Product Overview
If you love working with people, have a passion for scuba diving, and dream of an adventurous, purposeful life, becoming a PADI Instructor may be your perfect path. As a dive instructor, you get to share your love of the underwater world while doing what you enjoy most—spending your days in, on, and beneath the water.
PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors and Assistant Instructors are in high demand worldwide because they complete the industry’s most respected dive-professional training program. Earning your PADI Instructor rating requires dedication and hard work, but the reward is a career that lets you change lives through unforgettable underwater experiences—while enriching your own.
The journey to becoming a PADI Instructor begins with the Instructor Development Course (IDC), which consists of two parts:
-
Assistant Instructor (AI) Course
-
Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) Program
Most candidates complete the full IDC and then attend the Instructor Examination (IE)—the final step toward achieving PADI Instructor certification. Completing only the AI course will earn you the PADI Assistant Instructor rating, and AIs can later continue with the OWSI program to qualify for the IE. Dive professionals with instructor credentials from other agencies may be able to enter the OWSI program directly, ensuring their previous experience is recognized.
Requirements to Begin Your IDC:
-
PADI Divemaster certification (minimum six months as a certified diver)
-
At least 60 logged dives to start the IDC and 100 dives to attend the IE
-
Current Emergency First Response Primary & Secondary Care (CPR/First Aid) training (within 24 months)
-
Medical clearance signed by a physician within the past 12 months
-
Emergency First Response Instructor rating (you can earn this during your IDC)
If you’re ready to join the world’s most recognized and progressive scuba-training organization, it’s time to Go PRO and begin your PADI Instructor Development Course. Your extraordinary new career starts here.