CPR and first aid are key skills that are important to everyone, not just scuba divers. As an Emergency First Response Instructor, you teach skills based on internationally recognized emergency care guidelines, and you can offer courses to anyone. The great thing about EFR courses is they make learning easy by providing a comfortable environment to practice emergency care skills. Your students finish the course feeling confident with their new skills and ready to help someone in need.

The only requirements are that you’re at least 18 years old and have Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months. An EFR Instructor rating is required to become a PADI Instructor, but you don’t have to wait until you’re ready to go pro. You can complete or refresh this training during your PADI Instructor training.
 

What will you learn?

Your role as an EFR Instructor is to be a coach that creates a positive learning environment. Along with learning how to structure and organize EFR courses, you practice:

• –  Presenting course content.
• –  Encouraging self-discovery in students.
• –  Evaluating student understanding and skill mastery during hands-on skills practice.
• –  Managing effective scenario-based learning experiences.
• –  You may be able to get college credit for the Emergency First Response Instructor course.
   

How can you start learning now?

Visit your local PADI dive shop to pick up an EFR Instructor Start-up Kit that includes a complete set of instructional materials. Start learning immediately by completing the self-study knowledge reviews in the instructor guide. Your EFR Instructor Trainer will schedule practical sessions to complete your training.

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Just as scuba divers look up to divemasters, instructor candidates really respect IDC Staff Instructors. As the name implies, IDC Staff Instructors assist with instructor training and share their wisdom and experience with new PADI leaders. Taking the IDC Staff Instructor course provides you with in-depth knowledge of the instructor development process and prepares you to shape the next generation of PADI Professionals. It’s also a great career move.

Master Scuba Diver Trainers (MSDTs) who are ready to be excellent role models and agree to use the PADI System and components in their entirety may enroll in an IDC Staff Instructor course.
 

What will you learn?

After a preassessment of your instructor-level knowledge of dive theory, exemplary dive skills and role-model presentation techniques, you’ll participate in these sessions:

• –  Instructor development standards, procedures and curriculum
• –  How to organize and conduct the PADI Assistant Instructor course
• –  The psychology of evaluation and counseling
• –  Evaluating knowledge development, confined water and open water teaching presentations
• –  Plus, you’ll get to audit an IDC or practice teaching many curriculum components.
• –  As an IDC Staff Instructor, you can independently teach PADI Assistant Instructor courses as well as assist with IDCs and other instructor-level continuing education courses.
   

How can you get started?

Island Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center so contact us and speak with a PADI Course Director to enroll in the course, get your materials and start learning. 

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For technical divers, using a sidemount configuration is becoming more common and it certainly is convenient for traveling, especially to locations where backmount isn’t available. As a Tec Sidemount Instructor, you can teach the advantages of sidemount diving to tec divers or introduce scuba divers to tec diving with the Tec Sidemount Diver course.

To enroll in a Tec Sidemount Instructor course, you must:

• –  Be a renewed PADI Instructor
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor course
• –  Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor, or have completed a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor course
• –  Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and 15 dives deeper than –  30 metres/100 feet
• –  Be a Tec 45 Diver

Prior to sending in your Tec Sidemount Instructor application, you must also:

• –  Be a PADI Tec Instructor or higher rating
• –  Be a PADI Tec Sidemount Diver
• –  Have logged at least 20 technical sidemount dives including 10 with three or more cylinders
• –  Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply – ask your Tec Sidemount Instructor Trainer.
   

What Will You Learn?

If you aren’t a certified Tec Sidemount Diver, then your Tec Sidemount Instructor course will include the entire Tec Sidemount Diver course. You’ll not only get to practice all the skills, but will also get the chance to present knowledge development, confined water and open water teaching segments. Your Tec Sidemount Instructor Trainer will make sure you’re ready to teach the course and also provide ideas for organizing and marketing your tec sidemount courses.

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Enriched air, trimix and rebreather diving just can’t happen without the right gas mixes. Not only does a dive shop need the right blending equipment, but it also needs qualified gas blenders. As a Tec Gas Blender Instructor, you can help meet the demand for gas blenders by offering this important training – the Tec Gas Blender course.

To enroll in a Tec Gas Blender Instructor course, you must be a:

• –  PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
• –  PADI Enriched Air Instructor
• –  Tec Gas Blender

Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply – ask your Tec Gas Blender Instructor Trainer.
 

What will you learn?

Since you’re already a gas blender, the course reviews your knowledge of gas blending procedures to make sure that you not only understand them, but can explain critical information to others. You also demonstrate step-by-step oxygen cleaning procedures, practice teaching segments of the course and create different gas blends.

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Diving beyond recreational depths with open-circuit technical gear has allowed tec divers to discover amazing wrecks and photograph never-before-seen organisms. Tec Deep Instructors contribute to deep exploration by training the next generation of tec divers. When you earn this rating, you can conduct Discover Tec programs and teach Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 Diver courses.

To enroll in a Tec Deep Instructor course, you must:

• –  Be a renewed PADI Instructor
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor course.
• –  Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor, or have completed a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor course.
• –  Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and 15 dives deeper than 30 metres/100 feet.

Prior to sending in your Tec Deep Instructor application, you must also:

• –  Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor
• –  Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor
• –  Be a Tec 50 Diver
• –  Have assisted with at least one Tec 50 Diver course or one Tec 45 Diver course
• –  Have a minimum of 270 dives logged, with at least 25 stage decompression dives deeper than 40 metres/130 feet.
• –  Have certified a total of 10 or more PADI Deep Divers and/or PADI Enriched Air Divers.
• –  Have successfully completed the Tec Deep Instructor course exams.
• –  Meet a peer review waterskill requirement.

Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply – ask your Tec Instructor Trainer.
 

What will you learn?

If you aren’t a certified tec diver, then your instructor course will include the entire Tec 40, 45 and 50 Diver courses as necessary. In fact, the first part of the course makes sure you have a good grasp of the knowledge and skills required for technical deep diving. During the second part of the course, you practice conducting knowledge development, practical application and open water teaching segments. Your Tec Deep Instructor Trainer will also go over organization and marketing considerations for TecRec courses.

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Tec Instructor has a nice sound to it, especially if you’re a PADI Instructor interested in technical (tec) diving and ready to combine your interests. The Tec Instructor course is your entry into the tec diving world and your opportunity to join the PADI TecRec professional ranks. As a Tec Instructor, you’ll be qualified to conduct Discover Tec programs, teach the Tec 40 course and assist a Tec Deep Instructor with Tec 45 Diver courses (which is a great way to gain experience).

To enroll in a Tec Instructor course, you must:

• –  Be a renewed PADI Instructor
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor course.
• –  Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor, or have completed a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor course.
• –  Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and 15 dives deeper than 30 metres/100 feet.

Prior to sending in your Tec Instructor application, you must also:

• –  Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• –  Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor
• –  Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor
• –  Be a Tec 45 Diver
• –  Have a minimum of 20 stage decompression dives
• –  Have successfully completed the Tec Instructor course exams

Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply – ask your Tec Instructor Trainer.
 

What will you learn?

If you aren’t a certified tec diver, then your Tec Instructor course will include the entire Tec 40 and 45 Diver course. Part One of the course focuses on the knowledge and skills required for technical deep diving. Part Two fine-tunes your ability to conduct knowledge development, practical application and open water teaching segments. You’ll also go over the philosophy, organization and marketing considerations for technical diver training.

The post Tec Instructor appeared first on Island Divers.

The PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating sets you apart as a dive instructor who takes continuing education seriously and is committed to teaching a variety of courses. (Potential employers like this.) Being an MSDT signifies that you’ve got the experience and certifications to offer all the training a diver needs to become a Master Scuba Diver – the ultimate recreational diver rating.

All PADI Instructors who have certified at least 25 PADI Divers and have earned at least five PADI Specialty Instructor certifications can be Master Scuba Diver Trainers. This rating is the next step up the professional ladder and is a prerequisite for IDC Staff Instructor as well as for many TecRec Instructor ratings.

Not there yet? Ask your PADI Course Director about a Master Scuba Diver Trainer prep course.

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More scuba diving and more fun sharing what interests you – that’s what teaching specialty diver courses is all about. The best way to learn how to make your specialty diver courses really special is to take a specialty instructor course from your local PADI Course Director. Specialty instructor courses provide teaching tips and hands-on experience that you can implement right away. With 25 standard PADI Specialty Diver courses, and numerous distinctive specialties, you have lots of choose from – so get going.

All PADI Instructors will benefit from taking specialty instructor training courses, especially those who are ready to step up to the Master Scuba Diver™ Trainer (MSDT) rating, which requires at least five PADI Specialty Instructor certifications.

PADI Assistant Instructors, instructor candidates in training, and PADI Divemasters are eligible to enroll in certain specialty instructor courses. Some specialties have additional prerequisites and exit requirements – ask your PADI Course Director for details.
 

What will you learn?

You’ll learn new techniques to add to the experience you already have in a specialty area and have fun fine-tuning your skills and teaching methods. Plus, you’ll get great ideas for marketing your specialty diver courses.
 

How can you get started?

Island Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center so contact us to enroll in the course, get your materials and start learning.

The post Specialty Instructor appeared first on Island Divers.

If you like people, have a passion for scuba diving and want an extraordinary life – become a PADI Instructor. Teaching scuba diving allows you to share your love of the aquatic world with others while doing what you enjoy – being in, around and under water. PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors and PADI Assistant Instructors are the most sought-after dive professionals around the world because they’ve completed the program that sets the standard for training dive professionals. You earn a PADI Instructor rating through hard work and commitment, but you’re rewarded with a job that lets you share incredible underwater adventures with others – transforming their lives for the better and enriching yours.

Are you ready to join the ranks of the dedicated professionals who teach the world’s most progressive and popular scuba diver education programs? Then Go PROSM with an Instructor Development Course.

The Instructor Development Course (IDC) is made up of two parts – the Assistant Instructor (AI) course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program. Most dive professionals complete the entire IDC and go on to attend an Instructor Examination (IE), which is the final step to earn a PADI Instructor certification.

Successfully completing just the AI course results in a PADI Assistant Instructor qualification. When an AI is ready to progress, attending an OWSI program allows entry into an IE to earn a full PADI Instructor rating.

Dive professionals who hold an instructor rating with another diver training organization may be eligible to enroll directly in the OWSI program. This recognizes prior instructor training and provides a path to become a PADI Instructor.

A PADI Divemaster who has been a certified diver for six months may enroll in the PADI Instructor Development Course. You also need:

• –  At least 60 logged dives and 100 dives to attend an IE.
• –  Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months.
• –  A medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months

You also need to be an Emergency First Response Instructor, but you can earn this rating during your instructor training.
 

What will you learn?

Over a minimum of five days, but usually more like seven, the IDC teaches you to conduct all PADI core courses. You’ll be able to organize and present information, conduct skill development sessions and control open water dives. Basically, you become a better public speaker and get really good at demonstrating skills while watching out for student diver safety. Key topics include:

• –  PADI Standards and Procedures for courses you can teach with in water workshops
• –  Learning, Instruction and the PADI System
• –  Risk Management and Diver Safety
• –  The Business of Diving and your role as an instructor
• –  Marketing Diving and Sales Counseling
• –  You may be able to get college credit or the Assistant Instructor course and Instructor Development Course.
   

How can you start learning now?

Register for IDC Online – PADI’s eLearning option that lets you study independently at your own pace before class. There are nine interactive knowledge development sections. Prestudy online saves classroom time, which allows more time for practicing the skills that distinguish you as a PADI Instructor.

Also, sign up for Dive Theory Online, if you haven’t already completed it or it’s been more than a year since you went through it. The program is a straightforward review of dive physics, physiology, skills, equipment and environment, plus using the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP). By successfully completing Dive Theory Online, you can get credit for the dive theory exam requirement during your IDC.

Island Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center so contact us to enroll in the course, get your materials and start learning.

The post Open Water Scuba Instructor appeared first on Island Divers.

If you like people, have a passion for scuba diving and want an extraordinary life – become a PADI Instructor. Teaching scuba diving allows you to share your love of the aquatic world with others while doing what you enjoy – being in, around and under water. PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors and PADI Assistant Instructors are the most sought-after dive professionals around the world because they’ve completed the program that sets the standard for training dive professionals. You earn a PADI Instructor rating through hard work and commitment, but you’re rewarded with a job that lets you share incredible underwater adventures with others – transforming their lives for the better and enriching yours.

Are you ready to join the ranks of the dedicated professionals who teach the world’s most progressive and popular scuba diver education programs? Then Go PRO with an Instructor Development Course.

The Instructor Development Course (IDC) is made up of two parts – the Assistant Instructor (AI) course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program. Most dive professionals complete the entire IDC and go on to attend an Instructor Examination (IE), which is the final step to earn a PADI Instructor certification.

Successfully completing just the AI course results in a PADI Assistant Instructor qualification. When an AI is ready to progress, attending an OWSI program allows entry into an IE to earn a full PADI Instructor rating.

Dive professionals who hold an instructor rating with another diver training organization may be eligible to enroll directly in the OWSI program. This recognizes prior instructor training and provides a path to become a PADI Instructor.

A PADI Divemaster who has been a certified diver for six months may enroll in the PADI Instructor Development Course. You also need:

• –  At least 60 logged dives and 100 dives to attend an IE.
• –  Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months.
• –  A medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months

You also need to be an Emergency First Response Instructor, but you can earn this rating during your instructor training.
 

What will you learn?

Over a minimum of five days, but usually more like seven, the IDC teaches you to conduct all PADI core courses. You’ll be able to organize and present information, conduct skill development sessions and control open water dives. Basically, you become a better public speaker and get really good at demonstrating skills while watching out for student diver safety. Key topics include:

• –  PADI Standards and Procedures for courses you can teach with in water workshops
• –  Learning, Instruction and the PADI System
• –  Risk Management and Diver Safety
• –  The Business of Diving and your role as an instructor
• –  Marketing Diving and Sales Counseling

You may be able to get college credit or the Assistant Instructor course and Instructor Development Course.
 

How can you start learning now?

Register for IDC Online – PADI’s eLearning option that lets you study independently at your own pace before class. There are nine interactive knowledge development sections. Prestudy online saves classroom time, which allows more time for practicing the skills that distinguish you as a PADI Instructor.

Also, sign up for Dive Theory Online, if you haven’t already completed it or it’s been more than a year since you went through it. The program is a straightforward review of dive physics, physiology, skills, equipment and environment, plus using the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP). By successfully completing Dive Theory Online, you can get credit for the dive theory exam requirement during your IDC.

Island Divers is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center so contact us to enroll in the course, get your materials and start learning.

The post Assistant Instructor appeared first on Island Divers.

Love scuba diving? Want to share it with others on a whole new level? Take the PADI Divemaster course and do what you love to do as a career. Scuba divers look up to divemasters because they are leaders who mentor and motivate others. As a divemaster, you not only get to dive a lot, but also experience the joy of seeing others have as much fun diving as you do.

The PADI Divemaster course is your first level of professional training. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, you’ll fine-tune your dive skills, like perfecting the effortless hover, and refine your rescue skills so you anticipate and easily solve common problems. You’ll gain dive knowledge, management and supervision abilities so you become a role model to divers everywhere.

As a PADI Divemaster, you’ll lead others as you supervise scuba diving activities and assist with diver training. Whether you want to work at a faraway dive destination or close to home at a local dive shop, the adventure of a lifetime awaits you. PADI Divemasters are respected dive professionals who are aligned with the largest and most respected dive organization in the world – PADI.

PADI Rescue Divers who are at least 18 years old may enroll in the PADI Divemaster course. You also need to have:

• –  Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months.
• –  A medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
• –  At least 40 logged dives to begin the course and 60 dives to earn certification.

Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organization may apply – ask your PADI Instructor.
 

What will you learn?

The PADI Divemaster course teaches you to be a leader and take charge of dive activities. Through knowledge development sessions, waterskills exercises and workshops, and hands-on practical assessment, you develop the skills to organize and direct a variety of scuba diving activities. Topics and practical workshops include:

• –  The role and characteristics of the PADI Divemaster
• –  Supervising dive activities and assisting with student divers
• –  Diver safety and risk management
• –  Divemaster conducted programs and specialized skills
• –  Business of diving and your career
• –  Awareness of the dive environment
• –  Dive setup and management
• –  Mapping an open water site
• –  Conducting dive briefings
• –  Organizing a search and recovery project and a deep dive
• –  Conducting a scuba review and skin diver course
• –  Assisting with Discover Scuba Diving and leading Discover Local Diving programs
• –  Your instructor may also offer the PADI Deep Diver and Search and Recovery Diver specialty diver courses along with your divemaster training to help you meet all requirements and to broaden your abilities.

You may be able to get college credit for the Divemaster course – ask your instructor.
 

How can you start learning now?

Sign up for Divemaster Online – PADI’s eLearning option – to start now. You can work through eight knowledge development sections using a web-based system that lets you learn at your own pace. You also have access to an online version of the Divemaster Manual for reference during and after the course.

Another option is to study by reading the Divemaster Manual and watching the Divemaster Video (a book and DVD package). Contact us to enroll in the course and get your Divemaster Crew-Pak, which also includes other reference materials – like the PADI Instructor Manual and The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving – that you’ll need during the course.

Consider taking Dive Theory Online, another PADI eLearning® program, that takes you step-by-step through dive physics, physiology, skills, equipment and environment, plus a Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) review. By successfully completing Dive Theory Online, you can get credit for half of the Divemaster Final Exam. Your PADI Instructor can explain how this works when you meet to schedule knowledge review sessions along with your waterskills exercises, workshops and practical assessments.
 

What scuba gear will you use?

As a dive professional, you’ll want to have all your basic scuba equipment, including a dive computer, a dive knife, and at least two surface signaling devices. During practical skills exercises, like underwater mapping and search and recovery, you’ll use a compass, floats, marker buoys, lift bags and slates. Your PADI Instructor may suggest additional gear that will be useful throughout your diving career.

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