Have you ever seen a Dive Instructor Course being offered at your local dive shop? Dive Instructors are the people who teach scuba divers how to swim underwater. Dive Instructors train new divers, monitor their progress, and ensure that they’re safe when they’re in the water.
Dive instructors also conduct safety checks on equipment before it’s taken into the water. To become a Dive Instructor, there are three main things that you need: certification, experience, and an instructor course!
Certification: Dive instructors need to be certified in the same way that scuba divers do: by completing a Dive Instructor course. The Dive Master and Dive Rescue courses are popular options for those interested in becoming Dive Instructors, and you can find them both at your local dive shop.
Experience: To become an instructor, it is necessary to have hundreds of hours of experience as a diver (preferably teaching others how to dive).
This means either diving with friends or joining organized groups such as PADI’s “Teaching Scuba” program. If this doesn’t sound like something you’re ready for yet, look into getting your Open Water certification and start shopping around! It may take some time before you reach these requirements but don’t worry, you’ll get there.
What Dive Instructor Courses are Available? There are several different Dive Rescue courses available around the world but not all of them will prepare you to be an instructor.
Some Dive Rescue programs only offer certification (not necessary for instructors) and some focus on teaching methods without offering any certifications at all! The most useful Dive Instructors come from PADI’s “Divemaster” course which is offered by many dive shops across the globe.
Once completed with this program, you can work towards becoming a Dive Instructor through their “Assistant Instructor Development Course.” An Assistant Instructor helps lead dives while the more experienced professionals take care of business in the office or instruct other classes – it’s up to your desired level whether or not you want to continue diving full-time or become a Dive Instructor.
The Divemaster Course is the second step in PADI’s ladder of certifications and helps take your underwater abilities to even greater depths – literally!
After you’ve completed all three courses, you can look into starting up your own Dive Shop with their “Instructor Trainer Program” so that you can train future divers yourself! Some students quit this course part way through when they realize how much work it requires but if done correctly, it will put an extra $1000-$3000 dollars in your pocket every month just for doing what comes naturally to many SCUBA enthusiasts. And yes – there are women who do this job successfully!
In conclusion, Dive Instructor Courses are a great way to break into the Dive Industry and make some extra cash while doing what you love.