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The PADI Assistant Instructor Course: Pathway to a New Career

Throughout your adventures as a PADI recreational scuba diver, you have worked with many PADI diving professionals who have made your experiences more enjoyable and educational. You can probably remember a gradual increased feeling of confidence as you gained experience under the watchful eye of these dive leaders.

You may have continued your growth as a diver by participating in other education courses offered within the PADI System of diver education and by enjoying recreational diving activities. Surely, your diving habits have been positively affected by PADI professionals.

With some additional education and experience, it could easily be your turn to share the joys of diving with others. The PADI Assistant Instructor rating is the perfect opportunity to pursue this goal. Not only will this be personally rewarding, but it may also lead to a new full- or part-time career.

If PADI Assistant Instructor certification is your goal, the first step as an entry-level diver is to successfully complete the PADI Advanced Open Water certification. This program features a five-dive course (or a nine-dive course, which also includes an advanced diving theory requirement and the PADI Medic First Aid course).

Upon successful completion of the Advanced Open Water course, you'll progress to the PADI Rescue Diver course. This program expands your knowledge and experience beyond a purely recreational level, as you develop the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively perform river rescues and assists, manage diving-accident situations, and render proper first aid.

Next, the first leadership level within the PADI System is the PADI Divemaster course. This exciting course is designed to train you as a diving supervisor. In this role, you may oversee general diving activities, along with serving as an underwater guide and fulfilling important duties as an instructional assistant.

Following Divemaster designation, the PADI Assistant Instructor course is designed to provide you with additional training as an instructional assistant and dive educator. The course builds upon your abilities to organize and supervise dive activities, while concentrating on developing teaching skills. Through independent study, classroom sessions, and practical application, you'll learn to construct effective teaching presentations and conduct PADI programs.

Currently, certified PADI Assistant Instructors are eligible to independently conduct the PADI Skin Diver course for snorkelers, as well as the PADI Scuba Review and Discover Local Diving programs. Assistant Instructors are also able to function as assistants for a PADI Instructor in the conduct of all courses within the PADI System.

PADI is currently enhancing the Assistant Instructor course to enable successful candidates to be more effective dive supervisors, along with being more diverse as training assistants to PADI Instructors and PADI Dive Centers. Many other enhancements to the role of the PADI Assistant Instructor are being developed, including the possibility of conducting the PADI Medic First Aid, Discover Scuba, and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Diver courses, upon successful completion of appropriate training courses.

If you earn PADI Assistant Instructor status, you're on your way to more enjoyable diving experiences and maybe even a new career. Stop by your PADI Dive Center today.