“I found my Instructor Development Course to be challenging, well designed, and inspirational. James is very experienced and took his time to ensure that all of us candidates were not only well prepared for the Instructor Examination, but that we actually learned what was required for us to be conscience instructors. Ultimately, we are responsible for ensuring our students experience fun and safe dives, and I felt competent to do that when I completed the course. James is patient, thorough, and worked hard to help us succeed. I’d highly recommend his training to anyone looking to become a dive professional.”
The Dive Guide course is the first professional level you can earn, without having to become an instructor (similar to PADI, NAUI, and TDI Divemaster ratings). The program give you the skills and experience required to safely lead groups of certified divers, in a variety of places, environments, and conditions all over the world.
The Divemaster combines the Dive Guide and the Science of Diving Speciality, along with having the requisite number of dives and leadership experience. Unlike other organizations, we only award this rating to individuals who have significant training and experience. Our comprehensive Divemaster Internship program will help you become a dive leader.
The Snorkeling Instructor provides candidates with the knowledge and training necessary to conduct entry-level snorkeling programs in a safe and enjoyable manner.
The Assistant Instructor scuba course is the first part of the Instructor Training Course (ITC), and will prepare you to work alongside qualified Open Water Instructors. With this rating you can teach portions of the Open Water Diver program under the indirect supervision of an Instructor, the Scuba Skills Update program, Try Scuba Pool Experience, and selected Specialties.
The ultimate expression of your love for diving, is in sharing it with others. Becoming a Scuba Instructor, by attending one of our Instructor Training Courses (ITC), is the logical next step for any Divemaster who truly wants to be a leader in the industry. On successful completion you can attend an Instructor Evaluation (IE). Learn More
The Advanced Open Water Instructor, is awarded to Open Water Instructors who have completed four Specialty Instructor ratings (ie., Deep, Navigation, Boat, etc) and have issued 25 Specialty certifications. Similar to PADI MSDT.
The Divemaster Instructor (DMI) is the next instructor level after Advanced Open Water Instructor (AOWI), which may certify Divemaster Candidates and conduct the Divemaster Crossover program for candidates from other recognized scuba training agencies.
The Assistant Instructor Trainer scuba Internship provides candidates with the knowledge, concepts and training necessary to conduct the Assistant Instructor training program. Candidates will learn how to evaluate and provide feedback to dive professional candidates in a variety of in-water and academic settings.
Master Instructors are some of the most capable, competent, experienced, and well trained scuba diving instructors in the world. It’s not a course you can take, but rather, it’s a recognition only awarded to Assistant Instructor Trainers (PADI Staff Instructors) who truly embrace not only teaching diving, but mentoring other divers. If you’d like to participate in an MI Mentorship Program, reach out to us.
Instructor Trainers are authorized to organize and conduct standard diver programs, speciality diver programs, Divemaster and Assistant Instructors programs, and Instructor Training Courses (ITCs), Instructor-level programs, and Dive Professional Crossover programs for candidates from training agencies. This position is the equivalent of a Course Director (CD) or Instructor Trainer with other agencies such as PADI, TDI, and NAUI. If you’re interested in reaching the top, contact us and our resident Instructor Trainer will share how you can progress towards this achievement.
SPECIALITY INSTRUCTOR
Once you’ve become an Open Water Instructor, there are a lot of directions you can take and start teaching as a Speciality Instructor (in some cases a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor can become a Speciality Instructor). Whatever your interest, we can help you go there. For pricing, reach out to us.
- Altitude diver: Planning, procedures and equipment for diving at altitudes above 300 meters (1,000 ft) with reference to the modified decompression procedures required.
- AWARE: In this course you’ll learn the most pressing problems facing vulnerable aquatic environments and what actions you can take to help protect them.
- Boat Diving: Boat diving techniques, choosing a travel agency and diving operator and what equipment to take when traveling.
- Coral Identification: This program teaches you the skills and concepts required to recognize and identify common families of coral species.
- Deep diving: Planning and conducting dives up to 40 meters (130 ft).
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV): This program provides you with skills and concepts required to safely plan and conduct dives using underwater scooters or DPVs. You will learn the special precautions for using DPVs, how to maintain buddy contact and control your equipment, and how to safely enjoy the new experiences that a DPV dive provides.
- Diver stress and rescue: How to avoid, recognize and deal with problems on the surface and underwater.
- Dry Suit Diving: Advantages of dry suit diving, types of suits, valves, underwear and accessories, dry suit diving techniques and suit maintenance. Price Varies.
- Drift Diving: Some places like Cozumel allow divers to drift in strong currents their entire dive. This speciality teaches you the ins and outs of diving in currents.
- EAN Nitrox: Planning dives with Nitrox and using Nitrox safely, including analyzing the mix before use. This speciality can be tacked onto the Open Water Scuba Diver course.
- Equipment Techniques: Choice of diving equipment to suit needs, and how to fit, adjust, maintain and make minor repairs to equipment.
- Fish Identification: The ocean is filled with fascinating and beautiful fish of every shape and size. This non-diving specialty program teaches you the skills and concepts required to identify the common families of Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, and Red Sea reef fish. You will earn the SSI Fish Identification Specialty certification after completing this program.
- Independent Diving: This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive without a designated dive buddy. You will learn about self-reliance, proper equipment maintenance, and the special considerations and rescue techniques required to dive independently. You will earn the SSI Independent Diving Specialty certification after completing this program.
- Marine Ecology: This program provides a general understanding of the complex and exciting science of marine ecology, which is the study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment, the flow of energy through communities, and the link between ocean ecosystems. You will earn the Marine Ecology Specialty certification after completing this program.
- Navigation: Using a compass and using environmental clues, how to estimate distances, navigate search patterns, find waypoints, and return to the exit point.
- Night and Limited Visibility: Comparison of night and limited visibility diving, preparing for the dive, and the appropriate equipment and procedures.
- O2 Provider: Learn how to use medical Oxygen in diver emergencies.
- Sidemount Diving: Background, history, benefits and equipment of sidemount diving and how to configure the equipment and manage it in the water.
- River Diving: Peculiarities of diving in rivers, identifying and assessing hazards an how to manage river diving equipment.
- Science of Diving: This speciality will teach you physics, physiology, decompression theory, marine life and diving equipment. It is required for Divemaster.
- Sea Turtle Ecology: This program teaches the skills and concepts required to recognize and identify common species of sea turtles, and explains their role in the ocean’s ecosystems.
- Search and Recovery: Various search patterns using ropes and compasses, planning of search and recovery operations in a team, and the correct handling of lifting bags.
- Shark ecology: Biology, ecology, and procedures for diving with sharks.
- Underwater Photography & Videography: Introduction to underwater photography and video, using a digital camera system, composition and editing of media.
- Waves, Tides & Currents: Water motion can have a tremendous effect on your diving experience This program gives you the skills and knowledge required to conduct dives from shore, in currents, and in different types of waves. Students completing this program earn the SSI Waves, Tides and Currents Specialty certification after completing this program.
- Wreck Diving: This course will teach you how to find information on wrecks, how to locate them, how to prepare for a wreck dive, the use of appropriate wreck diving techniques, and how to identify and avoid hazards while diving on wrecks.
MEDICAL COURSES
Dive Mentor is partnered with Boots on the Ground, the Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and National Health Care Provider Solutions, SSI, and others to offer basic, intermediate, and advanced provider instructor certification courses.
Learn to teach Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers course using a scenario-based approach to develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills that drive better patient outcomes. You’ll be empowered to teach BLS consistent with ILCOR and AHA standards, and covers CPR, AED, obstructed airway, and Basic First Aid for adult, child, and infant patients.
Learn to teach Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses for Providers with an emphasis on the importance of high-performance team dynamics and communication, systems of care, recognition and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest, immediate post-cardiac arrest, acute dysrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
This course is for qualified Diver Medics, Diver Medical Technicians, and other medical professionals who wish to learn to certify students in the two core components of this program: 1) Basic Emergency Care Provider is 210 hours of didactic lectures and practical exercises; and 2) the Diver Medic portion is 110 hours. Candidates for this course must have current certification as a Diver Medic or higher, with current BLS and ACLS instructor cards. If you don’t have the latter, these can be earned before the Diver Medic Instructor Course begins.
CROSSOVER TO SSI
Are you a Divemaster or Scuba Instructor? Interested in crossing over to Scuba Schools International? We can help. Every Divemaster Internship and Instructor Course we schedule during the academic year, also has a Crossover component. In as little as 2-days, you can be up-and-running (or diving, as the case may be) with an SSI center. Just reach out to learn more.