AOW to MSDT with multiple agencies

[Seal_R]

Currently a PADI AOW, i have plans to move up to a PADI MSDT in the near future possibly with the following Specialities:
PADI Sidemount Instructor
PADI Nitrox Instructor
PADI Deep Dive Instructor
PADI Wreck Dive Instructor
PADI Peak Performance Buoyance Instructor

Along the way to become an MSDT, i would like to get certifications from multiple agencies to have an exposure to different teaching methologies.

1. For general course,I would like have some clarifications as to which point do i need to do my courses with PADI without having to do crossovers, re- certifications by PADI.
Can i take a DM course with SSI(for example) and move up to PADI OWI without any additional cost & time VS a PADI DM course to PADI OWI?

2. For speciality course, for example, I like to take up Nitrox and Sidemount speciality recreational level with another agency. Will i need to retake the same with PADI in order to be an PADI MSDT instructor for that 2 speciality?

3.Do i even need to be certified at recreational level before instructor level for those speciality?

Thank you in advance for any kind hearted soul that could shed some light on the above matter.

 

[DENLASCUBA]

An SSI Dive Con can enroll in the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC), you will then be familiarized with the PADI system from the Course Director. As for the cost I don't under stand your question you still have to pay for a DM course for one of the agencies and still have to pay the IDC and IE fees.

To be certified as a specialty instructor for a particular specialty you should have at least 10 logged dives in that specialty and the CD can submit your instructor rating for that specialty. If you are not already certified in that specialty most IDCs will have package deals and will help you to gain the certifications you would like.

Once you have certified 25 students you can apply for the MSDT yourself you do not need to go through a shop which some may require you to pay them while you work for free so you can gain that cert level. Once you are certified as MSDT you can actually just apply for the PADI specialty instructor ratings for most of the PADI courses by just filling out an application which is what I have seen quite a few instructors do.

 

[Seal_R]

An SSI Dive Con can enroll in the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC), you will then be familiarized with the PADI system from the Course Director. As for the cost I don't under stand your question you still have to pay for a DM course for one of the agencies and still have to pay the IDC and IE fees.

What i meant is, if i am a SSI Dive Con moving on to be a PADI instructor, other than the IDC and IE standard cost, will i need to fork up extra time or cost to be "converted"into a PADI OWI just because i wasn't a PADI dive master?

For your next part : "To be certified as a specialty instructor for a particular specialty you should have at least 10 logged dives in that specialty and the CD can submit your instructor rating for that specialty. If you are not already certified in that specialty most IDCs will have package deals and will help you to gain the certifications you would like."

Meaning to say, i can take up SSI recreational sidemount cert and do 10 logged dive as a AOW only and still be certified as a PADI recreational sidemount instructor after i moved up to PADI OWI fulfilled my 25 students requirement without having to do a PADI sidemount course?

 

[RJP]

If you want to teach in the PADI system... you should do most of your learning in the PADI system. Not exclusively perhaps, but DM for sure. You'll be at a distinct disadvantage in a PADI IDC if you didn't go through PADI DM.

Similarly... do you want your first exposure to, in your example the PADI sidemount course, to be the first one you TEACH?

I did my IDC with several folks that were instructors crossing over from other agencies. Though they had lots of experience, they struggled quite a bit. In fact none of them did the IE we were all scheduled for because they weren't ready. Part of it was that they ASSUMED they would breeze through.

The PADI IDC is not about diving... it's about TEACHING. And, perhaps more importantly, it's about teaching "the PADI way" of teaching.

PS - is your profile right? 0-24 dives? If so... you MIGHT be getting just a bit ahead of yourself.

 

[oreocookie]

You can do all of your courses from another agency before becoming a PADI OWSI then MSDT if you wanted to, though it's probably not to your advantage. Going mainly with PADI will make you familiar will the teaching methods (also may give you expose to different instructors teaching with different styles but using the same terminology, etc). As far as I'm aware, you'll have to pick another specialty instructor rating to qualify for MSDT as I do not believe Peak Performance Buoyancy counts as one of the 5 (you get it automatically when you become an OWSI).

To become Nitrox or Sidemount instructor, you need to be certified as a Nitrox or Sidemount diver first, doesn't necessarily have to be PADI though. The 10 dives of experience really are minimums... I have at least 50 sidemount dives under my belt and I'm still not sure I'd be ready to teach a good sidemount course, so I haven't yet applied to be a sidemount instructor. 10 dives in sidemount, or a lot of other specialties, is not enough experience for you to make anything look easy to a student. Don't go with just the minimums, get a bunch of experience in the diving the interests you and you might want to teach and get really good at it before you consider getting an instructor rating for it - and like RJP said, if your profile is correct and you have 0-24 dives, just get out an dive, the rest will follow naturally when you're ready.

 

[Germie]

you can do for example cmas 3*/DM and then join the padi owsi course. I asked for that a few years ago. And it was possible, even if I had only 1 (or no) padi cert (I started with iads open water, aow padi, cmas 3* and cmas rescue, then further with IANTD for technical diving and some TDI courses)

 

[Subcooled]

a PADI AOW (...) plans to move up to a PADI MSDT in the near future

OK, so you have been certified as an advanced open water diver and you want to become master scuba diver trainer in the near future? In theory that could be possible but in your profile you tell us that you have done less than 25 dives. You actually need a lot of experience to be a good instructor. I believe that the near future will be in three years - or perhaps in five years. You want to teach side mount diving? How many hundred side mount dives have you done? One? Two? None? Oops. Three years.

If becoming a MSDT is your dream then you should make it a reality, but becoming a good scuba instructor won't/shouldn't happen over night.

---------- Post added February 4th, 2015 at 02:51 PM ----------

To be certified as a specialty instructor for a particular specialty you should have at least 10 logged dives in that specialty

[opinion]And then you should have some honour, and only teach things that you really know. Ten dives? That rule is ridiculous. Make it a hundred, and be proud.[/opinion]