Some years in the past, I used to be congratulating a passionate diver buddy (I’ll name him “Harold”) for efficiently finishing the PADI Teacher Improvement Course (IDC) and Teacher Examination (IE). Since he’d advised me someday earlier that he didn’t wish to be an teacher, I requested him why he modified his thoughts.
“I didn’t,” mentioned Harold. “I nonetheless don’t wish to be an teacher. I really like aiding instructors as a result of I really like mentoring much less skilled divers. It’s actually rewarding to information somebody who’s having hassle studying one thing and watch them flip a weak point right into a power. I really like sharing my ardour for diving and the oceans. However instructing isn’t my factor.”
Seeing my puzzled expression, he went on, explaining he’d grow to be a PADI Divemaster so he may go on dive journeys to help throughout coaching and information licensed divers. He discovered nice pleasure and took immense satisfaction on this, he mentioned.
“After which someday, a starting diver – not but licensed – wanted some further apply within the ocean. However I couldn’t assist.”
“Why?”
“As a result of I wasn’t an teacher. The trainer needed to transfer on with the opposite college students, however that pupil hadn’t progressed sufficient for me to oversee alone. I get it – at that time, for security and instructing, it made complete sense that I’d have needed to be a PADI Open Water Scuba Teacher – however I used to be pissed off as a result of I knew I may have gotten that pupil caught up.”
Harold went on, relating quite a few related cases when he may have “assisted” extra successfully as a completely certified PADI Teacher – independently working with learners on talent growth, instructing diver specialties, stepping in when an teacher was sick and so forth.
“So actually, I turned a PADI Open Water Scuba Teacher so I generally is a higher assistant, mentor, and all-around dive buddy,” he concluded.
I convey up this story as a result of in my interactions with divers from world wide, I’ve discovered that Harold is hardly distinctive. Many devoted Ocean Torchbearers and eager divers don’t see themselves as instructors, but encourage nearly everybody they meet to grow to be divers and assist defend the ocean. A few of them grow to be PADI Divemasters with no intention of going farther, like Harold did. And like Harold, they usually discover themselves pissed off as a result of they will solely go up to now, after which one have to be a PADI Open Water Scuba Teacher. What makes Harold totally different is that he realized that he didn’t need to be “the” teacher, however may “help” even higher as a PADI Teacher.
If you happen to suppose alongside the identical traces – don’t suppose you wish to train, however wish to go on dive store outings to assist out, mentor, information, and many others. – speak to your PADI Dive Heart or Resort about changing into a PADI Open Water Scuba Teacher anyway. Making your self an “assistant on steroids” opens loads of doorways so you possibly can assist, mentor, information and many others., extra usually and extra successfully. However let me end the story.
Just a few months after changing into a PADI Open Water Scuba Teacher, divers who he’d helped throughout coaching began asking if he’d do PADI Superior Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, and different programs for them. At first, he politely declined and referred them to different instructors on the dive middle, however lastly relented for 3 who he’d grow to be nearer with. That labored out, so he did it once more. To make an extended story quick, he turned one of many dive middle’s hottest, most asked-for instructors, and genuinely loved instructing diving.
But in case you’d have requested him, Harold would’ve mentioned he nonetheless didn’t “train” diving. Moderately, he simply used the PADI System as the easiest way to share actually cool stuff about searching for journey and saving the ocean. He has made an enormous distinction in lots of people’s lives, and so far as I’m involved, he can name it something he desires.
Search journey. Save the ocean.
Dr. Drew Richardson
PADI President & CEO
