The
PADI Assistant Instructor course
As a PADI Assistant Instructor, you not only gain
additional experience as a PADI Professional scuba diver, but you also start
learning the PADI System of diver education. You can act as an instructional
scuba assistant and assume limited teaching responsibilities. It’s a great
way to gain experience in order to become a scuba instructor!
The PADI Assistant Instructor course is the first
portion of the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) and when followed by
the Open Water Scuba Instructor course (OWSI) and successful
performance at the Instructor Examination (IE), leads to certification as a PADI
Open Water Scuba Instructor.
The Fun Part
Get mentored while gaining hands-on experience teaching
students.

What You Learn
You build upon your abilities to organize and supervise
scuba diving activities, while concentrating on developing teaching skills.
You learn through:
- 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
The PADI Assistant Instructor Course consists of these
sections:
- Module 1: Academic Training
· PADI Discover Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
Programs
· Developing Knowledge Development Presentations
· Teaching Project AWARE and Peak
Performance Buoyancy Specialties
· Teaching in Confined Water
· Conducting Open Water Training Presentations
- Module 2: Independent Study
· Knowledge Development
- Module 3: Practical Application
· Confined Water and Open Water Teaching Presentations
· Standards Exam
· Dive Rescue Skills Assessment
What
You Can Teach
In addition to the responsibilities and duties you
already have as a PADI Divemaster, as a PADI Assistant Instructor you
can:
- Teach academic presentations under the indirect
supervision of a PADI Instructor
- During confined water dives, present initial skills
training under the direct
- supervision of a PADI Instructor
- Evaluate Open Water Diver surface skills under the
indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor
- Teach and certify PADI Peak Performance
Buoyancy Specialty Divers under the direction of a PADI Instructor
- Teach Project AWARE Specialty courses
- Teach the AWARE Coral Reef Conservation specialty
course
- Conduct PADI Discover Scuba Diving experiences
in a pool or confined water
- Conduct PADI Seal Team Aqua-Missions
- Teach PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty
courses under the direction of a PADI Instructor after earning the PADI
Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty Instructor rating
The Scuba Gear You Use
- You use all the basic scuba equipment and
some scuba accessories such as a dive slate, dive knife,
compass, dive watch, markers, dive lines, etc.
- It is highly recommended that you own all of your own
scuba equipment, as familiarity with personal gear improves general scuba
diving skills.
You can find this equipment for sale at Aquatic Adventures
Scuba Academy.
The
Learning Materials You Need
The PADI Assistant Instructor Course requires many of
the same materials needed to prepare for the PADI Open Water Scuba
Instructor course.
- Instructor cue cards for PADI’s Open Water Diver
Course
- IDC Candidate Workbook and related reference
materials,
- Lesson planning slates for confined and open water
- Quiz and exam booklets for the core courses
- Specialty outlines for Project AWARE
- PADI Instructor Manual.
These products are available for purchase at Aquatic
Adventures Scuba Academy.
Prerequisites
You must
- Be a PADI Divemaster or qualifying
certification from another certification organization
- Be 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
- Have CPR and First Aid Training within the
last 24 months
- Be fit for diving and submit a Medical
Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months
- Want a fun and exciting career
The PADI Assistant Instructor Course is taught at
Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy.
Your Next Adventure
Take the full Instructor Development Course to become a
PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor so you can teach and certify PADI Open
Water Divers.