Fastest way to instructor

[ZenDiver.3D]

Quote:
Originally Posted by moneysavr
the best way to get to instructor is probably pay off any shop that offers the course,dam 12 dives you should be more qualified than half the sb instructors!
as said merit badge,rd-md-dm-in you got it!
don't blame me just blame the money hungry agency's!
BI

Wow.

Just... wow.

I hope you're not inferring that 12 dives is more experience than half the SB instructors or that you should be more qualified than half the SB instructors are before you should be an instructor.

Oh, and let's not be so quick to blame the agencies, shall we? Look at the OP's original post... "How fast can I get to instructor?" Does that look like it's the agency driving the market or the market driving the agency?

Rachel

Yep. Wow. I completely agree. He doesn't know me or a fraction of the many people on this board, any better than I do. Yet he can judge me?... Hmmm.

And I also get an overwhelming number of "How fast can I..." questions. That is usually the first one. So. As has been beaten in before, quit laying blame on all the agencies or all of the instructors. Those I turn away because they don't want to take the time to learn properly, just roll down the street to the shops who will give them the bum's rush course they want. The customer will always search and find a way.
It is sad that the instructors, shops, and agencies who allow them to do this, tarnish my reputation, but I will not be lumped into that group by anyone.

 

[Colliam7]

Oh, and let's not be so quick to blame the agencies, shall we? Look at the OP's original post... "How fast can I get to instructor?" Does that look like it's the agency driving the market or the market driving the agency?

Just a thought, but I wonder if we sometimes read a little too much into posts, and impute motives (honorable as well as nefarious) on the basis of very limited data. What the poster said was,

I would like to know who has the fastest path to becoming an instructor - SSI or PADI or NAUI? I know that experience is what matters more than the certification and the more dives i have would make me a better instructor, etc. but i would also like to know which path is the quickest.

Perhaps, the poster was interested in whether the procedures and time requirements were dramatically different across agencies. This may be an individual who is thinking about continuing their development and wondering if one path requires 5 years, and another requires 3. I didn't necessarily read into the question a strong 'zero to hero' motivation, although that could be the case as well. I don't have enough information to draw that conclusion. Perhaps, the poster is writing a paper on the scuba instructor certification process, and wanted to point out that individuals could 'become an instructor in as little as ...'. I don't know their motives, and am actually interested in the comparative requirements, just for my own information. Halemano provided a good summary of the PADI path, with which I am familar. Hopefully, others will do the same for SSI and NAUI. Again, just a thought.

 

[Gary D.]

Fastest way? Print out your own card.

Fastest may be a dangerous way to go.

Gary D.

 

[scuba_lover]

Wow, the responses my post got is quite mind blowing.
Please note that I am new not only to this board, but also to diving.

The number of replies and the kind of replies impressed me a lot. No wonder all the divers I have met are so passionate about this hobby/profession. And of course, I am glad that I can turn to this forum for any help/advise that I would require in future. Thanks a ton folks, especially Colliam, Halemano, diver_85 for being really educative.

Like Colliam rightly guessed, this was my actual intention. I am a swimming coach myself (for both kids as well as masters) and would never dream of instructing till I am completely comfortable and spend decent amount of time as an assisstant instructor. Since I was already into instructing, I was exploring instructing in diving as well.

The part of world that I am originally from is surrounded by seas on three sides, yet has only one dive site which mainly caters to foreigners. Forget diving, swimming itself is kind of an exotic physical activity there. I have had the good fortune to come to Canada and get exposed to diving. My dream is to introduce diving in my home country someday so at least the decent swimmers can explore the local waters, and I was thinking that I cannot do it all on my own. It would be good to get a couple of people to help me out and start training locals to enjoy diving. I hope god will give me the passion required to achieve my dream.

Anyways, thanks again guys, for the helpful suggestions. I am sure I'll enjoy writing to you all and reading your replies in days to come.

 

[eponym]

Like Colliam rightly guessed, this was my actual intention. I am a swimming coach myself and would never dream of instructing till I am completely comfortable and spend decent amount of time as an assistant instructor. Since I was already into instructing, I was exploring instructing in diving as well.

A cogent post. Had not replied to the OP on the chance it was but a troll.

Perhaps the poster was interested in whether the procedures and time requirements were dramatically different across agencies. Halemano provided a good summary of the PADI path, with which I am familar. Hopefully, others will do the same for SSI and NAUI.

SSI, like PADI, requires 100 logged dives for certification as an instructor. It also requires apprenticeship time and practice teaching with an instructor (these seem to be defined differently by different shops). There is also apprenticeship involved when becoming an SSI DiveControl Specialist (combination Dive Master and Assistant Instructor). SSI does not set a minimum number of months/years of diving experience to qualify for the Instructor course.

Note that SSI instructors may teach only in association with an SSI dive shop, not on their own. And many of the US agencies offer crossover certification programs, so that for example a NAUI instructor can get SSI instructor certification.

-Bryan