PADI IDC Preparation: How to Get Ready for Instructor Training in the Philippines
The weeks before your Instructor Development Course can make a real difference. Arriving with refreshed theory, familiar equipment and organised paperwork gives you more attention to spend on the most interesting part: learning how to help other people learn to dive. You do not need to arrive as a finished instructor. That is what the training is for.
Start with your paperwork
Before booking travel, send us your certification history, logged-dive total and first-aid training dates. PADI’s published IDC prerequisites include a qualifying leadership certification, at least six months as a certified diver, 60 logged dives to begin and 100 to attend the Instructor Examination. You also need recent CPR and first-aid training and a physician-signed medical statement within the required validity period. We can help you check the requirements against your intended course dates.
Refresh theory in manageable sessions
Avoid leaving all your revision until the flight. Work through one topic at a time: physics, physiology, equipment, dive planning and the diving environment. Use your course materials, answer practice questions and write down anything you cannot explain clearly. When a calculation goes wrong, find the step you misunderstood. Memorising a result is much less useful than understanding how you reached it.
Practise being easy to watch
A skill you perform comfortably for yourself may still be difficult for a student to follow. During supervised practice, focus on clear positioning, an unhurried sequence and visible key steps. Ask an instructor for feedback rather than assuming that faster means better. Your buoyancy and awareness of the people around you matter throughout the demonstration.
Give yourself room to settle in
Check your equipment before departure and bring the documents and materials requested by the training team. If your schedule allows, arrive with time to rest, organise your kit and become familiar with the centre. Let us know which parts of your diving feel strongest and where you want support. A useful preparation plan starts with an honest picture of your experience.
Plan your next step
Explore our IDC schedule, then send your current certification level, dive count and preferred dates. We will help you work out what to complete before travelling and what can fit into your training plan in Dauin.
Frequently asked questions
Should I revise before starting the IDC?
Yes. Refreshing theory and reviewing your learning materials before arrival lets you spend more course time developing teaching skills. Tell us which topics need attention so we can discuss suitable preparation.
Do I need 100 dives to start?
PADI publishes 60 logged dives as the minimum to start the IDC and 100 to attend the IE. Meet the other prerequisites too, and confirm your eligibility with the team before making travel arrangements.
What should I send when enquiring?
Send your certification level, logged dives, first-aid training date and preferred course dates. Include any areas where you would like extra practice.
View our PADI IDC schedule or explore our professional diving courses in the Philippines. Email ask@scubainstructor.info with your experience and preferred dates.
See PADI’s published IDC prerequisites and confirm the current requirements for your course with our team.
