Mark conducts the IDC in Conjunction with:
Ocean Geo Divers
PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center S- 36413

What does the IDC consist of?

The IDC is a 10 day course consisting of 2 sections. The Assistant Instructor (AI) Course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) Course.
The course consists of presentations from the PADI Course Director and the IDC Staff on the PADI System and learning how to be an instructor, with examinations of all of the components of the PADI educational model. They will teach you to use PADI Standards and all of the PADI tools to maximum effectiveness and how to prepare presentations for teaching.

Dive Theory Exams

You will have on the IDC Dive Theory Exams similar to ones you did during your Divemaster training. They are on the 5 subjects: Physics, Physiology, Dive Skills & The Environment, Equipment, and Decompression Theory and the Recreational Dive Planner.

PADI Standards Exams

There is an exam to check that you understand the workings of the PADI Instructor manual and the way to use PADI General Standards & Procedures.

Divemaster Skill circuit

This is a run over of your 20 skill circuit from the Divemaster course to make sure that your skills are up to a demonstration quality now to make the transition from assistant to instructor. This will be done in the pool early in the IDC.

Knowledge Development Teaching Presentations

Another component is your own classroom teaching presentations when you will give prescriptive and micro teaching presentations to the Course Director or IDC Staff who will give you positive feedback and ways to improve. You will have a number of attempts at this so feel free to make mistakes as you can learn from mistakes. The idea of the IDC is to provide you with the learning environment to get ready for the IE.

Confined Water Teaching Presentations

You will on the IDC be taught and give teaching presentationsto the staff on skills from parts of the PADI Open Water Course, PADI Adventures in Diving Course and PADI Rescue Diver Course in the pool. This is to prepare you for actually teaching in confined water when you are an instructor and for your teaching presentation on the IE. You again will have a number of attempts at this to get the passing grade and prepare you for the IE so again don’t be afraid of making mistakes. You are here to learn so relax.

Open Water Teaching Presentations

The final grading criteria of the IDC and IE, is the Open Water teaching presentation. After demonstrations initially from the staff explaining the format, we will be out on the boat for the Open Water days when you will give teaching presentations to the staff as an instructor.

THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A LOT BUT IT IS A REALLY INTERESTING COURSE AND REWARDING IN THE TRANSITION YOU WILL MAKE DURING IT. RELAX AND COME AND JOIN US ON THE IDC

What do you need to start an IDC?

• Be certified as a PADI Divemaster or PADI Assistant Instructor or hold a diving leadership level certification (click here for crossover information) with another recreational diver training organization.

• Be at least 18 years of age.

• Submit medical clearance for diving signed by a physician within the last 12 months (Download PADI Medical Statement)

• Have been a certified diver for at least 6 months and logged at least 60 dives (AI and IDC requirement) and have documentation of experience in deep, night and navigation diving. (To attend an IE, the instructor candidate must have at least 100 logged dives.)

• Submit proof of CPR training within the past 24 months. (See EFR Courses)

***From March 2008 ALL PADI Instructors must be EFR Instructors before theri IDC/IE Paperwork can be processed by PADI. As part of the IDC we will run an EFR Instructor Course as an extra.

What is the best way to prepare for an IDC?

• Meet the all of the IDC Prerequisites

• Check that you have all of your certification details. Bring all of you certification cards with you to the IDC. If you do not have all of your certification cards then contact PADI to confirm certification numbers and details. If you have any certifications from organisations other than PADI then please photocopy both sides of the certification cards and bring the cards with you as PADI will need these copies to verify your existing credentials.(Click here for IDC Application form to fill out and email back to us)

• Make sure that you have a visa to be in Thailand for the duration of your course.

• Make sure you have and get acquainted with the required materials such as the instructor Manual and teaching slates. This will be helpful to you in preparing for your teaching presentations and the Standards Exams. For a full list of the required materials click here.

• If you are choosing the eLearning option then complete the required online IDC presentations prior to the IDC and reveiew the PADI Guide to teaching

• To prepare for your Dive Theory exam the best way is to go back over your PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving and doing the questions in the PADI Diving Knowledge workbook as well as having a run over the knowledge reviews from you student level courses. Have a look at other things such as Enriched Air questions to help broaden you theory knowledge.

• Make sure that your gear is in working order with regulators serviced, SPGs working, compasses functional etc.and that you have all of the required equipment. You do not want to have a problem on the IDC due to faulty gear.

• Practice your 20 skill circuit from the DIvemaster course to get your skills better and towards demonstration quality.

• GAIN EXPERIENCE. Try and work as much as you can as a Divemaster assisting PADI Instructors to teach courses. We provide this option by doing an internship here with us before your IDC. For details of the internship click here.

• Take the IDC Preparation Course.

What is the IDC Prep Course?

This course does exactly what is says on the tin.

It pre-assesses and prepares you for the PADI IDC. It is really worthwhile doing to make sure that you are actually ready to begin an IDC by running over theory, and dive skills, as well as a quick introduction to the PADI method of teaching.

Bear in mind that you will be reviewing with the staff the standards they expect from you on the IDC so it gives you a really good review of where you are before you go onto the IDC.

It lasts two and a half days with Classroom, Confined water and Open Water reviews and workshops on student control. There are also reviews of Rescue confined skills especially Exercise 7 (Unresponsive Diver at the surface) which is a part of the IE.

The course is conducted immediately prior to the IDC.

PADI Instructor Examination

Whether you complete the IDC as a whole or partake in the OWSI Course you will finish the program with a PADI Instructor Examination which will give you the opportunity to demonstrate what you have learnt during your IDC.

During the IE a PADI Instructor Examiner independently and objectively assesses your knowledge and skills, testing everything from dive theory to PADI training standards.

PADI is the only certification organization that requires an objective, independent examination to qualify as a professional instructor. This balanced and consistent evaluation process is one of the hallmarks that make PADI professionals the most demanded and respected instructors
in the dive industry.

Instructor Examination Schedule

The IE is conducted over 2 ½ days here on Phuket and is divided into 4 segments. It generally takes place in Kata Beach only a few minutes drive the dive centre location.

The grading on the IE is exactly the same as the grading on the IDC

1. Theory Exams & Standards Exams
2. Confined Water 5 Skills Circuit and Confined Water Presentation
3. Knowledge Development Presentation
4. Open Water Presentation

PADI Instructor Examination Prerequisites:
• Successful completion of PADI IDC

NOTE: PADI Instructor Examination fee is $710 AUD. These fees are not covered by your course prices. You will need to pay to PADI directly after your course via credit cards, bank draft or money transfer. See PADI Fees for further information on costs.

Remember you must be Open Water certified with a recognised diving organisation (see here for conversion charts) for at least 6 months prior to the start of your IDC. The IDC is held directly before the IE in Phuket, that way you go in to the IE absolutely fresh and current about what you have learned and what you have to do. We feel that this prepares you best to pass the IE and go onto a successful career in scuba instruction.

Above prices exclude materials and application fees to PADI and accommodation
*Prices for the MSDT Package depend on the Specialty Instructor courses selected. For more information please contact us

Accommodation can be included for the duration of the EFRI,
IDC Prep, IDC and IE with prices starting at 8,000 THB

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