Become a PADI Professional

The PADI Master Scuba Diver rating is a recreational diving achievement. It’s the “black belt” of scuba diving. Divemaster is the first step on the professional ladder and a prerequisite to becoming a scuba instructor. Both are a major achievement, but for different reasons.

If you’re at least 18 years old, have 40 logged dives, hold a Rescue Diver (or equivalent certification) and proof of Emergency First Response (or equivalent CPR and first aid training) within the past 24 months, you can complete the PADI Divemaster course in as a little as two weeks.

Some divers prefer to complete their divemaster training a little at a time and may take six months or more to finish. As with all PADI courses, the timeline is up to you.

View more information about prerequisites and what’s involved in becoming a divemaster.

If you’re already a PADI Divemaster (or hold a leadership-level certification with another training agency), you can become a PADI Instructor in about 11 days. Or, you can complete your training gradually over a series of weekends.

During your instructor course you will complete independent study using the IDC eLearning materials (it takes about 10-12 hours to complete) while spending several days (minimum 6 days) practicing teaching presentations, completing workshops and perfecting your dive skills together with your PADI Course Director. A final step is to attend and pass the PADI Instructor Examination (IE) which takes place over two consecutive days.

You’ll need at least 100 logged dives to start the IDC and proof of Emergency First Response (or equivalent CPR and first aid training) within the past 24 months. If you don’t already have these things, your training time may be longer. View a complete list of prerequisites to become a PADI Instructor.

As a dive professional, you’ll want to have all your basic scuba equipment, including a dive computer, a dive tool/knife, and at least two surface signaling devices. During practical exercises, like underwater mapping and search and recovery, you’ll use a compass, floats, marker buoys, lift bags and slates. Your PADI Instructor may suggest additional gear that will be useful throughout your diving career.

Check with your local dive center to get advice about everything you’ll need as a dive pro.

This is a challenging question to answer because PADI Pros work all over the world in a variety of jobs.

You might live and work on a liveaboard boat (where meals are included and you also have a place to live).
At a local dive shop, you might get paid extra for selling dive gear or repairing equipment.
Experienced scuba instructors with a captain’s license can make very good money working on a superyacht and teaching private classes.
It’s also important to consider the personal benefits of completing divemaster or dive instructor training. One of the most common things we hear from PADI Pros is how their training helped them succeed in the “real world.”

During the IDC, you’ll learn how to:

Break down complex information into simple concepts
Help people embrace new ideas by comparing them to things they already understand
Give feedback in a positive and supportive way
Appeal to people with different learning styles
Establish a positive learning environment
Polish your public speaking skills
Learn more about how becoming a PADI Instructor benefits you in the real world. Or, read up on the many (many) career options for PADI Pros including, marine biologist, underwater crime scene investigator, stunt person and underwater archeologist.

PADI Divemasters and Instructors have full access to the PADI Job Board and can search and apply for open positions anywhere in the world. This job board is updated daily with new opportunities posted by the global network of PADI dive shops and resorts.