PADI Assistant Instructor
The Moment You Go From Diver to Educator.
This is where you start teaching. As a PADI Assistant Instructor, you're working directly alongside our instructors — teaching lessons, running skill sessions, evaluating students — as the next real step toward becoming a full PADI Instructor. If Divemaster was leading dives, this is leading classes.
Why Go For It?
- You're teaching, for real. Run academic presentations, evaluate student skills, and independently teach certain specialty courses on your own.
- It's the next rung to Instructor. AI is the first half of the full Instructor Development Course (IDC) — finish OWSI after this and you're eligible for the Instructor Exam.
- Mentored the whole way. You train directly alongside a PADI Course Director, learning to teach by actually teaching.
- More responsibility, more opportunity. AI-qualified pros get first consideration for shop teaching roles and paid work.
What You'll Need
- Current PADI Divemaster certification (or qualifying cert from another agency)
- 18 years or older, certified diver for at least 6 months
- 60 logged dives, including documented deep, night, and navigation dives
- Emergency First Response (Primary + Secondary Care) within the last 24 months
- Physician-signed medical clearance (last 12 months)
Not quite there yet? We can help you close the gap — talk to us about finishing your Divemaster and dive count first.
How It Works at 20K
Offered twice a year, as a focused 2-week intensive:
- Weeknight classroom, Mon–Fri, 5:30–8:30 PM — knowledge development, teaching presentations, and how to actually run a class
- Both weekends — confined-water and open-water teaching practice, rescue assessment, and real candidate presentations
- Final evaluation on the closing Sunday
What You'll Actually Do
- Build and deliver knowledge-development presentations
- Evaluate Open Water students' surface skills
- Run confined-water and open-water teaching sessions
- Complete a rescue skills assessment
- Learn to independently teach Peak Performance Buoyancy and Project AWARE
Why Train With Us
- In-house PADI Course Director — direct, hands-on mentorship from the top of the PADI ladder
- The full pathway, on-site — go straight into OWSI and the IDC when you're ready, no need to go elsewhere
- Gear's included, nothing extra to chase down
- Local training, on a real schedule — not a rushed program overseas
- VA-approved — supports students using VA educational benefits
Ready to Start Teaching?
Contact us for prerequisites, upcoming AI start dates, and current pricing.
