PADI
Instructor Development Course
(IDC)
– Lead the Adventure –
Becoming a PADI dive instructor can be one of the most exciting and rewarding career moves you make. Being able to share your passion with others – and getting paid for it – is every scuba diver’s dream. Discover why you should choose The Go Pro Family for your PADI Instructor course.
Take your PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) in Mexico with The Go Pro Family and you will be trained by two of the most experienced Course Directors around, in our brand new purpose-built IDC center.
Professional-level training is what we have specialized in for many years and we love making new PADI Pros. We have spent many years building our reputation as PADI Platinum Course Directors who excel in their field and we recognize that training future PADI dive instructors is both a great honor and responsibility.
Choosing where to take your PADI Instructor course can be daunting. There are so many options and not all IDC facilities are created equal. It’s important that you make the right decision to help kickstart your dive career. Fortunately, we are here to help you every step of the way.
Why Choose The Go Pro Family for your PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC)?
In a nutshell: experience; value; opportunities and support.
EXPERIENCE
First of all, Angel and Jo are both multi-Platinum award winning Course Directors and together have over 25 years’ experience of running IDCs and 35 years’ experience of teaching scuba diving around the world. Most of the teaching is given by them during the course and so you benefit from their experience both in the classroom and in the water, with the tips, advice and feedback that they give to you. Teaching IDCs is their passion and they want the best for each of their instructor candidates.
Read more about our team here
VALUE
Secondly, our IDCs offer great value. With group sizes of a maximum 6 candidates to one Course Director you will receive the best possible training tailored to your individual needs and interests. We are more than happy to go the extra mile to ensure that you get the help and assistance you need to succeed, and have fun in the process!
We know that the Instructor Development process is not cheap, and you deserve to receive training from dedicated and enthusiastic professionals. We give one-to-one counselling during all our programs to help you overcome any hurdles and develop your strengths to get the most out of your instructor-training experience. Our IE pass guarantee gives you the peace of mind necessary to invest your time and money with us.
OPPORTUNITIES
Becoming a scuba instructor with The Go Pro Family means you will have plenty of job opportunities. Mexico’s Riviera Maya is busy year-round with divers and those wanting to give it a try. There are literally hundreds of dive shops in and around Playa del Carmen. That makes it a great place if you want to get a job and gain teaching experience. We will give you advice and assistance in your search for the perfect career choice. We can also help you with job placement. Our reputation for giving top quality training means that we have lots of connections in the dive industry who get in touch when they are looking for new instructor staff. We can help you to get that all important first job as a PADI Instructor.
SUPPORT
We continue to support our IDC candidates long after they finish their Instructor Development Course with us. Our “open door policy” encourages our ex-candidates to continue to seek our advice and and ask questions. Having a strong support network is important in this industry and helps everyone to learn and grow. We’re proud that many of our IDC candidates have gone on to have very successful scuba careers as dive shop owners and also Course Directors.
Choosing The Go Pro Family for your Instructor Development Course means that you will be getting a full training and support package that has been refined over many years to give instructor candidates what they need for a long and successful career as a PADI Instructor.
Our PADI IDC Center
This year we have opened our brand new training facilities. We have IDC dates throughout the year. Our PADI Five Star IDC Center has been tailor-made for IDCs and is equipped with:
- Large training pool (deep and shallow water)
- Two spacious classrooms with A/C & WiFi
- Kitchen for the exclusive use of our Go Pro candidates
- On-site private accommodation (at super reduced rate for Go Pro candidates)
We are proud of our efforts to make our facilities as eco-friendly as possible and we want to share this with you.
FAQs
Read on to find answers to our IDC Frequently Asked Questions. You’ll also find our PADI IDC dates for the remainder of 2024 and our planned IDC dates for 2025.
Our IDCs are about more than just getting you through the Instructor Exams. The aim of this course is to equip you with the knowledge, tools and skills to be a safe, competent and successful PADI dive Instructor after you pass the Instructor Exams.
INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT COURSE – SCHEDULE
The IDC is made up of two parts – the Assistant Instructor (AI) course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program. We recommend that you complete the entire IDC and go on to attend an Instructor Examination (IE) afterwards, but these can also be completed separately if you prefer.
Instead of the usual 5 to 7 days, our IDC is a 14-day program (including one day off for rest or remedial work). Our IDC includes extended dive theory “prep” classes and special workshops on complex skills such as liftbag exercises, CESA & descent skills, and conducting DSDs.
PADI ‘s Instructor Development program was revised substantially in 2020 and is enhanced with practical workshop and realistic teaching presentations. In addition to this are our own tips and suggestions from years of teaching, plus other extras to give you a comprehensive package.
With every PADI Instructor course in Playa del Carmen, we also include a:
- FREE PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor Specialty Course
- FREE Cenotes dive
We give one-to-one counselling during all our programs to help you overcome any hurdles and develop your strengths to get the most out of your instructor-training experience.
EFR INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Our EFR Instructor course takes place over 2 days mid-way through the IDC. This is a highly practical and enjoyable program with a focus on Care for Children.
*EFR Instructor rating is mandatory to become a PADI Instructor. If you are already a current CPR & First Aid Instructor with another training organization this can also count.
INSTRUCTOR EXAMS (IE)
The final Instructor Exams (IE) will take place just after the IDC and a PADI Examiner will conduct this. You will be required to give successful presentations in confined water, open water and classroom, as well as pass PADI Standards and Dive Theory exams.
As if all this wasn’t enough reason to take your IDC with us, we offer you something pretty special. We are so confident that you will be more than prepared for passing the Instructor Exams, that we offer an IE pass guarantee!
Here is what we have planned for the rest of 2024:
| IDC | IE | MSDT Prep |
| 4 – 19 September | 20 – 22 September | 24 – 28 September |
| 20 November – 5 December | 6 – 8 December | 10 – 14 December |
And here are our planned IDC dates for 2025 (we need PADI to confirm their IE dates before we can confirm these dates so if you are interested in taking your IDC in 2025 please contact us to check these dates before booking travel etc):
| IDC | IE | MSDT Prep |
| 15 – 30 January | 31 Jan – 2 Feb | 4 – 8 February |
| 12 – 27 March | 28 – 30 March | 1 – 5 April |
| 10 – 25 May | 26 – 28 May | 30 May – 3 June |
| 2 – 17 July | 18 – 20 July | 22 – 26 July |
| 3 – 18 September | 19 – 21 September | 23 – 27 September |
| 19 November – 4 Dec | 5 – 7 December | 9 – 13 December |
*PLUS*
We are also running Instructor Development Courses in Mahahual (Quintana Roo) and Huatulco (Oaxaca) – contact us for the latest information!
Get in touch with us to let us know your plans as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Our most popular dates can fill up fast!
A PADI Divemaster (or equivalent rating from another training organization) may enroll in the PADI Instructor Development Course.
To start your IDC you need to have been a certified diver for at least 6 months, and you need to have proof of 100 logged dives before you take the IE (Instructor Exam). If you have less than 100 dives then it may be possible to take your IDC with us and we would recommend that you contact us for advice.
If you are in any doubt as to whether you meet all the IDC pre-requisites don’t hesitate to contact us.
Making the decision to become a PADI scuba diving instructor is already a big step. Good preparation for your IDC means that you will get the most out of your training and have fun in the process. But it’s sometimes difficult to know how you should prepare. That’s where we can help.
Basically, there are two main areas you should work on. Dive Theory, and eLearning.
You are expected to have a good understanding of the five dive theory topics (physics, physiology, equipment, skills & environment, and decompression theory/RDP). We will help build on your theory knowledge in our extended “prep” workshops, but it will help if you study to revise and refresh your dive theory as much as you can before you start your IDC.
Once you make your deposit we will give you access to some great eLearning tools designed by us and by PADI to help focus your revision. If you run into any difficulty we are just an email or WhatsApp call away to help answer your questions.
PADI’s Instructor Development Course includes a mandatory eLearning portion. That way you get necessary background information before your IDC so that the time you spend with Angel and Jo is more effective. Once you sign up with The Go Pro Family we will give you your digital PADI IDC Crewpack so that you can start your eLearning straight away.
Other things you need to know
You will need to have a current medical certificate completed by a doctor to confirm that you are fit to dive. We can send you the appropriate form in your chosen language for you and your doctor to complete. It must be completed no more than 12 months prior to your Instructor Exam.
If you haven’t renewed your PADI membership since becoming a Divemaster, no worries. You don’t need to do this if you don’t plan to work as a Divemaster before starting your IDC.
After you sign up for your IDC with The Go Pro Family we will be in touch regularly to ensure that you are progressing well and to help you plan for this important step in your diving career.
For more information on how you can prepare for your IDC, read our blog post
What People Say
" I enjoyed the process of becoming a dive instructor with this family. Jo, our course director, she guided us throughout with professionalism and care. Jo, Angel and Moy, are the best team/family 🤙🏻. Thanks for all the efforts, for sharing your experience and knowledge with us, and for all the support. Undoubtedly my idc was beyond expected, was one the best experience so far in my diving career. "
So what’s next?
What are you waiting for? Join The Go Pro Family for a comprehensive and expert-led PADI Instructor Development Course in Mexico. Your diving career success starts here.
For more information on our IDC prices, seasonal special offers, or to ask your questions to our PADI Course Directors, hit the button below and send us a message.
