Becoming A SDI Instructor

If you are a people person and are passionate about scuba diving, this is your opportunity to go from recreational to professional. Teaching scuba diving will allow you to share your passion for scuba diving with others while working at terrific diving locations and travelling around the world!

To become an instructor you must first have completed your divemaster course or internship.

The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• SDI Standards and Procedures
• History of SDI
• Products and procedures
  • How to place an order
  • Registration procedures
  • Yearly renewals
• Liability and insurance
  • Risk management
  • Waivers and releases
• Filling out an accident report
• Methods of instruction
  • Teaching theory, methods and oral communications
  • Lesson preparation
  • Use of training aids
  • SDI home study program, use of knowledge quest
• Successfully selling scuba
  • Budgeting courses
  • Recruiting students
  • Organizing and scheduling a course
  • Retail sales
• Instructor ethics
• Physics and physiology of diving

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Present a minimum of
  • Two classroom presentations
  • Two lessons in confined water
  • Two lessons in open water
• Show preparation, planning and control in
  • Dive management
  • Diving activities
• Perform, to demonstration quality, one complete rescue scenario
• Perform a 10 minute survival-float, without the use of swimming aids
• Complete a 400 metre swim on the surface, non-stop, any stroke, without the use of swimming aids, in less than 10 minutes; swim goggles permitted
• Complete a 800 metre swim with mask, snorkel, and fins non-stop without the use of arms in less than 17 minutes
• Bring a diver, simulating unconsciousness, up from depth, not greater than 6 metres / 20 feet; at the surface swim them 100 metres in less than 4 minutes
• Pool/confined water
  • Candidates must perform, to demonstration quality, all skills listed in the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course
  • Pool/confined water problem solving
• Open Water
  • In open water candidates must perform, to demonstration quality, all skills listed in the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course
  • Open water problem solving

Required Skill Performance for IEC, the student must:

• Present a minimum of
  • One classroom presentation, minimum time 15 minutes in duration
  • One full lesson in confined water
  • One full lesson in open water
• The evaluating instructor trainer must verify all required subjects were covered and skills were performed

Course prerequisites:

• Minimum age 18
• Certified diver for a minimum of 6 months
• Proof of 100 logged dives completed in a number of different environments with varying depths
• Be certified as a SDI Divemaster, SDI Assistant Instructor, or equivalent
• Provide proof of current CPR, first aid and oxygen provider*, where local law permits

* Note: SDI CPROX, CPR1st or CPROX1stAED courses may be combined with the IDC program by qualified instructors

Course Cost: $2500.00

ELearning Course Code: $310.00

Instructor Crew Pak:  $240.00

Class, Pool, Training & Evaluation: $1780.00

Instructor Registration: $170.00

Saguaro Training Calendar (for Arizona based divers)

What’s next after completing your Open Water Scuba Dive Instructor course? become a SDI Instructor Trainer

Give us a call for all the Information about the top roll in SDI training

SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor minimum requirements:

• Satisfactorily complete the SDI Instructor written exam or online equivalent
• Successfully complete the IDC and the IEC
• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning class planning and execution