An instructor helping a student rig a cylinder on shore

Open Water Scuba Instructor

SKU OWS001

POA

Product variants

Divemaster taught you to assist. This teaches you to lead.

There's a particular moment every Divemaster eventually reaches: watching an instructor run a class and thinking, I could do that better, or at least, I want to be the one doing it. The PADI Instructor Development Course is how that thought becomes a certification. It's widely regarded as the most respected instructor training in the diving world, and it's the single biggest step in the entire PADI system.

This isn't about becoming a better diver. By this stage, your diving is already strong, that's what got you here. The IDC is about learning to teach: how to run a classroom presentation that actually lands, how to manage a confined water session with students at wildly different skill levels, and how to bring someone through their first open water dive without ever letting the moment feel like a test. Training materials and your Emergency First Response Instructor training are included. Scuba gear isn't included in the course fee and can be hired separately if you don't have your own.

The IDC itself has two parts, Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor, usually completed together. What follows is the PADI Instructor Examination, an independent, external assessment run by PADI staff, not by us. We prepare you for it properly. We don't get to grade it.

Where the PADI Instructor Rating Takes You

Once certified, you're qualified to teach and certify Open Water Divers, Advanced Open Water Divers, and Rescue Divers, and to assist on Divemaster training. It's the certification that opens actual employment, at dive centres, resorts, and liveaboards, anywhere in the world that teaches diving.

From here, the natural next step is Master Scuba Diver Trainer, earned by certifying a set number of divers across five specialties, which then opens the door to becoming a Specialty Instructor across the full PADI range, and eventually, for those who want to go further still, Course Director.

Ready to teach what you love instead of just doing it? Book your IDC below, or get in touch with our team to talk through your logged dives and Divemaster status first.

What This Course Entails

Before the course begins, you'll complete the PADI Instructor Development Course eLearning, working through it at your own pace so you arrive with the theory already in place.

The IDC itself runs over a minimum of five days, more commonly seven, split between classroom, confined water, and open water settings. You'll prepare and deliver knowledge development presentations, run confined water teaching sessions, and lead an open water teaching presentation integrating real skills, all assessed and refined by your Course Director along the way. Your Emergency First Response Instructor training is included as part of the course, completed concurrently with the IDC itself.

Once the IDC is complete, you'll sit the PADI Instructor Examination, a separate two-day assessment conducted independently by PADI staff, covering knowledge development, classroom presentation, and both confined and open water teaching ability. Passing the IE is what actually earns your PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification.

Prerequisites

Hold a PADI Divemaster certification, or be an instructor in good standing with another training organisation for at least six months.
Certified diver for a minimum of six months.
Minimum 60 logged dives to begin the IDC, including documented deep, night, and navigation experience; 100 logged dives required before attending the Instructor Examination.
Current Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care training (or qualifying equivalent), completed within the past 24 months.
A medical statement signed by a physician within the past 12 months, confirming fitness to dive.
Minimum age 18.

This price excludes all PADI registration fees, and entry fees to Bass Lake or Miracle Waters for your open water teaching sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a PADI Divemaster before starting the IDC?

Yes, or you'll need to be an instructor in good standing with another training organisation for at least six months, with a crossover process to PADI. Divemaster is the far more common route into this course.

How many logged dives do I need for the IDC?

A minimum of 60 logged dives, including documented deep, night, and navigation experience, to begin the IDC. That requirement rises to 100 logged dives before you're eligible to attend the Instructor Examination.

Is the Instructor Examination run by Scuba Evolution?

No. The IE is an independent, external assessment conducted by PADI staff, not by the centre that ran your IDC. We prepare you thoroughly for it, but the evaluation itself sits entirely outside our hands, which is exactly what makes the certification carry the weight it does.

What can I actually do once I'm certified as a PADI Instructor?

You're qualified to teach and independently certify Open Water Divers, Advanced Open Water Divers, and Rescue Divers, and to assist on Divemaster training. It opens genuine employment at dive centres, resorts, and liveaboards worldwide.

What comes after becoming a PADI Instructor?

Most instructors work toward Master Scuba Diver Trainer next, earned by certifying divers across five specialties, which opens the door to Specialty Instructor ratings and, further down the line, Course Director for those pursuing the top of the profession.

Is anything excluded from the Instructor course price?

Yes. The course fee excludes all PADI registration fees, along with entry fees to Bass Lake or Miracle Waters for your open water teaching sessions. Both are paid separately as you go. Your Emergency First Response Instructor training, however, is included as part of the course.