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Scuba Diving Instructor

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Education and Training cluster Teaching/Training pathway.

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Preparing for a career as a dive instructor starts with a love of the water, good people skills and making a lot of dives, says Shaun Pipes. He is a marine biologist who also moonlights as a dive instructor.

"Talk to the people already in the job," he says. "It's a very communication-oriented career. The people you teach are putting their lives in your hands. It's absolutely essential you understand your job, their abilities and their fears."

In order to advance to the level of scuba diving instructor, students must complete several levels of training. These vary depending on the organization doing the training. Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) categories include:

  • Open water diver: Certified to complete dives down to 60 feet. No night dives.
  • Advanced open water diver: Certified to complete dives down to 130 feet. Can do night dives, navigation dives and search and rescue dives.
  • Rescue diver: Requirements include first aid and CPR training.
  • Divemaster: Necessary underwater work includes "buddy breathing" and handling gear. Have to pass written tests on diving principles, physics and chemistry.
  • Instructor: Must have 100 logged dives and go through an intense certification process, including written and dive tests.
  • Course director: Instructors who teach the instructors.

Most instructors take between three and five years to complete their training. It can be done in as little as 18 months if the courses, instruction and dive time is available.

"I've seen divers do it fairly quickly once they've been at it a year and had at least 100 logged dives," says professional diver Richard Hartley. "But I'd recommend taking your time through the levels. Get lots of experience diving."

Instructors also recommend that divers learn as many specialties as possible to enhance their career opportunities.

"The more things you can do, the more ways you can make money diving," Hartley says. "It also makes you more employable."

All divers must have CPR training to advance to upper levels.

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