Become A PADI Course Director (CD) with Indepth

The PADI Course Director (CD) Qualification

As mentioned, the PADI Course Director (CD) qualification is the highest Instructor Rating in the PADI System of Diver Education. Because of this it takes time and determination to get the chance to apply for acceptance into a CDTC. Consequently PADI Course Directors hold the highest and most respected professional rating in recreational scuba diving.

Course Directors are Instructor Trainers who conduct PADI Instructor Development Courses. As such, they now have the appropriate qualifications meaning they can also teach other PADI Instructor Training. Because of this they are among the dive industry’s most influential opinion leaders and role models. Those PADI Instructors who join this elite group of Dive Professionals pass through a stringent screening process. This examines their experience and training to date. This competitive and demanding Course Director Training Course (CDTC) is conducted twice a year by PADI. At the time of writing, CDTCs are conducted in either Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia or The Dominican Republic.

During the PADI CDTC you learn how to teach PADI Instructor Development programs and hence gain experience in developing PADI Instructors. PADI CDTCs are conducted by a mixture of PADI Office Staff from all over the World.

PADI CDTC Completed?

Once you have successfully completed the course you will therefore be qualified to teach the following PADI courses and programs:

• The PADI Instructor Development Courses (IDCs) and PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) programs.
• PADI IDC Staff Instructor Course.
• Conduct PADI Status Updates.
• After certification as a PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer, you can also teach PADI Specialty Instructor Courses.
• Once you have completed a PADI Rebreather Instructor Course; teach a variety of PADI Rebreather Courses and programs.

Currently the prerequisites for applying for acceptance on a Course Director Training Course are as follows:

• First of all to be a renewed, teaching status PADI Master Instructor for at least the past six months.
• And have no verified Quality Assurance complaints for at least the past 12 months.
• You will have conducted all PADI certification courses and also experience programs using methods consistent with PADI.
• Standards and philosophy as outlined in the PADI Instructor Manual for at least the past 12 months
• You must have exclusively use the complete PADI System of diver education. This includes all appropriate PADI training materials for at least the past 12 months.
• Be certified as a PADI IDC Staff Instructor.
• Must have also staffed at least two complete PADI IDCs after being certified as a PADI IDC Staff Instructor.
• Certified as a current Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer.
• Have experience working with a PADI Dive Shop or Dive Resort.
• You must have a minimum of 250 logged dives.
• Furthermore you must meet all other requirements as specified by PADI at the time of application.

Because the latest requirements are subject to change please contact PADI directly for final confirmation ...