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.
View the Instructor Development Calendar
The Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program is one of two distinct components of PADI’s Instructor Development Course (IDC)—the core of PADI Instructor training. The first portion is the Assistant Instructor course followed by the Open Water Scuba Instructor program.
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. 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.
Get College Credit
You may be able to earn college credit for the PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor course.
The Challenging Part
The challenging part of this course is your personal commitment to the training. The course requires you to complete all the self-study Knowledge Reviews before the course begins and to prepare daily assignments for teaching presentations daily. Organization and dedication are key.
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
- Two knowledge development presentations
- One open water teaching presentations integrating two skills
You will also attend and participate in the following 14 curriculum presentations:
- Course Orientation
- Dive Industry Overview
- General Standards and Procedures
- The Role of Media and Prescriptive Teaching
- Legal Responsibility and Risk Management
- PADI Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver Course
- Adaptive Teaching
- The PADI Continuing Education Philosophy
- Business Principles for the Dive Instructor
- Adventures in Diving Program
- Specialty Diver Courses and Master Scuba Diver Program
- Rescue Diver Course
- Divemaster Course
- Diver Retention Programs
- How to Teach the RDP (Instructors from recreational diver training organizations other than PADI must complete.)
You will demonstrate competence at
- performing all 20 dive skills listed on the Skill Evaluation.
- performing a facedown, nonstop swim for 800 metres/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 an Open Water Scuba Instructor, you will be able to conduct the entire range of PADI programs from Discover Scuba Diving up to Divemaster. You may also choose to acquire specialty instructor ratings in areas of interest, such as Digital Underwater Photographer or Enriched Air Diver.
At a glance, compare what you can teach when you continue your professional diver education.
Next Steps
View the Instructor Examination (IE) Calendar
Prerequisites
To qualify for training as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, you must:
- Be certified as a PADI Divemaster or a PADI Assistant Instructor or be an instructor in good standing with another training organization for at least six months (check with a PADI Course Director or Contact Us for qualifying credentials.)
- Be certified as an Emergency First Response Instructor
- 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
- Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months
