Specialty Instructor Training
– The possibilities are (almost) endless –
Taking the next step in your professional training and becoming a PADI Specialty Instructor, or MSDT, will give you a more varied dive career. It will allow you to explore your own passions, giving you greater job satisfaction.
After taking your IDC and becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor you are certified to teach PADI’s core courses and programs. You can also automatically teach three Specialties (Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project AWARE, and Coral Reef Conservation). That’s great, but did you know that there exist over 30 PADI Specialty Courses (plus other Distinctive Specialties) in dedicated dive topics for which you can also become an instructor?
What are your diving passions?
Do you appreciate diving into history and exploring shipwrecks? Or do you love the feeling of flying over the reef while drift diving and want to share with others how much fun it can be? Do you want to raise awareness of marine debris and activate the inner citizen scientist in all your divers?
Whatever you are passionate about, being able to teach others who share those interests is part of what makes being a PADI Instructor one of the best jobs in the world.
On this page we will give you all the information you need to know about becoming a PADI Specialty Instructor, as follows:
What is involved in the PADI Specialty Instructor courses?
How can you become a PADI Specialty Instructor?
Which Specialty Instructor Training Courses does The Go Pro Family offer?
What’s the price of the Specialty Instructor Training Courses?
What is involved in the PADI Specialty Instructor courses?
After every Instructor Development Course (IDC) we offer a number of other Specialty Instructor training courses run by one or both of our PADI Course Directors. The courses include some classroom/workshop based sessions where the course standards and theory are looked at, as well as other practical aspects of marketing and teaching the course. If the particular specialty has dives, the instructor course will also include dives so that the candidate can get familiar with the course performance requirements as well as the planning and preparation side of things.
All of our IDCs include the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty Instructor training course.
How can you become a PADI Specialty Instructor?
The two common ways are Method One – taking a course with a Course Director, and Method Two – self certification.
Method One – training course with a Course Director
We would recommend Method One for the majority of PADI Specialties, and there are a number of benefits of doing this. Firstly, you are guided through the different aspects of teaching the specialties. You will get tips and assistance from experienced instructors to give you the confidence to teach a great course that both you and your students will enjoy. Also, you don’t need any teaching experience to apply via Method One. That means you can take the course during or straight after your IDC. Also, the PADI application fee is less than if your apply via Method Two.
You don’t need to hold the student level specialty to apply via Method One (except for Nitrox, Ice, Self Reliant and Cavern*). The only other requirement is to have 10 logged dives in that specialty area.
Method Two – Self certification
Before you can apply via Method Two you need to have 25 PADI student certifications, and 20 dives in the area of that specialty. There’s also a longer list of specialties where you need to hold the student level specialty before applying. Also, the PADI Application fee is more expensive.
* To apply to be a PADI Cavern Specialty Instructor, you need to have a Full Cave Diver certification from a recognized agency.
What is a PADI MSDT?
The PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) rating sets you apart as a dive instructor who takes continuing education seriously and is committed to teaching a variety of courses. Potential employers like this. Being an MSDT signifies that you’ve got the experience and certifications to offer all the training a diver needs to become a Master Scuba Diver – the ultimate recreational diver rating. A PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) is a PADI Instructor who holds five PADI Specialty Instructor ratings (in addition to the PPB, Project AWARE & Coral Reef Conservation mentioned above), and who has at least 25 PADI student certifications).
With each of our PADI IDCs, we offer a MSDT Prep Program where we offer five specialty instructor training courses in some of the most popular areas (see below)
You can begin teaching these specialties to your divers as soon as you hold rating – you don’t need to wait until you have the 25 student certifications. However, once you do have those 25 certifications you can then apply for the MSDT status. This rating is the next step up the professional ladder and is a prerequisite for IDC Staff Instructor course.
Which Specialty Instructor Training Courses are offered?
At The Go Pro Family, we primarily offer the following five specialty instructor training courses as part of our MSDT Prep Program in Playa del Carmen:
Deep Diver; Wreck Diver; Enriched Air (Nitrox); Equipment; and Drift.
We chose these specialties based on the popularity of the specialties in this particular area, and the value to be gained from taking these courses with an experienced PADI Course Director. If you are planning to stay and work in the Riviera Maya then these will be excellent specialties to offer at your dive shop.
But these are not the only PADI Specialty Instructor training courses that we offer. If you are interested in teaching a specialty that we haven’t mentioned let us know. Also, we might offer other specialty instructor training courses if we are teaching IDCs outside of Playa del Carmen.
What’s the price of the Specialty Instructor Training Courses?
The price varies depending on the specialty, how many you want to take, and if you are taking the MSDT Prep package with other IDC candidates. Get in touch with us and let us know your plans so that we can give you all the information you need.
Even more possibilities!
Although not classed as PADI Specialties, there are additional training courses that you can take in specialized fields of recreational diving such as Freediving, Cave Diving, and Tec Diving. Having the skills and knowledge required for these certifications can be helpful to your dive career, as well as being a lot of fun and interesting! And if you get hooked, you can also think about becoming an Instructor in these fields. Just contact us and we can help you on your way.
If you are not yet a PADI Instructor and looking for a bespoke package to include your IDC, EFR Instructor and MSDT Prep get in touch with us. Let us know what your diving passions are and where you plan to work after becoming an Instructor and we will give you our suggestions
