PADI Course Directors

The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is the heart of the PADI Instructor training process. During the IDC, you'll apply your diving skills and knowledge to learning to teach the PADI System in the classroom, confined water (pool) and open water. All IDCs are conducted by PADI Course Directors, each a highly experienced instructor trainer who has met strict educational proficiency requirements.

The PADI IDC stresses development. As a result, you can relax while learning, knowing that mistakes are part of the process. Although there are performance requirements for successfully completing the course, there are no time limitations, so you may continue to progress under your Course Director's guidance. The goal is to create a low-stress environment in which you can learn to function as a PADI Instructor. This makes the IDC challenging, yet an enjoyable learning experience. The final evaluation of your knowledge and skills comes later during the PADI Instructor Examination (IE).

The standard curriculum for the PADI IDC may be completed in as few as seven days or over an extended period. Each element of the course is supported by the Instructor Candidate Workbook and other educational materials, including the latest PADI videos. Topics include: teaching the PADI Open Water Diver course; continuing education courses; Discover experiences; the Recreational Dive Planner; lesson planning and presentation; conducting confined and open water sessions, legal responsibility and risk management; and marketing your PADI courses, to name a few.

The PADI Instructor Examination (IE)

Professional Instructor Examiners from PADI International or PADI Local Area Offices conduct IEs to confirm that instructor candidates meet the requirements for certification as PADI Instructors. Instructor Examiners go through extensive training and maintain their evaluation skills by attending regularly scheduled updates. Having every IE conducted by authorized PADI International staff ensures an evaluation process that is objective, fair and consistent. The criteria for certification as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor are clear - not arbitrary.

The IE is a two-day program that evaluates your diving knowledge and skills, as well as your ability to deliver teaching presentations in the classroom, confined water and open water. Although the evaluation is pass/fail, you do have opportunities to retake most initial presentations, if necessary. With the preparation you get from your IDC and some additional independent study, the likelihood of successfully completing your first IE is high.