Who Does The PADI IDC?
The PADI IDC or Instructor Development Course is intended for divers who want to become professional diving instructors. The IDC offers the training that is required by PADI dive shops and resorts in order to become a member of their staff and to teach others to dive.
The IDC is not a course for the recreational diver. It is designed for people who are committed to becoming diving instructors. Most of the course covers teaching skills rather than diving ones.
The people who decide to take the PADI IDC all hope to become professional diving instructors. They all love to dive and they have the necessary experience to be accepted onto the IDC course. Other than their shared goal and interests, however, the people who take the IDC course vary a lot. They come from all over the world, from all different backgrounds and are of a huge range of different ages.
Some people decide early on that they want to become diving instructors. They are young and love being outdoors and they can’t imagine ever entering into another sort of career. Many began diving at a young age and have nurtured an ambition of becoming a professional diving instructor since childhood.
The PADI IDC is not just for people who are beginning their adult lives, however. Many of the students who attend the IDC course are older and have already spent many years working in a completely different field. For these IDC participants, becoming a professional diving instructor is about changing their lifestyles. They are seeking a profession that is more enjoyable and exciting, and which will take them away from their current routine.
Anyone who wants to take the PADI IDC must meet a certain list of prerequisites. All students who begin the IDC have already completed a certain amount of dive training. Entry onto the IDC requires certification as at least a PADI Divemaster, or an equivalent level of training from another certification organization. Applicants for the IDC must have been certified as divers for at least six months. They must also have logged at least 60 dives. These must include some navigation, night and deep dives. Entry onto the course also requires that students have been certified for First Aid and CPR training. Students who are accepted onto the IDC must be at least eighteen years of age, and they must also have been certified as physically fit for the course by a physician.
The people who take the IDC are committed to becoming diving instructors. They are prepared to work hard in order to achieve this goal. They want to turn diving into more than just a hobby, they want to make it their career, and they want to share their passion for dicing with their own future students.