What is the IDC?

The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) will prepare you for a career as a PADI dive instructor. This program builds on the knowledge and skills you learned in your previous diving courses and takes them to the next level.

When you complete the IDC with Course Director Jon-Jon Suarez, he'll ensure your readiness to take the Instructor Exam (IE). But more than that, you'll have the competence and confidence to teach the following courses and programs:

• Discover Scuba Diving/Bubblemaker

• Open Water Diver/Scuba Diver

• Advanced Open Water Diver/Adventure Diver

• Rescue Diver

• Divemaster

• Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty

• Project AWARE and Coral Reef Conservation Specialties

• Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty

• Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty (free with our IDC)

• Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty (free with our IDC)

What are the prerequisites to join the IDC?

• PADI Divemaster or leadership level with another diver training organization + rescue assessment

• 18 years old

• Certified diver for at least 6 months

• 60 logged dives with experience in deep diving, night diving, and underwater navigation (must have 100 dives to become a certified instructor)

• PADI-recognized medical clearance form attesting to dive fitness signed by a physician within the last 12 months

• Emergency First Response (EFR) Primary and Secondary Care Provider or PADI-recognized qualifying training within the last 24 months

What materials and equipment are required during the IDC?

To join the Instructor Development Course, you'll need the PADI Digital Instructor Candidate Crewpak. It contains IDC eLearning, Diving Knowledge Workbook, Guide to Teaching, Aquatic Cue Cards, some Specialty Instructor Guides, and the digital versions of the Open Water, Rescue, and Divemaster course exams. You can order the crewpak through us before you start the course.

Through your access to IDC eLearning, you'll be able to complete 16 modules of the IDC in advance, such as PADI Standards and Procedures; Learning, Instruction, and the PADI System; Risk Management and Diver Safety; the Business of Diving, Marketing and Sales; and more. Course Director Jon-Jon will walk you through each one even before you meet face to face. With eLearning, you'll spend less time in the classroom, allowing you to focus on developing your in-water skills.

Don't forget to download the latest PADI Instructor Guide (free on the PADI Pros site for PADI Divemasters and higher).

Apart from your complete set of diving gear, you should have a compass, dive knife or tool, delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB), audible surface signaling device, and dive watch. It's best to have your own laptop or tablet during the IDC so that you can access all the digital course materials.

If you have any questions regarding the IDC requirements, schedules, and prices, or you just want to know more about how we conduct our course, please send us a message using the form below. We're also happy to respond directly through our email address or phone number!