What path do I have to take

[seahorse_27_]

Hi everybody, i am new in this game so...The question I want to aske is...How long can it take me to get into instructor level? Is there any particular path I should take and if yes what is that path?

Thank you in advance.

Isabelle

 

[Heads Up]

Hi and welcome to the board. How long will it take you to get to instructor level? Its the old proverbial 'How long is a bit of string' - the answer is, it depends. It depends on what agency you use, how often you spend diving, how much of your spare time you can devote to study and perhaps most important (from a practical point of view), HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE.

Talking from a Padi point of view (as it is the agency I am most familiar with), your most direct path will consist of:

1. Open Water Certification - 5 dives minimum
2. Advanced Open Water Certification - again, 5 dives
3. Medic First Aid - Expelled Air Resuscitation & CPR
4. Rescue Diver - Intensive 2/3 day course
5. Divemaster (first pro level) - minimum start 20 dives, 60 dives minimum by the end
6. Assistant Instructor - minimum 60 dives entry
7. Instructor - minimum 100 dives entry

There is much more involved and it involves a lot of commitment. Of course, some divers prefer to 'collect' certifications while others find the level they are happy with and dive within that.

The question you need to ask yourself is 'Why do I want to be an instructor?'. If it's because of the money, forget it. Its extremely difficult to make diving pay at this level unless you have a popular location to work out of and you run a dive operation (again, more set up costs involved). Then, of course, there is the cost of insurance, maintenance and so on.

Don't let me put you off - I am working up to my Divemaster in the Autumn (advanced open water course next weekend) but I want to do it as a side line to see how it goes. I also have a gameplan to potentially set up a dive location in a few years with my brother, although we need to raise about £50,000 to start it off!! (Location rental, RIB purchase, equipment, insurance and living costs till it kicks in)

All in all, its a BIG commitment so go for it, by all means, but at least you can now go at it with your eyes open.

 

[seahorse_27_]

Thanks alot for your view and your experience. Like you I have a mach planed in my head. What I would like to do is to teach as a side line also. I am curently working for an international hotel through a populor resort. There the outdoor is the fashion. Kayaking, climbing and water sports. But there is no diving shoop or diving expedition around. So I would like to be the one doing it though the companie I work with. It is not for the mony but more to do like a training diving camp thing.

know it is a big project but I realy think it could work. I also have a lot of friends that are diving and I am sure they would kik in ti help me out with there experience as well.

Well hope to hear from you again till then...

 

[Heads Up]

Hope it works out for you

 

[SubMariner]

Some of this information is not accurate and requires clarification:

1. Open Water Certification - 5 dives minimum
-O/W certification requires 4 dives. Minimum Instructor qualification to teach: OWSI.

2. Advanced Open Water Certification - again, 5 dives
-Prerequisite is Open Water diver or equivalent from another certification agency. Minimum Instructor qualification to teach: OWSI.

3. Medic First Aid - Expelled Air Resuscitation & CPR
-CPR, Resuscitation and First Aid that is not diving specific/related. This course can be taken by anyone (diver or non-diver). It is a required course for Rescue Diver and above. Minimum Instructor qualification to teach: MFA Instructor (Asistant Instructor or above.)

4. Rescue Diver - Intensive 2/3 day course.
-Prerequisite is Advanced Open Water or equivalent from another agency. Multi-day course (5 sessions)with multiple dives/dive scenarios. Current CPR & First Aid certification also required. Minimum Instructor qualifications to teach: OWSI.

5. Divemaster (first pro level) - minimum start 20 dives, 60 dives minimum by the end.
-Prerequisite is Rescue Diver or equivalent from another agency. Extensive watermanship, knowledge development, open and confined water training required to complete the course. Current CPR & First Aid certification also required. Must have minimum 60 logged dives by end of program for certification. This course can take anywhere from weeks to months to years to complete, depending on the candidate. Minimum Instructor qualifications to teach: OWSI

6. Assistant Instructor - minimum 60 dives entry
-Prerequisite is Divemaster or equivalent from another agency. Must complete 1st 3 days of an Instructor Development Course (IDC) and pass this course. Extensive watermanship, knowledge development, confined and open water training. Again, how long it takes to complete this course depends on the individual. Must teach under the supervision of an Instructor, except for MFA, which an AI can teach unsupervised. Current CPR and First aid certification required. Minimum Instructor qualifications to teach: IDC Staff Instructor.

7. Instructor - minimum 100 dives entry
-Prerequisite is Divemaster or AI or equivalent from another agency. Current CPR and First required.To become an Open Water Instructor (OWSI)must complete a full 7 day IDC through a 5* PADI IDC facility if a DM; or 4 days of IDC if an AI. Extensive watermanship, knowledge development, confined and open water training. Must have 100 logged dives prior to Instructor Examination (IE). Must pass IDC before attending IE (IE is 2 day test administered by PADI Internation via an Instructor Examiner). Minimum Instructor qualifications to teach: IDC Staff (under the supervision of a Course Director) can teach portions of this course and assist in the evaluation process of IDC Candidates. However, the only one empowered to certify IDC candidates as having completed this course is a Course Director.

There are also multiple levels of Instructor, the first level of which is the OWSI. (As it happens I am an IDC Staff Instructor. )

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

~SubMariner~

 

[Heads Up]

Mine was only a brief overview - you've done the job justice. (Laziness I guess on my part!!). BTW, apart from the number of dives for OWD being 4 and not 5, what else was inaccurate? - Just for my own piece of mind!!

I guess the message is still the same - you don't get an instructors qualification off the back of a cereal packet!!

 

[owsi83098]

you are both right in the path you are giving but you can skipp dive number 4. and you can skipp the IA class and if i remeber right PADI now has a 100 dive min now but i might be mistaken I know there was talk of if a while a go.


owsi83098 ( sword fish dont fence):shark:

 

[DivingGal]

Hello and welcome to the board. I'm just from "down the street" from you in Ottawa.

SubMariner as provide you with the details. As has been stated it is a big commitment to achieve the Instructor level.

Good luck in perusing your dreams. Currently I'm a DM, only thinking of going on to the next level now. If you have any questions feel freed to ask.

- - - - -
Bonjour et bienvenue au panneau. Je suis juste de " en bas de la rue " de vous a Ottawa. SubMariner comme fournissent vous en détails. Comme a été énoncé il est un grand engagement pour réaliser le niveau d'instructeur. Bonne chance enlisant attentivement vos rêves. Actuel je suis un DM, seulement pensée de continuer au prochain niveau maintenant. Si vous faites libérer n'importe quel sentir de questions pour demander.