How to progress your dive career

Being a dive professional allows for a varied and stimulating career. It is full of deeply rewarding moments, and interesting and enriching challenges. We, as professionals, have the privilege of introducing new divers and sparking new passions in people; every day is different and every student is unique.

Once you have achieved your Instructor certification, you can teach all courses up to divemaster. Most new Instructors will spend the majority of their time teaching Open Water and Advanced courses. After a while, you may find yourself asking, what’s next and in need of some diversity.

The great thing about the diving industry is that there’s many options in career development. Not only will this create a more varied work life, but will look great on your CV. Whether you want to expand your teaching skills, gain recognition, or train the next generation of instructors, the PADI professional ladder gives you plenty of room to grow.

Let’s break down how you can progress in your diving career and what each step really means.

Step 1: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI)

After completing your Divemaster training, the next big step is the Instructor Development Course (IDC).  This is where you will learn how to teach diving, both safely and effectively. Once you pass the Instructor Examination (IE), you’ll be a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

With this certification, you will be able to teach core PADI courses, from Open Water to Divemaster, and where your diving career truly begins.

Prerequisites to start the IDC:

• 18 year old

• Divemaster certified

• 100 logged dives

• Certified diver for at least 6 months

Step 2: Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT)

Once you’ve taught a few courses, gained confidence and found your own teaching style, it’s a great time to open up your horizon with specialties.

A PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) can teach five or more specialty courses.

This is a fantastic certification to have: Specialties are very popular with students, so being able to teach them will expand your employment opportunities. It’s also a lot of fun; you get a more varied work life, can share more advanced skills and take divers on new adventures beyond the basics.

To become an MSDT, you’ll need:

• To be a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

• To hold at least five PADI Specialty Instructor ratings

• To have certified at least 25 PADI divers

Tip: The most popular specialties that boost employability include, Deep Instructor and Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor, but there are so many options to choose from!

Step 3: IDC Staff Instructor

If you love mentoring and want to help shape new instructors, this is the next exciting move and a fantastic addition to your CV. With this rating, you are showing your employer that you have invested in your ambition and are willing to progress and develop your career.

The PADI IDC Staff Instructor rating allows you to certify Assistant Instructors as well as assist Course Directors during the IDC. You will gain a deeper understanding of how instructors are trained and how to teach the teachers!

It’s a respected position in the diving community; perfect for those who enjoy the educational side of diving and want to give back by guiding new professionals.

To become a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, you need:

• To be a PADI MSDT

• Audit an entire IDC

• Pass all exams and presentations of the IDC

Step 4: Master Instructor

The PADI Master Instructor rating recognizes instructors who have shown exceptional experience and dedication to teaching. It’s a professional milestone, which shows a commitment to PADI, high quality teaching, safety, and the development of divers.

To become Master Instructor, you will need:

• To be a PADI IDC Staff Instructor

• To have issued at least 150 PADI certifications

• To have taught a range of courses, from entry-level to professional

• To have assisted in at least three IDCs

This level isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about consistent excellence. You’re not just teaching skills; you’re shaping confident, environmentally aware divers.

Step 5: PADI Course Director

This is the highest professional level in the PADI system — the people who train the instructors!

PADI Course Directors are responsible for conducting IDCs and guiding future instructors through one of the most transformative courses in diving. It’s a role that requires experience, leadership, and a true passion for education and the diving community.

Course Directors are selected through an application process and must attend a Course Director Training Course (CDTC) — a prestigious program that focuses on educational standards, psychology, and leadership.

If you’ve ever dreamed of shaping the next generation of dive professionals and leaving your mark on the industry, this is the pinnacle.

Keep growing through continuing education

In this industry, like every other, there is always room to grow. To keep things interesting and broaden your skills, you can choose to specialize in various other avenues: technical diving, freediving, or adaptive techniques. You can also choose to focus on marine conservation, promoting projects like Dive Against Debris or coral restoration programs.

The best dive professionals are lifelong learners — always curious, always improving, and always ready for the next challenge.

A diving career isn’t just about teaching; it’s about passion, community, and sharing the magic of the ocean with others. Every certification level brings new opportunities, new challenges, and new rewards.

So, whether you’re just getting started as a Divemaster or already planning your path to Course Director, remember: every great instructor once took their first breath underwater and taught their first course too.