Turning a love of diving into a teaching career starts with the PADI Instructor Development Course. This guide to the PADI IDC Belize divers can plan with White Sands Dive Shop explains how the course is built, what PADI asks of you before day one, and where the Assistant Instructor course fits.
It is written for Divemasters weighing the jump to instructor, and for career changers mapping the whole path from their first certification to teaching their own students. We are a 5 Star PADI Dive Facility on the beach in San Pedro, owned and operated by Elbert Greer, a PADI IDC Staff Instructor.
What do you need to start a PADI IDC Belize course on Ambergris Caye?
Quick answer: PADI asks that you be a Divemaster, certified for at least six months, with 60 logged dives, CPR and first aid training from the past 24 months and a recent medical statement. Our Water Sports page lists the Instructor Development Course at 10 days and the Assistant Instructor course at four days.
How the PADI Instructor Development Course is built
The IDC is not one long class. PADI’s Instructor Development Course page describes it as two parts: the Assistant Instructor course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor program. Most candidates complete both, then attend the Instructor Examination, the final step to a full PADI Instructor rating.
- Assistant Instructor course: the first part. Completing it on its own earns the PADI Assistant Instructor qualification.
- Open Water Scuba Instructor program: the second part, which gives you entry to an Instructor Examination.
- Instructor Examination (IE): the separate evaluation that follows the course. Passing it makes you a PADI Instructor.
PADI also notes that dive professionals who already hold an instructor rating with another training organization may be able to enroll directly in the Open Water Scuba Instructor program. If that is you, bring your existing instructor card details when you write to us.
Our Water Sports page lists both courses: the Assistant Instructor course takes four days and the Instructor Development Course takes 10 days. For the fees, see the current PADI pro course prices on our Water Sports page.
PADI IDC prerequisites: are you ready to enroll?
PADI sets the entry requirements, so they are the same wherever in the world you train. Check each one before you book flights, because the paperwork has to be in order when the course begins.
| Requirement | What PADI asks | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | PADI Divemaster, or a qualifying rating | Finish the Divemaster course first |
| Time certified | A certified diver for at least six months | Count from the date on your first card |
| Logged dives | 60 logged dives, and 100 dives to attend the IE | Bring a complete, signed logbook |
| CPR and first aid | Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care within the past 24 months | Check the date and retake it if it has lapsed |
| EFR Instructor | Required, and can be earned during instructor training | Plan it into your instructor schedule |
| Medical | A medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months | See your doctor before you travel |
The jump from 60 to 100 dives catches people out. You can enroll with 60, but you need 100 logged before the Instructor Examination, so count carefully and plan extra diving if you are short.
If you are not yet a Divemaster, our guide to the PADI Divemaster course in Belize covers that step. Our Water Sports page lists Rescue Diver as a prerequisite for the Divemaster course, so read about the PADI Rescue Diver course in Belize too if you are starting further down the ladder.
The Assistant Instructor course: first step or stopping point
Because the Assistant Instructor course is the first part of the IDC, PADI lets you stop there with a recognized qualification. Some Divemasters take it to build teaching confidence before they commit to the full program. Others go straight through both parts in one stretch.
Which route suits you
- Assistant Instructor only: a good fit if your vacation is short or you want a taste of instructor training first.
- The full IDC: the route for anyone aiming at the Instructor Examination on this trip, with the prerequisites already in hand.
- Direct to Open Water Scuba Instructor: possible for instructors crossing over from another agency, as PADI describes.
Not sure which applies to you? Send Elbert your certification level and dive count, and he can tell you what the paperwork allows.
Planning a PADI instructor course on Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye is a 15-minute flight from the Belize International Airport, and our shop on the beach overlooks the largest barrier reef in this hemisphere. Use the steps below to build your trip around the course.
- Count your logged dives and check the dates on your CPR, first aid and medical paperwork.
- Email us your certifications and the weeks you have free.
- Confirm the Instructor Examination timing before you book flights, since the IE is a separate event from the course.
- Leave a few spare days for fun dives, rest and any dives you still need for your log.
Our local 1-, 2- and 3-tank dives on the barrier reef are a relaxed way to add to your log, and they leave at 9:00 with pickup at the dock of your hotel. Our guide to diving Ambergris Caye describes the reef you will be working on.
Many divers also mark the end of a course with a bigger day out. The full-day Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef dive trip includes three dives, with continental breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks.
What changes when you become an instructor
As a Divemaster you assist instructors and supervise certified divers. As an instructor, you lead the course yourself, which means you are responsible for how well your students learn and how safely they dive.
That shift is the point of the IDC. Think of the courses in our guide to learning to dive on Ambergris Caye, from a first try in the pool to the Open Water card, and picture yourself as the person teaching them.
It helps to arrive with good habits already in place: a tidy logbook, confident buoyancy and a calm manner in front of a group. Those are the same qualities students notice first in any good instructor.
Who you will train with
White Sands Dive Shop is owned and operated by Elbert Greer, a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. The shop is a 5 Star PADI Dive Facility, a PADI International Resort Association member and licensed by the Belize Tourism Board. You can read more about Elbert Greer, PADI IDC Staff Instructor.
His students describe the balance a future instructor should study. Vivake K. Bhalla wrote that Elbert “was very friendly and fun, but equally very strict about safety.” Minette Layne thanked him for “your caring teaching style” after a refresher course.
Read the full letters from Elbert’s dive students to see how he teaches, in their own words.
PADI IDC Belize: your questions answered
How long does the IDC take at White Sands Dive Shop?
Our Water Sports page lists the Instructor Development Course at 10 days and the Assistant Instructor course at four days. The Instructor Examination is a separate event after the course.
Do I need to be a Divemaster before the IDC?
Yes. PADI requires you to be a PADI Divemaster, or hold a qualifying rating, and to have been a certified diver for at least six months.
How many logged dives do I need to become a PADI Instructor?
PADI asks for at least 60 logged dives to enroll in the IDC and 100 dives to attend the Instructor Examination.
Can I take only the Assistant Instructor course?
Yes. PADI says that completing the Assistant Instructor course on its own earns the PADI Assistant Instructor qualification.
Where can I find the IDC and Assistant Instructor prices?
Current fees for both courses are listed on our Water Sports page. Email us with your dates and your certifications and we will reply with what fits.
Start your instructor training with Elbert
Send us your certification level, your number of logged dives and the dates you have in mind, and Elbert will reply with what is possible. Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm or call 011 (501) 226 2405.