Instructor Course

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SDI Open Water Scuba Dive Instructor

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