Dive Instructor

If you like people, have a passion for scuba diving and want an extraordinary life – become a PADI Instructor. Teaching scuba diving allows you to share your love of the aquatic world with others while doing what you enjoy – being in, around and under water. PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors and PADI Assistant Instructors are the most sought-after dive professionals around the world because they’ve completed the program that sets the standard for training dive professionals. You earn a PADI Instructor rating through hard work and commitment, but you’re rewarded with a job that lets you share incredible underwater adventures with others – transforming their lives for the better and enriching yours.

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Are you a PADI Divemaster?

You’re getting close. Now it’s time to start your PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC). The IDC consists of two sections, the Assistant Instructor (AI) course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program. This structure lets you divide the course into two blocks for schedule convenience if you need to. However, you may prefer to complete the two portions together, going through the entire IDC in as few as seven days.

The first part of the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is the PADI Assistant Instructor course. This course provides you additional experience as a PADI Professional and teaches you the PADI System of diver education.

What can PADI Assistant Instructors do?

  • Teach academic presentations under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor
  • Evaluate Open Water Diver surface skills under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor
  • Teach the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course
  • Teach Project AWARE Specialty courses
  • Conduct PADI Discover Scuba experiences Teach Emergency First Response after successful completion of an Emergency First Response Instructor course

What will I need to start?

  • PADI Divemaster rating or qualifying certification from another certification organisation
  • At least 18 years old
  • Have 60 logged dives, including night, deep, and navigation dives
  • Have been a certified diver for at least 6 months

What will I do?

  • Knowledge development through self-study, quizzes, lectures and presentations
  • Confined water skill review and assessment, workshops and presentations
  • Open water workshops, rescue assessment and candidate presentations

How long will it take?

The course can vary from as little as 3 days to more than 2 weeks

What materials are needed?

Instructor Development Course Crewpak

  • Cue Cards - Confined Water
  • Cue Cards - Open Water
  • Cue Cards - Advanced Open Water
  • Cue Cards - Rescue Diver
  • Cue Cards - Divemaster
  • Slate - O/W, Student Planning
  • Slate - Skill Development Preparation

Instructor Development Course eLearning

  • Diving Knowledge Workbook eLearning
  • PADI's Guide to Teaching
  • IDC Resources
  • OW Prescriptive Lesson Guides
  • OW, AOW, Rescue & Divemaster Exams
  • PPB & AWARE Specialty Instructor Guides
  • OLPC Tutorial

Price£300 excluding materials

Materials IDC Crew Pack and eLarning only £495 {when purchased with the course)


Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program

The Open Water Scuba Instructor program portion of the PADI IDC further hones your leadership and teaching skills to prepare you for life as a PADI Instructor.

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Program Course Prerequisites:

  • PADI Assistant Instructor certification
  • Certified diver for at least six months
  • 60 logged dives (with experience in night, deep, and navigation)
  • Proof of CPR and first aid training within the last 24 months.

What it takes:

  • Self-study – Knowledge reviews, quizzes, lectures, presentations
  • Confined Water – Skills review and assessment, workshops and presentations
  • Open Water – Workshops, rescue assessment and presentations

You must have a minimum of 100 logged dives to become a PADI Instructor (though you can begin training as one with 60 logged dives).

Price£400

Using the materials you purchased during our AI course

These prices do not include registration fees or examination fees.




2024/2025 Instructor Course Dates

Instructor Course Dates

More dates can be found here.


Medical Statement

Please print and complete the PADI Medical Statement before attending any diving course. For professional level courses you must be signed off by a physician prior to attending.

Download PADI Medical Statement