Qualify As A Scuba Instructor Course

An unrivalled opportunity to ditch the day job and work anywhere in the world! Life is good as a diving instructor, we should know we have several on our staff at Xtreme Gap Year. In fact you could say that we diving nuts, so you have our full support and expertise if you are planning the ultimate career move into becoming a diving instructor. Our Zero to hero course qualifies you for very basic all the way through to full blown PADI pro.

Dive Instructor Highlights

• Train and then gain your PADI dive instructor Qualification
• Guaranteed success or your IE fee back &  for free.
• Work all over the world with the ocean as your office
• Completely overhaul your lifestyle!
• All your dive training through to Instructor
• Course materials and pack included
• Transfer to Playa del Carmen from Cancun
• All Accommodation included

 Great Reasons To Do Your IDC In Mexico

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Instructor Development Course Mexico

It is a pretty good life style you have as a Scuba Instructor and it is very rewarding too! You help people overcome their fear and make them feel really proud. Imagine having happy students around you every day. Of course the view from the office is pretty tough, usually the worlds best beach resorts, yes it is a tough life, but someone has to do it.

Why The Mexico IDC Scuba Dive Instructor Course?

One of the top reasons is the location itself. The diving in Mexico is fantastic. Crystal clear waters, fresh water Cenotes and the cool environment of Playa del Carmen is a great reason to study here.

Once you are qualified it is a great place to look for work whether that be in the multiple resorts along the Yucatán Peninsula or even hopping over to other countries in the Caribbean, like Costa Rica Belize Honduras you name it.  You can hop on a short low-cost flight to your first available job opportunity.

Our partners run the only PADI CDC facility in Mexico, we believe it is one of the top rated IDC centres in the region and one of the best in the world. We cherry pick only the best course directors, and facilities to run our IDC’s (which is why you will only find a limited number on the entire Xtreme Gap Year website).

Xtreme’s high standards come about through the experience of our staff many of whom have completed IDC’s and have worked as dive instructors for a combined total of over 20 years. Simply put we know what makes a good IDC, and we know what makes a good location. Our priority is to deliver excellent training in a fun environment that will set you up in your SCUBA dive career with as little hassle as possible.

On the Mexico IDC not only will you get first-class education, you will also get a lot of support after you have been successful in your exams. Our aim is to help place you in jobs and give you the support you need.

The IDC is fully comprehensive and gives you much more.

PADI recommends a seven day IDC course prior to doing your SCUBA dive instructor examination. So we do a 14 day course – double the recommended to provide ample experience in time necessary to cover you in all of your modules. This includes a two-day EFR instructor module so you know you are going to be very proficient during your IE examination.

Guaranteed Success Or Your Retakes Are On Us.

We have one of the highest pass rates in the region. With pass rate in the high 90s you can be confident that once you commit to getting your SCUBA dive instructor course with us in Mexico, that is exactly what you will do. So much so we offer a guarantee that if you do not pass your exams first time we will refund you your PADI IE exam fees.

Not only will we refund your PADI IE exam fees, we will allow you to complete your full IDC course again no extra charge. This is completely unique and no other IDC program offers this guarantee. Why do we do it? Because we are confident that you will pass as pass rate is 99%.

We train people from all over the world.

There are multiple different nationalities that go to make up the Xtreme team, and we support our clients in multiple languages. Although the exam and courses run in English, there are multilingual support staff available in other languages as well.

We are highly established in the region and have a great employment network after the course.

Obviously nothing is guaranteed in terms of jobs, you have to go out there and find the work, but we are able to assist you greatly in finding that first employment opportunity. We work with multiple dive centres in Riviera Maya and Cozumel region and you are a short distance to a multitude of other global popular diving spots.

PADI IDC E-learning Option

If you want to start learning prior to travelling we can also set you up with the PADI IDC e-learning option. Please note this is an extra service and not included in the price. These fees will be paid to PADI directly.

How do you become a  Scuba Instructor? Complete Your  Mexico IDC

If you are a complete novice in diving it will take you 7 months to train up to become a dive instructor, but is a pretty awesome 7 months. If however you have not had pre-dive experience please to think long and hard about this (see below).

Becoming A SCUBA Dive Instructor – Before you start

There are usually two types of people that think about becoming a SCUBA dive instructor. Those who already have an existing dive qualification, and others who are toying with the idea because they like the idea of a career change.

If you do not already have an existing dive qualification (open water) then it is best that you contact us first to discuss your options. It is a huge commitment becoming a SCUBA dive instructor financially, as the IDC pre-required courses do not come cheap -and that’s just the courses you also have to factor in living costs prior to starting.

There are a whole host of things that you should consider prior to starting and we are able to talk you through your options from the point of view of experience. Many of our staff hold scuba-diving instructor qualifications and have completed their IDC’s. So if you want a genuine insight into what it is like to be a diving instructor and what is required to pass exams then get in touch on e-mail.

Doing Your Mexico IDC Scuba Dive Instructor Course The Process.

To become a SCUBA dive instructor and work anywhere in the world, you need to complete your instructor development course aka your IDC. The instructor development course will cover all the theory and practical modules and learning you need to undertake prior to doing your IE (instructor exam). The instructor exam is overseen by an examiner from the accrediting organisation usually PADI although it is possible to gain instructor qualifications from other agencies such as SSI. The course director who runs the instructor development course (IDC) is just responsible for getting you up to the level where you will pass your instructor exam. For this reason instructor exam fees are not usually included in the cost of IDC’s as the instructor exam fees go directly to PADI.

Prerequisites to becoming a SCUBA dive instructor

Obviously you need to be able to dive, but officially you need to have six months from the initial first SCUBA diving qualification to the dates you start your instructor exam. This means you need to gain experience which is good for the students and obviously good for you as well.

There are several qualifications you will need to go through prior to starting your SCUBA dive instructor course.

• Open water
• Advanced open water
• Rescue and EFR
• Divemaster

You can then regain your OWSI or open water scuba diver instructor certification. The above are based on the PADI system and is generally interchangeable with other systems such as SSI.

Pre-requisite checklist

• You must hold a PADI Divemaster certification or equivalent.
• Have 96 logged dives that include experience in night, deep and navigation diving to participate in the PADI Instructor Development Course. You’ll need 100 logged dives to take the Instructor Exams.
• Have CPR and First Aid training within the last 24 months.
• Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months
• age: 18+

The IDC

The IDC takes place in the pool, open ocean and classroom. Usually run once a month they are done in a group with a course director overseeing the training. The IDC’s are almost always followed directly by the IE and upon completion you can then start to look for a SCUBA dive instructor job.¡

Training & Course Break Down

If you have no prior diving certifications you start of with your PADI open water certificate, this will take you about 4 days. After that you do your advanced open water which will take you 2 days. Then the more serious work starts and we will take you through the rescue course and your EFR. The Divemaster follows then the IDC.

• Open Water
• Advanced Open Water
• Emergency First Response (First Aid)
• Rescue Diver Certificate
• Divemaster
• EFR Instructor
• Open Water Scuba Instructor Development Course (The IDC)
• The Instructor Exams (fees not included)

Pre IDC: The Divemaster

The Divemaster internship is where you gain most of your commercial experience in the dive industry.  This is also the point where you really develop those necessary dives and gain experience underwater.  Remember to complete your IDC you need 96 logged dives, if you were to do this by the traditional route of paying fit each dive individually this would cost you a lot more.  During the Divemaster course you will be diving a lot, and through experience learn about how to react to and deal with multiple situations underwater.  This could be whilst diving with clients or reacting to situations involving yourself only.

Are The Instructor Exam Fees Included?

No, unfortunately they are not. It is pretty expensive to become a Diving instructor, but ultimately worth it. The IDC (abbreviation for Instructor development course) includes the required training both practical and theory with a qualified course director, to get you up to the standards needed to pass the Instructor Examination. The Price of the programme covers the IDC (It also covers the accommodation and diving costs and course learning materials as well), but not the examination fees.

Think of it like learning to drive, you are paying for the lessons, and instruction. The instructor examination fee is just that, it is the fee paid to PADI to sit and mark the exams. They send out their own examiners to mark you and certify you ensuring you are up to standards. The fee is the same regardless of where you sit the exam as these are set down by PADI based in North America.

So please note you will need to budget at least $849 USD on top of the fee to Xtreme Gap to cover the extras. This is however guaranteed, in the unlikely event that you fail your instructor exam we will refund you your fees or put you through your course again so that you pass.

Trip Frequently Asked Questions

Price in GBP

Padi Fees:  $849 USD on top of the fee to Xtreme Gap Year. This is however guaranteed, in the unlikely event that you fail your instructor exam we will refund you your fees or put you through your course again so that you pass.

Once you have passed your IE and get your certification you can then start earning and living abroad.

Dates

The instructor development course runs once every two months on the following dates. Which means you need to start your full training programme (from advanced open water)  seven weeks prior to the IDC Dates listed below. If you are starting from a higher level of qualification for example rescue Divemaster the overall course duration will be less at one week per course.

IDC Start Dates: Jan 23rd, March 6th, April 24th, June 5th, August 7th, Sep 11th, Oct 16th, Nov 21st

Please contact us and we will customise the start date for you based on your travel plans.