Becoming a Scuba Instructor

If you are an adventurous person with an interest in watersports, you’d most likely be taken by scuba diving. It’s a sport that you can take leisurely or seriously at different levels. You can do assisted warm- water diving on some resort during holidays or vacations. Doing so requires a one-day short course that would qualify you to dive but under the supervision of a dive master every time. If you realize you like the experience and you want to tread the sea life down there on your own, you can pursue certification. This requires that you meet the physical requirements necessary to safely navigate environments with conditions beyond what you normally experience. Later, after a certain amount of experience, you might consider getting a dive master certification. Requirements include a certain number of dives, CPR and first aid training.

Getting a Diving Instructor License

At this point, if you want to pursue the interest to a higher level, you can become a diving instructor. There are two ways to go -- you can work for an instructor license immediately or you can first become an assistant diving instructor. As an assistant, you will have the chance to practice how to teach under the supervision of a more experienced instructor. You will get hands-on experience, observe how a veteran teacher conducts his lessons, learn his techniques and benefit from whatever wisdom he can pass on to you.

To prepare to pass the exam for a diving instructor license, prospective diving instructors take diving instructor courses. An instructor course could cost more than $1,000, while an assistant instructor course could cost only half. A full instructor course for those who have already taken an assistant instructor course can be availed for a lower price. The course fees exclude PADI-supplied training materials. The trainings are comprehensive and the exam is a two-day evaluation.

Miscellaneous Tips for Diver Instructor Wanna-bes

• Work on improving your communication skills so that you can confidently deliver procedures and instructions to your students.
• Engage in activities that could help you maintain a good physical shape, e.g. swimming
• Expand your knowledge by learning not only the mechanics of diving but also the proper functioning of scuba gear and equipment.
• Specialize in night-, cave- or deep-sea diving to enhance your credentials.

Organizations that grant certifications are the Professional Association of Dive Instructors and the non-profit diver training organization National Association of Underwater Instructors.