We tell our students to shoot for the black belt in scuba diving – Master Scuba Diver. We should do the same and become Master Scuba Diver Trainers (MSDT).
When you finish the IE you are ready to teach. You will teach the core courses in the system which are fun but may not include some of what you are really passionate about.
Getting together with your Course Director to learn specialties and pick up their experience and knowledge to make you better and have your students have even more fun is the way to go.
You will sit with your course director and go through the specialty instructor manual looking at standards, knowledge development, confined water if required, open water dives and marketing the course.
You will do an impromptu knowledge review session and then make the dives working through the performance requirements with other candidates.
The fun part here is that you pick the five PADI specialties that you are interested in teaching.
Some of the specialties have prerequisites in order to teach them such as Enriched Air but it's really easy to pick up that specialty along the way.
Many instructors working with Dive Centers will look to them for guidance as to which specialties to take which is great but remember to take some for yourself as well. The more tools in your toolbox the more fun you will have and the more money you can make.
Here at S.C.U.B.A, we intertwine the MSDT prep program throughout the IDC so duration is variable. Remember we can do only 3 training dives in a day as a student. Some of the specialties can be completed in a single dive while many require 2 dives.
Additional equipment is required for Specialty Instructor training based on what specialties you want to teach. Possible additions to your toolbox include:
Required Materials for MSDT prep programs
Recommended
See the IDC component for all required equipment and materials