Upon successful completion of the Assistant Instructor Course (AI), individuals will obtain a PADI Assistant Instructor qualification. Advancement beyond this stage involves attending an Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program, which grants access to an Instructor Examination (IE) and allows candidates to acquire a full PADI Instructor rating.

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Dive professionals who already hold an instructor rating from another diver training organization may be directly eligible for enrollment in the OWSI program. This acknowledges their previous instructor training and provides a streamlined pathway to becoming a PADI Instructor.

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​Prerequisite

• 18 years old

• 60 logged dives

• Certified diver for six months

• Documented experience in night diving, deep diving and underwater navigation

• PADI Assistant Instructor, or current instructor member in good standing (eligible to renew*) with another recreational diver training organization for at least six months

• Medical clearance attesting to dive fitness signed by a physician within the previous 12 months

• Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care course completion (or qualifying training) within the last 24 months

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Academic

• PADI Standards and Procedures for courses you can teach with in water workshops

• Learning, Instruction and the PADI System

• Risk Management and Diver Safety

• The Business of Diving and your role as an instructor

• Marketing Diving and Sales Counseling