is the idc supposed to be easy?

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oreocookie

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
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Location
Montreal, Canada
# of dives
500 - 999
I've got one more day left of my IDC before the IE, Thursday and Friday. For the most part, I've had the feeling that this really hasn't been that hard - I'm not sure I want to say it's been easy, but it's been pretty close. Is it supposed to be easy? I guess I'll know for sure on Friday night whether it really was easy or if I've just been lulled into a false sense of security.

Any thoughts?
 
If you are truly prepared it is easy..Even if you do find it easy it is nerve wracking as you have invested so much time and $ into it.
 
Established Course Directors will have put in place a system which allows most students to pass. During my IDC the CD had a post-it note system for all presentations, its hard to explain, but I got a 5 during my I.E effortlessly.

The only thing that go really wrong on the I.E is failing to spot the problems assigned to your students, on most skills these are easy e.g reg recovery, student not blowing bubbles. However I pity the poor guy that has to perform the CESA, a lot of points to fail on, both in briefing and during the skill.

In reality PADI wants you to pass. You will earn more money for PADI, through membership and certifications than if you have to resit the I.E. Its a cynical view of the system, but probably not to far off the mark.
 
I think in the past many CDs intentionally made their IDCs artificially difficult, so that in turn the IE seemed easy. That seemed the case in the three IDCs in which I was involved (as an OWSI candidate, as an IDC-SI candidate and as an IDC-SI). You might have a more enlightened CD who is training you to a sufficient level without the artificial stress of lengthy sessions, condensed schedule, challenging exercises, etc. How do your fellow candidates feel about the difficulty of the course? What is your CD's success rate of candidates passing the IE?
 
I guess I'll know for sure on Friday night whether it really was easy or if I've just been lulled into a false sense of security.

Even if it isn't a false sense of security it will feel like it by the time the IE kicks off. :D If you're prepared then you'll survive it.

The real shock comes AFTER the IE when you teach your first class. That's when you'll know for sure that it was a false sense of security :)

R..
 
If you have been prepared well then yes, it should actually be an enjoyable experience throughout the IE and laugh as my students might before hand, by the end of the first day they are agreeing. As a CD I certainly challenge my students through the IDC. We are preparing you to teach in the real world, and as a byline, pass the IE as obviously that is a necessary part of the process. If you are well prepared to teach in the real world, then passing the IE should be relatively straight forward. Have fun with it and good luck.
 
glad to see you are doing it,even though it's not in the balmy st. lawrence....
as was said,if you're prepared enough,it's all easy!
diving skills,knowledge of standards etc. i saw no issues...
i did hate presentations-that public speaking thingy that needed to be overcome!!!!!
best wishes for you
have fun
yaeg
 
I had no problems with skills going into my IDC, therefore the IDC was skill review and learning the "PADI Way". All 8 of us passed the IE easily. I observed my wife's IDC and IE. She was in a class of 1 and breezed the IDC. Over half of the IE failed, and most of the rest should have. I've never seen such a poor demonstration of rescue skills in my life, and while I couldn't watch the underwater demonstrations, the examiner actually had to teach one candidate to hover. That candidate is now a PADI instructor. The system is set up for you to pass, because PADI actually expects only a very small percentage of instructors ever to actually teach something, but they can collect dues and kickbacks on your liability insurance while you pay for them. For instance, I only taught actively for a year, and my wife never did, but I've paid dues and bought insurance for the past 15. Her too.
 
Good Course Directors and Instructor Trainers combined with proper preparation should make your Instructor Training Course seem relativly easy.

Good Luck with your I.E.

Parroting what Diver0001 said, The real challenge will be that first class you teach.
 
I've heard that the first classes you teach is where the real learning happens, because I've never taken a class that's taught the way they tell you to teach in the IDC, so that part doesn't come as a surprise to me. I asked the CD today what his pass rate was for the IE, he told me he's never had anybody failed based on the in-water stuff, but a couple of people have failed on the standards exam, which I'm not really worried about.

Looking forward to getting it done and being able to celebrate after.
 
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