Instructor Questions...

[trtldvr]

SharkDiver36, if you have been assisting an instructor that long you will do well. Good DMs make good instructors. If you get stuck while giving a lecture use the same principle you use when you get stuck diving... Stop, Think, Breath, React.

Good luck, Have fun, Teach well.

TrtlDvr

 

[knotical]

PADI doesn not restrict going above standards. This is widely spread misinformation.

From PADI General Standards and Procedures, page 69:
“Steps for Reducing Your Legal Risk . . .
2. Don’t deviate from standards or the instructional system.”

 

[cerich]

NAUI and other agencies give you more freedom to teach more courses as an Instructor compared to PADI.

Get your NAUI / SDI , then crossover to PADI. PADI is the way to go for pure numbers/job's go, but if you want some freedom to teach, tailor your courses some and go above the minimum standards, PADI isn't the way to go first.


And for the NAUI IT......AGHH!!! trtldvr... My Instructor course is starting next week. I'll let you know how my first set of lectures go in a couple weeks. Fun, Fun, Fun. The only thing in my favor is I've been more or less teaching for the past 5 years helping with lectures, pool and OW dives, not too worried.

Get your presentation format down pat and life will be much easier.

 

[friscuba]

Do instructor certs. carry over to other agencies?
i.e. Can I become an SDI instructor and work at a PADI facility?

You just can't teach the PADI course. Depending on the operator, they likely could keep you busy. I'm thinking that supposedly 5 star PADI ops can't offer other agency's OW courses, but I know of several that violate that. Even if they don't have you teaching PADI courses, if you're still a current and insured instructor, they'd probably could put you doing intros, refreshers, helping with courses, and any other non-certification work they might have available.

The smart thing though, if teaching and working is your goal, would be to crossover. It never hurts to be an instructor with more than one agency.

 

[rakkis]

deviate:
●be at variance with
●turn aside
●cause to turn away from a previous or expected course


I guess I just don't see how adding context as to why/how I want students to perform skills or about the material presented in class is deviating from standards. It's not as though I'm cutting parts out of the curriculum. Nor am I adding things like running a wreck line in an OW class.

Adding supporting information is a prudent thing to do. You know.... I'm going to get this answered from the source once and for all. No more rumor and opinions. I will email QA and post their reply.

 

[lazyturtle]

1. What do you think the "best overall" agency is to take your IDC & IEC through?

Are you trolling or what?? Personally I think PADI just because of the job opportunities. Long and sort they're all the same: you learn to teach SCUBA. It's like the difference between Burger King and McDonalds: they both serve burgers but they're different burgers!

2. If I become an SDI instructor, can I teach at a PADI resort/facility? Is there interchangeability through agencies such as this?

You'd have some work doing universal certs, though if you want to work at a PADI center you'd need to do a crossover. One difficulting with being an SDI instructor at a PADI facility would be the lack of interchangability with the other staff (meaning team teaching..)

- PADI seems to have the most resort operations, would it be best (in terms of finding employment) to become a PADI instructor?

I've never seen a SDI, NAUI, CMAS, PDIC, or YMCA shop (though I know they all exist). Given that I'd say if you choose one of those as your agency you'd be limiting your employement opportunities. If you wanted to be self-employed....I'd say go to the IDC centers near you and let them sell themselves. See which has the best program and go there. If you don't want to do PADI I'd say the #2 would be SSI (I've seen a few SSI shops in the mainland). I lived on 6 different islands in the Carib and never saw anything other than a PADI center. Here in Hawaii most shops are PADI. I've heard in Oz (though never been) that most shops are SSI and in the Society Islands (also never been) most are CMAS. I'd say being a PADI instructor would give you the most flexability.

 

[deepblueme]

What PADI doesnt want an Inst. doing is going beyond scope and content (read that teaching planned deco dives when teaching tables to OW students).

That is a reference to staying in standards.
But you can add material to your teaching that applys to the given lesson and course.

I had this explained to me by my IE person during my lecture on dive tables.

 

[knotical]

I guess I just don't see how adding context as to why/how I want students to perform skills or about the material presented in class is deviating from standards. It's not as though I'm cutting parts out of the curriculum. Nor am I adding things like running a wreck line in an OW class.

Adding supporting information is a prudent thing to do.

Agreed. What you describe, e.g. adding context, is good. Requiring additional tests would not be. Skipping or adding skills would not be. Requiring an Open Water student to perform skills at a DM level would not be.