PADI Master Instructor (MI) Rating
Be recognized as one of the elite PADI Scuba Diving Educators: PADI Master Instructor.
PADI Master Instructors personify the true “PADI Dive Pro.” Achieving the PADI Master Instructor demonstrates not only a thorough understanding of the PADI System, but also by showing that they have used your knowledge and skills. This is shown by the prerequisite experience necessary to even apply for PADI Master Instructor.
To be a PADI Master Instructor you must have certified at least 150 PADI Divers. Not only do you need the certifications, but the certifications must be in a complete cross-section of all areas of the PADI system. Hence you are going to need lots of Con Ed not only entry-level certs.
Thus PADI Master Instructors are dive industry leaders who help to shape the development of future dive courses and the Dive Industry itself.
- Duration: N/A
- Pre-requisites: See Course Details
- Minimum Age: 18
- Availability: N/A
- Group Size: N/A
- Personal Tuition: N/A
PADI Master Instructor (MI)
The PADI Master Instructor Rating is a unique Instructor Rating in the Dive Industry. This is because the PADI Master Instructor (MI) rating can only be attained through real life experience, and not by simply taking a course. It takes time, (a minimum of 2 years), and dedication, (the number and variety of courses you need to have taught), to be in a position to be able to even apply for MI.
What does it take?
The following are the current PADI Master Instructor Rating prerequisites:
- Be a current PADI IDC Staff Instructor.
- You need to have been a PADI Instructor for a minimum if 2 years.
- In addition be a current Emergency First Response Instructor.
- You must have participated in at least 3 PADI Seminars.
- And need to have issued at least 150 PADI certifications.
- You must have certified at least 50 Continuing Education (Con Ed) Certifications. Con Ed is defined as PADI Adventure Diver Certification or higher. This must include: 15 Specialty Divers, 5 Rescue Divers, 5 Divemasters and 5 Assistant Instructors.
Some other ways to meet the 5 Assistant Instructor certification requirement are:
- You can Staff 2 entire PADI IDC programs.
- Or you Staff 1 entire IDC and certify 3 additional Assistant Instructors.
- No more than 75 Certs can be from Discover Scuba Diving credits.
- And no more than 25 can be from PADI Specialty Courses without dives. These are courses like The Equipment Specialist, Project AWARE, etc.
- In addition no more than 10 can be from PADI Seal Team or Master Seal Team registrations.
- Also, no more than 50 can be from IDC Staffing credits.
- You must also have issued 10 Emergency First Response Certifications.
- Show that you have used the complete PADI System of Diver Education. This includes all appropriate PADI training materials when conducting PADI programs.
- Additionally you must have issued PADI as the primary certification. And as such you must have conducted all PADI certification courses and experience programs using methods consistent with PADI Standards and philosophy. These are outlined in the PADI Instructor Manual and PADI’s Guide to Teaching.
- You must have no verified Quality Assurance violations within the past 6 months and no open Quality Assurance Inquiries.
- Finally you must have demonstrated support of the PADI organization in its efforts to establish programs in aquatic education and conservation.
PADI MASTER INSTRUCTOR: So you have almost reached the very top
So what is “higher” than the PADI Master Instructor Rating? There is only one really, that of PADI Course Director.
The PADI Course Director is the highest Instructor Rating in the PADI System of Diver Education. Consequently it is the most respected Recreational Scuba Diving Qualification in the Diving Industry today.
PADI Course Directors are PADI Instructor Trainers who are qualified to teach PADI Instructor Development Courses (IDCs.) In addition they can teach other PADI Instructor-level training such are Specialty Instructor Course and also PADI Rebreather Instructor courses. However remember you will need to have the appropriate training and qualifications in addition to that of PADI Course Director. For example a PADI Course Director can become a PADI Rebreather Instructor Trainer; however they would need to be a PADI Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Instructor prior to taking a PADI Rebreather Instructor Trainer. In this case they would actually also need to be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor and a PADI Nitrox Instructor.
The PADI Course Director Training Course (CDTC)
Once you have the necessary experience, you would then be eligible to apply to PADI for acceptance into a PADI Course Director Training Course (CDTC.) The CDTC Application Criteria changes very year based on what has been, and what will be happening in the PADI system of Diver Education. Please contact the Training Department of your Local PADI Area Office for the very latest details of the upcoming PADI Course Director Training Courses (CDTC.)
You will see that the more PADI Instructor Ratings you have, the larger the variety of courses that you have taught (above Entry Level), the more chance you have of being accepted into a CDTC.
As we keep saying: Rebreather diving is becoming more and more mainstream. As a result what was once a very “niche” and “hard core” diving specialty area, is now becoming simpler, safer, cheaper. And in turn Rebreather diving is becoming more and more popular. In fact it is very similar to how Nitrox changed from being "Technical" to "Recreational"20+ years ago.
REMEMBER: As a future PADI Course Director you need to be as up to date as possible, not only with PADI Courses, but also the Dive Industry worldwide.
BECOME A PADI REBREATHER INSTRUCTOR and stay one ahead of the rest ...
PADI Master Instructor Pricing:
Contact PADI for the latest pricing and requirements.
