Are you ready to be a PADI Staff Instructor?
Are you feeling confident in your teaching skills as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer and would like to challenge yourself and take things to the next level? Why not learn to help train PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors? Becoming a PADI IDC Staff Instructor is a big step forward in training Dive professionals. Here are a few things to keep in mind before taking the plunge.
What will I learn?
When is the right time?
Is it the right path for me?
What will I learn?
The IDC Staff Instructor course teaches you to assist PADI Course Directors to train and assess (Scuba) Instructor Development Course candidates. Namely:
Getting (even more) in-depth knowledge of dive theory and standards and how to explain them
Understanding how to assess and grade OWSI candidates
Learning how to teach instructors-to-be how to teach scuba diving
Supporting the Course Director by giving extra support to those who need it and teaching portions of the IDC under their supervision.
Giving 'emotional' support to candidates by being a go-to person they can share difficulties they may encounter with (and then also being a relay to the Course Director)
When is the right time?
To train teachers you need to be a relatively comfortable and confident teacher yourself. How long you have been teaching matters less than how many courses you've taught, in different environments and to what level (especially to pro levels). You need to be in the right place – e.g. in a dive centre where you can use this skill preferably - or with a plan to move to a dive centre with use for this skill set. You have to be excited about doing more hands-on teaching and less open water diving, which leads me to the last point.
Is it the right path for me?
You would preferably want to do this type of training in a dive centre where you will immediately be able to put the new skills to use. Like any training, if you don't use it, you often lose (some of) it.
You also need to think about what you want out of your diving career, if you need to be out diving every day and not in a classroom or pool, you may want to think of other options like videography or marketing. You need to love teaching at a high level, and get a kick out of sharing and explaining: you'll be doing skills in confined water and theory more than looking at fish. This is the first step towards a real career that can take you up the echelons of the PADI world. If this is a nice prospect for you, look no further. Come do it with us!