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 IDC program is a minimum of 9 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.

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. Organisation 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

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

Complete the following PADI IDC eLearning curriculum components:

• Getting Started
• Dive Theory for Dive Leaders
• PADI System Overview
• Learning, Instruction and the PADI System
• Discover Scuba Diving and Experience Programs
• The PADI Open Water Diver Course
• Risk Management and Legal Considerations
• Managing Risk
• PADI Quality Management and Licensing
• Introduction to Teaching Presentations
• Conducting and Evaluating Knowledge Development
• Confined Water Training
• Open Water Training
• Continuing Education and Leadership Courses
• The Business of Diving
• How to Teach the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP)

You will also attend and participate in the following 17 curriculum presentations:

• Orientation
• Dive Theory Workshop
• PADI System Workshop
• Learning and Teaching Workshop
• Discover Scuba Diving Workshop
• Open Water Dive Course Scheduling and Set Up Workshop
• Risk Management and Licensing Workshop
• Knowledge Development Presentation Workshop and Candidate
• Knowledge Development Presentations
• Skill Development Workshop
• Confined Water Training Workshop and Candidate Confined Water Teaching Presentations
• Open Water Training Workshop and Candidate Open Water Teaching Presentations
• Continuing Education Workshop
• Advanced Open Water Diver Course Workshop
• Rescue Diver Course Workshop
• Sales Techniques Workshop
• Course Close

 You will demonstrate competence at

• performing all 24 dive skills listed on the Skill Evaluation.
• performing a facedown, nonstop free swim for 400 metres/yards, tread water for 10 minutes

During the course you’ll need to demonstrate competency in Dive theory by passing a five-part theory exam scoring 75% on each part . Also score 75% on the PADI Systems, Standards and Procedures Exam.

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 Deep Diving, Night Diving, Drysuit Diving or Enriched Air Diver.

At a glance, compare what you can teach when you continue your professional diver education.

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 crewpak includes all the materials needed to prepare for the Instructor Development Course. The pack includes:

• Code for IDC Online
• Instructor cue cards for PADI’s core courses (Open Water and Advanced, Rescue and Divemaster)
• PADI Guide to Teaching Workbook and related reference materials (Digital Copy)
• Lesson planning slates for confined and open water
• Quiz and exam booklets for the core courses (Digital Copy)
• Specialty outlines for Project AWARE
• PADI Instructor Manual (Digital Copy)

Next Steps
View the Instructor Examination (IE) Calendar

Prerequisites
To qualify for training for a PADI Instructor Development Course, you must:

• Be certified as a PADI Divemaster or a PADI Assistant Instructor or be an instructor in good standing with another training organisation 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

 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, Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor, Emergency First Response Instructor, and specialty instructor courses complement your Open Water Scuba Instructor rating and add to your professional portfolio.

For more information about this or other PADI courses have a chat with one of the THE SCUBA SHOP Team members.