PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

Are you looking for something extraordinary? To do something others can only dream of? To help people transform their lives? To open doors you didn’t even know existed? All of this, and more, awaits you as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

The OWSI program is a minimum of four days. It introduces you to the entire PADI System of diver education and concentrates on further developing your abilities as a professional dive educator.

The Fun Part

It’s about life transformations—both yours and those around you.

The fun part of instructor training is interacting with course participants while creating friendships that continue long after the course concludes.

You’ll begin networking with other professionals and begin to explore PADI Pro Diving Jobs worldwide with our award winning  PADI Course Directors. You’ll also have the opportunity to continue your professional education by participating in specialty instructor courses, which train you to teach specialties after instructor certification.

The Challenging Part

The challenging part of this course is your personal commitment to the training. Start early with reviewing your theoretical knowledge and practice the Divemaster skill circuit again. Organization and dedication are key.

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor; What You Learn

During the course you’ll learn how to apply the PADI System of Education by presenting at least

• Two confined water teaching presentations
• One knowledge development presentations
• One open water teaching presentations integrating two skills

Complete the following independent learning sections online through PADI eLearning, or participate in these sections during the OWSI Program:

• Learning, Instruction and the PADI System
• General Standards and Procedures
• Risk Management
• Marketing Diving
• Start Diving
• Teaching PADI Specialty Diver Courses
• Business of Diving
• Keep Diving
• How to Teach the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) – required for crossover candidates; optional for PADI Members

You will also attend and participate in the following curriculum presentations:

• Course Orientation
• Developing Knowledge Development Presentations
• General Standards and Procedures
• Risk Management
• PADI Open Water Diver Course
• PADI Adventures in Diving Program
• PADI Rescue Diver Course
• PADI Divemaster Course
• How to Teach the RDP – Instructors from recreational diver training organizations other than PADI must complete this training

You will demonstrate competence at

• performing all 24 dive skills listed on the Skill Evaluation.
• performing a face down, nonstop swim for 800 meters/yards using a mask, snorkel and fins.

During the course you’ll need to demonstrate competency in Dive theory by passing a five-part theory exam scoring 75% on each part

What You Can Teach

After becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, you will be able to conduct the entire range of PADI programs from PADI Discover Scuba Diving up to PADI Divemaster. You may also choose to acquire PADI Specialty Instructor ratings in areas of interest, such as PADI Digital Underwater Photographer or PADI Enriched Air Diver.

The Scuba Gear You Use

You will need to equip yourself with all the basic scuba gear as well as two scuba signaling devices —one audible and one visual.

The Learning Materials You Need

The PADI Instructor Development Course crew-pack includes all the materials needed to prepare for the Instructor Development Course. The Start up Instructor Training Pack in English Includes:

• Confined & Open Water Cue Cards
• Confined & Open Water Lesson Presentation Slate
• Adventures in Diving Instructor Cue Cards
• Rescue Diver Instructor Cue Cards
• Divemaster Instructor Cue Cards
• Open Water Diver Quizzes and Exams Booklet
• Rescue Diver final Exams Booklet
• Divemaster final Exams Booklet
• PADI’s Guide to Teaching manual w/Hologram
• Card with Code includes 3 digital products below, IDC eLearning, OW PLG & GTT
• Specialty Course Instructor Manual (Digital, multilingual version, E, DU, F, S)

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor; Prerequisites

To qualify for training as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, you must:

• Be a PADI Assistant Instructor or current instructor member in good standing with a recognized recreational diver training organization* for at least 6 months(*check with Camille for qualifying credentials.)
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be certified as a diver for at least six months
• Have 60 logged dives that include experience in night, deep and navigation diving to participate in the Instructor Development Course. You’ll need 100 logged dives to take the Instructor Exams
• Have proof of CPR and First Aid training within the last 24 months. The Emergency First Response course meets this requirement
• If not a PADI Divemaster, complete the PADI Divemaster course diver rescue skills assessment
• Submit documentation of qualifying certifications for entry level, advanced, rescue and leadership level, as necessary
• Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months

Your Next Adventure

You’ll want to continue your professional training by completing courses that allow you to teach beyond the core courses. For example, PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor, Emergency First Response Instructor and PADI Specialty Instructor courses complement your PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor rating and add to your professional portfolio.