IDC and AI Course Pre-requisites:

To enroll in an IDC or Assistant Instructor course, an individual must:

  1. Be certified as a PADI Divemaster or hold a leadership level certification with another recreational diver training organization.
  2. Submit proof you are at least 18 years old.
  3. Submit a PADI Medical Examination within the past 12 months stating you are fit to dive.
  4. Submit proof of having been certified for at least 6 months, logged at least 60 dives, including experience in deep, night and navigation diving.
  5. Submit proof of current CPR and first aid training within the last 24 months.
  6. Submit documentation of Open Water Diver through Divemaster certification.
  7. If not a PADI Divemaster, successfully complete a PADI Divemaster course diver rescue skills assessment.

Prior to the start and individual must complete all (16) IDC Knowledge reviews.

How to Prepare for your IDC or AI Course:

Complete the ICW Independent Study
In your Instructor Candidate Workbook there are 16 Independent Learning sections.  Finish the required reading and complete the Independent Learning sections. Materials needed are: Instructor Manual, Instructor Candidate Workbook, Best of the Undersea Journal, Law and the Diving Professional, and The Business of Diving. These need to be completed before your start your IDC .

Diving Theory
These are the 5 areas of diving theory from the Divemaster Course; physics, physiology, general skills and the environment, equipment, and the Recreational Dive Planner, (table and wheel versions.)  This is pre-requisite professional knowledge acquired during the Divemaster course. You need to be able to explain the questions and the answers. Simply knowing the correct answer is not enough. These subjects are not taught during the IDC, but they are covered in the IDC-Prep course. Your best study guides are your PADI Diving Knowledge Workbook and Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. You can also use the Divemaster manual,  Divemaster final exams, and the Instructor Manual. There is a practice test in the back of your Instructor Candidate Workbook.  The IDC Prep Course is recommended for proficiency.

Demonstration Quality Skills Presentations
These are the skills you demonstrated during your Divemaster class. You need to present demonstration quality skills with a score of  '5'.  A '5' means your are using very slow, exaggerated motions.  The skills and scoring method are listed on Divemaster slate #4. Watch the Open Water Diver video for examples of skill demonstrations. The IDC Prep Course is recommended for proficiency, especially if you do not have the time or a place to practice. 

Instructor Manual and the Standards and Procedures
This is the book you will use daily as an instructor. There is too much information here to remember. Become familiar with how to look up information.  There is a practice test in the back of your Instructor Candidate Workbook. The IDC Prep Course is recommended for proficiency.