PADI INSTRUCTOR COURSES

The PADI Instructor training program is designed to be very flexible. To become a full PADI Instructor, officially called an Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI), candidates need to complete an Instructor Development Course,(IDC) and an Instructor exam, (IE).

The IDC can be taken as a whole or split into an initial Assistant Instructor,(AI), course which is then followed, either later or straightaway, by an OWSI course.

OWSI Course Content

To become an OWSI there are a further 4 days of course work. After this candidates, when they feel ready, take an IE, organised and conducted by PADI. The IE’s are normally conducted over the two days of a weekend. After successful performance at the IE candidates can apply to PADI for membership as an instructor (OWSI).

The PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) rating is the first PADI Instructor level attained by dive professionals. During their training OWSIs review PADI standards, procedures, philosophies and teaching methods as well as hone their practical teaching ability, watermanship, and diving knowledge. OWSIs take responsibility for introducing people to scuba diving through various PADI programs and courses. Teaching status PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors may conduct the entire range of PADI programs from Discover Scuba up to Divemaster (except for specialties which require specific Specialty Instructor ratings).

Availability

The traditional approach to instructor development is a 7 or 8 day course followed by a two day exam. While this works very well for some people it is quite intense and often means using up valuable leave from work which could be better utilised on one of our dive trips abroad! So not only do we do run one week IDC’s ending just in time to enrol on an IE we also timetable them over evenings and weekends to keep them more relaxed and, for many, more convenient. The ability to just do the first half of an IDC to gain the assistant instructor qualification over a couple of weekends and or some evenings is also useful in the same way. As an Assistant Instructor you get an introduction to teaching techniques along with training and practise in teaching the courses AI’s can teach. Some people like to stop at this level for a while and build up experience with some of the ‘easier teaching’ before completing the rest of the IDC and the IE and becoming fully fledged Instructors.

There are lots of options and even more abbreviations to grasp so if you need any further explanations or help in deciding which path would be best for you please do not hesitate to contact me.

As a PADI Five Star IDC centre with a fulltime course director we can run Instructor and Assistant Instructor courses whenever we want to. We normally run the full week IDC’s to end the day before one of the ‘local’ IEs that are run by PADI at regular times and locations around the country. The part time AI and OWSI courses are usually run over the 4 weekends before these IE’s, the first two weekends for AI, the second two being for the OWSI course. (All 4 being the IDC). These courses can also be timetabled to suit individual requirements.

Pre-requisites

To enrol in a PADI AI course or IDC you need to be a PADI Divemaster or equivalent, be at least 18 years old, have a current medical, have a current CPR/First Aid qualification, and have been diving for at least 6 months and have logged at least 60 dives. To enrol on an OWSI course you need to be a PADI AI meeting the prerequisites above. To enrol on an IE, you need to have successfully completed an IDC within the last 12 months, logged 100 dives and to have been diving for one year or more. There are crossover equivalents from other training organisations so if you are not PADI yet all is not lost!

Part of the exams on these courses will test your divemaster theory knowledge. This theory is not normally covered on the course. If you are a bit rusty we can timetable some extra classes to cover the material. These would need to be done before the start of a one week IDC but could be fitted in over a 4 weekend course.

The courses involve a fair amount of reading prior to starting so the sooner you book in advance the more time there is for study. There are also ‘homework’ assignments for each day of class so, especially on the one week course, don’t plan on lots of late night parties or nightshift work!

There are a number of costs associated with the Instructor process. These do add up so check which ones apply to your chosen career path in order that there are no surprises.

You will need to pay Scuba Training Ltd for the AI, or OWSI or IDC

One of the following :
AI £350 if you just do the AI course
OWSI £300 if you have done the AI course and want to carry on to OWSI
IDC £650 if you are a Divemaster and want to go to OWSI

plus
You will need to pay PADI an IDC registration fee in order to enrol in the IDC of £85.77
Plus one of the following
If you want to be an A.I. the annual instructor fee is £37.50p.
If you want to be an OWSI you have to take an IE the fee for which includes your first years instructor dues £370.12
(In the unlikely event of failing part of the IE you can apply and pay to be an AI as long as you completed the AI exams on your IDC. Retests for the IE are done on a pro rata basis)

Instructor candidates must also have the following materials.

Candidate workbook : £55.00
Instructor manual : £131.09
The Law and The Diving professional : £25.00
The Best of the Undersea Journal : £25.00
The Business of Diving : £21.59
Children and Diving : £20.66
Peak Performance Specialty outline : £12.41
Project AWARE Program Specialty Outline : £12.41
Aquatic Cue Cards Openwater Course Confined Water : £33.8