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Are you ready to become a TDI Instructor Trainer?

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What it Means, What it Takes, and Where to Begin

by Jon Kieren

TDI Instructor Trainers (IT) are viewed in the industry as the most knowledgeable, experienced, and talented dive educators. They are considered the top of the top or the crème of the crop.

Why is that?

TDI strongly believes that in order to train instructors at their highest level, an educator needs to have real world experience diving and teaching at that level. Once a TDI Instructor gains the requisite diving and teaching experience, they will need to prove themselves in an Instructor Trainer Workshop, conducted by either a World HQ Training Department staff member or an HQ appointed Instructor Trainer Evaluator.

How can I gain experience and why is it so important?  

It is simple – dive and teach. Learning does not happen by osmosis; an IT or IT Evaluator cannot teach all of the hard lessons that come from years of experience in a few days. An Instructor Trainer will rely on their time, efforts, and experience of diving and teaching when training and evaluating instructor candidates. Having this necessary experience will allow the IT to focus on the critical components of the given subject; while the instructor candidate will fine-tune their rhythm with teaching and techniques based on their own experiences in the future.

Teaching professional level courses as a TDI IT

A TDI Instructor Trainer will be working with already experienced instructors; creating TDI Instructors is much more than “ticking the boxes” when a candidate reads the correct line off a PowerPoint or out of the Instructor Guide. A qualified TDI IT will be far more focused on the content of what is presented, as well as the candidate’s ability to maintain control over their student divers in very unforgiving environments.

Am I qualified to become a TDI IT?

For a complete list of the prerequisites to enter the Instructor Trainer Workshop, and certification count requirements for individual TDI IT ratings, please reference the standards listed on the course description page here.

What is the TDI Instructor Trainer Workshop actually like?

The Instructor Trainer Workshop is an intensive 8 day program which covers a wide variety of topics from the business of diving and dive leader risk management to methods of instruction. Candidates will work directly with World HQ Training Department staff to develop and hone their instructor evaluation techniques. And because we believe in leading by example, IT candidates are expected to demonstrate their ability to perform everything that they will expect from their instructor candidates at IT level quality. That includes academic presentations, in-water presentations, demonstrations, and everyone’s favorite, the watermanship requirements. Successful completion of the Instructor Trainer Workshop is a major accomplishment, and will prepare TDI Instructors to conduct instructor level training at the highest levels in the industry.

To get started, please submit your ITW application to the training department at training@tdisdi.com for review.  If you have any questions, please contact World HQ or your Regional Office for more information.

To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.

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From its humble beginning in 1994 to today, the group of training agencies Scuba Diving International (SDI), Technical Diving International (TDI), and Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) form one of the largest diving certification agencies in the World – International Training. With 24 Regional Offices servicing more than 100 countries, the company today far exceeds the original vision the founders had when they conceived the idea on a napkin, sitting at a kitchen table in the early 1990’s.

Blogs

Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire

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idc

Dive Friends teaches the Instructor Development Course (IDC) several times a year to students who are eager to share their passion for diving with the world.

Dive Friends is known for the personal approach throughout the course. Their in-house course director will lead the students through every essential step, mentoring them to achieve their fullest potential as a dive instructor.

Applications for the following IDC start dates are now open:

  • 12 April
  • 5 July,
  • 20 September
  • 29 November

Partnership with Casita Palma

If the student opts for the IDC-Deluxe or IDC-Supreme package, their accommodation will be arranged for them at Casita Palma. This small and quiet resort is within walking distance from Dive Friends Bonaire’s main dive shop location and has everything you need to relax after an intense day of IDC training. Breakfast is included, so the student will always be fuelled and ready for their day.

Contact Dive Friends Bonaire’s Course Director Eddy for more information: coursedirector@divefriendsbonaire.com.

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Scubility: Achieving Success through Adaptability

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Introduction to Scubility

Being a scuba diving professional, I am always fascinated by the beauty of the underwater world, filled with colorful coral and a variety of marine species. Every dive site around the world has something unique to offer, attracting the diving community to immerse themselves time and time again. The feeling of being underwater is a unique experience, akin to being in space, where you can escape Earth’s gravity to enjoy the freedom of movement. However, water sports are often believed to be accessible only to those with good physical strength, leaving others to only dream of being there.

The Genesis of Scubility

Scubility was developed as a way to help people with disabilities experience the magic of scuba diving or snorkeling. A few years back we became involved in the SDI Scubility program as a way to use our diving experience and knowledge to bring disabled people beneath the ocean. To empower them with a feeling where they can forget their disability and limitations. The image of a Wheelchair Hero from the movie ‘AVATAR’, who could walk and run only in dreams, was the first seed of the idea for a local Scubility program.

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Launching the Scubility Course

Since 2014, my friend has dedicated himself to helping disabled people. Knowing that I am an SDI/TDI Instructor Trainer, he called upon me to help bring them into the world of scuba diving. Captivated by this idea, I decided to offer a special diving course adapted for disabled people: the SDI Scubility Course. The sole purpose was to bring happiness and a feeling of belonging back to our precious disabled students, by giving them an immersive experience under the sea. Perhaps, the mother ocean has a way of treating us all equally, to rebuild confidence and give hope of being alive.

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Adapting Diving for All Abilities

Initially, most Scubility divers in our programs were wheelchair users. The main challenge was to design a unique technique suitable for each Scubility diver, based on their limitations. To do so, we set up a protocol keeping in mind all the scenarios that could arise during diving, starting from boarding the boat, to diving, and the communication signals during the dive. Training was also provided to volunteer participants, mostly instructors and assistant divers.

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The Scubility Program in Action

In the last four events, we have enrolled many Scubility divers in the program. We also have a team of trained instructors and assistants; without them, this wouldn’t be possible. The main objective was to make safe and comfortable diving experiences for Scubility students. In fact, in the last Scubility program, which concluded in March 2023, we included a blind diver along with six other Scubility divers. We also had 8 instructors and more than 10 assistant participants to make this possible.

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The main challenge for blind divers is to set up a communication signal. So, I designed a unique ‘touch signal’ for blind students where they just need to touch an arm to convey a message. For example, when an instructor touches your arm twice, it means he is asking, “Are you okay?”. In case of any emergency during the dive, the blind diver just needs to squeeze the arm of the instructor to get his attention to solve the problem. For each Scubility diver, there were at least two personnel, an instructor, and an assistant, assigned.

Impact and Emotions of Scubility

The most satisfying experience of this program was to see Scubility divers happy, with emotional, teary eyes. I could imagine that probably for the first time, or perhaps the only time, some of them could walk, stand, and move again underwater without a wheelchair, feeling alive again. Seeing a courageous Scubility diver overcoming all challenges and obstacles to make it possible definitely inspires me to organize more events like this.

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“Scuba Diving for All” Event

The biggest local Scubility program, named “Scuba Diving for All,” was organized in Khao Lak, Phang-nga Province, south of Thailand, from October 30 to November 5, 2018. We invited international Scubility participant divers for this event. Leading up to this program, we put in lots of effort, preparing hotels and resorts in a friendly design, making sure of choosing good dive sites, and above all, to bring a smile to our precious Scubility students.

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I hope that this endeavor will serve as an inspiration for people worldwide to achieve what may seem impossible, while also raising awareness about the importance of charity and kindness in our society. I look forward to welcoming you soon to our joyful underwater realm.

As an SDI TDI & Scubility IT, Dan Phutthakhun Prungkananon, owner of All Star Diving Academy located in Thailand, has a deep-rooted passion for ensuring safety and fun in the water. Keep up with Dan and the All Star Diving Academy via Instagram  or Facebook and by checking out their Dive Center Facebook.

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