding the suspension remain unclear.
Industry significance
SSI has been associated with the US Recreational Scuba Training Council for many years and is one of the largest diver training organisations in the world.
Although the dispute appears to concern organisational governance and standards development rather than diver safety, it represents one of the most significant developments involving a major recreational training agency in recent years.
The Scuba News has contacted both SSI and the US Recreational Scuba Training Council for any additional comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
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