The PADI dive instructor qualification standards are tough to surpass. For instance, if you decide to teach others how to dive, you must take a particular instructor training course and pass a certified PADI dive instructor examination. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is a professional diver training and recreational diving association founded in 1966 by Ralph Eller and John Cronin. With its aim to promote awareness of safe diving, it now has over 40 branches worldwide. The objective is to teach people how to perform their jobs safely. It also aims to protect the marine environment.
There are three sections to PADI instructor training; Open Water, Emergency First Response, and Knowledge Base Maintenance. You will need to complete each of these sections to be a certified PADI instructor. Open Water courses are offered worldwide. They cover everything from swimming skills and safety to diving equipment and hazards. In the Emergency First Response course, you will learn how to quickly and effectively use basic life support equipment and perform CPR. Finally, a Knowledge Base Maintenance course teaches you how to maintain diving equipment such as pressure regulators and air tanks.
As part of the PADI Instructor training, you will need to learn many things, including emergency procedures and what to do in case of a medical emergency. Some of the topics covered include breathing air compressors, opening dive valves, and checking the pressure in your air tank. Once you have completed the course, you will be sent home with a certificate that proves you are a qualified PADI dive instructor. You will also be given a card that you can display that states that you are a certified first aider. These cards are good for up to two years. After that, you will be required to take further advanced open diver and rescue diver courses.
Becoming a divemaster requires that you undergo an extensive physical and psychological test. The purpose of this exam is to determine if you have the physical and mental aptitude needed for the job of a divemaster. You will be expected to perform a certain number of dives and handle different types of divers safely and calmly. You will also have to demonstrate your diving abilities under pressure by performing up to 200 dives under simulated ocean and current conditions. Once you have passed and clear the test, you will be given your certificate and work as a divemaster or a full-time diver.