Career Development in the Diving Industry. How to become a PADI Instructor down-under!

 

So you're PADI certified, and you love it. In fact, you're thinking of making a career of it. Becoming a dive instructor seems like a great way to broaden your love of diving but you're just not sure how... Well, let's find out!

 

Hundreds of divers each year take the plunge and turn their passion into a career and lifestyle. If you are committed and have passion and drive; there are lots of opportunities for your career development and growth within the diving industry.

 

If every time you put a mask on, you just can't seem to rub that smile off your face... then there is only one thing to do from here... BECOME AN SCUBA INSTRUCTOR!

 

OK... Let's find out where to go from here.

 

The first step is to find a PADI training facility that you want to train with. Now, there are several different levels of PADI training facilities, so pay attention...

 

A PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is more than just a standard PADI facility. To qualify as a PADI Five Star Dive Center, a dive shop must meet elevated service and business standards and offer only PADI scuba diving lessons as their recreational scuba diver training. These dive shops also actively promote underwater environmental awareness and embrace the PADI System of diver education, with a commitment to providing quality training, products, services and experiences.

 

PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centres must meet all PADI Five Star Dive Center standards and service. They also meet additional training requirements and offer some PADI Instructor-level training.

 

A PADI Career Development Centre (PADI CDC) is the highest level and standard of all PADI facilities. This is a rating that's awarded to facilities that dedicate their businesses to professional development beyond regular scuba instructor training, and meet the highest requirements for training PADI scuba diving leaders. PADI Career Development Centre's offer career-oriented training to prepare scuba diving professionals for employment in the diving industry, as well as offering job placement assistance to their program graduates. PADI CDC's also have at least 2 PADI Course Directors on staff...

 

 

Now let's look at what path you need to go through to get to Instructor level... Let's go.

 

The first level is the PADI Open Water Diver Course. This is the entry level diver course that will teach you scuba basics and . It will take 4 dives and give you a good all-round knowledge of entry level diving.

 

Second is the PADI Advanced Open Water Course. Now don't worry because this is just an advanced ' open water course, so it is perfect to do straight after you are certified as an open water diver. It will take you an additional 5 dives and give you experience in new areas like deep and night diving, but also expand on your current experience with navigation and buoyancy control. Oh, guess what? There are no exams in this course! How cool is that!

 

Now that you're Advanced Certified, we need to start thinking more about the big picture. The PADI Rescue Diver Course and Emergency First Response Course is where the serious fun begins. During these programs you start to concentrate on the prevention of diver stress and self rescue techniques, as well as learning how to perform diver rescues. It is a challenging and exciting course that is the solid stepping stone to professional development. This program will take you about three days or so to complete.

 

WOW! You are now ready to enter into your PADI Divemaster Course! During this program you develop your leadership abilities and fine tune your dive skills and theoretical knowledge to professional level. You will get to help run dive activities and assist Instructors on dive courses... You will begin to understand why divers become PADI professionals. You will love it! This program can be completed in around two weeks.

 

Once you are certified as a PADI Divemaster you can set your sights on the PADI Instructor level. To get there you must do your PADI Instructor Development Course and also become an Emergency First Response Instructor. During this time you will learn the techniques and skills used to deliver various diving and first aid related courses. You'll learn how to organize and run training sessions, and these courses will get you ready to attend the PADI Instructor Examination.

 

The PADI Instructor Examination (IE) is run by PADI staff members and will allow you to show to PADI that you have met the requirements needed to become a PADI Instructor. The exam runs over a few days and includes theory and presentation exams, and pool and ocean sessions where you perform simulated skills practice to show you know what you are doing!

 

Guess what happens how? P.A.R.T.Y... Celebrations all round. Kick back, relax and enjoy being a new PADI instructor! Sounds good hey...

 

Now that you're a PADI Instructor you'll have the most opportunity for job placement than with any other training organization in the world. More dive centres are PADI dive centres and this gives you a unique opportunity to travel and work anywhere in the world!

 

If you selected a PADI Career Development Centre to do your training with, they will have a Job Placement Service that you will be able to use to help you find work. If not, you can log into the professional section of padi.com  and look at the employment board and apply direct to the many 100's of job available year round as a PADI professional.

 

The best way to get this training is through a PADI Instructor Internship. An Internship gives you all the necessary training and experience to become an Instructor. Abyss Scuba Diving is Sydney's only PADI Career Development Center and they offer a range of different professional development programs including internships. It is a unique internship program that starts off in Sydney, and finishes with a 2 week return trip to Cairns to live on the Great Barrier Reef. While you are there you will get close to 30 dives, while gaining work experience. WOW COOL IS THAT!

 

To see more details on how to become a PADI professional with Sydney's only PADI Career  Development Centre contact Carl the Careers Development Manager at Abyss for more details.