What is Muck Diving?

Muck diving in Lombok is not that famous. When people hear about muck diving, people will think about Lembeh Strait and Bali in Indonesia or the Philippines. But Lombok has amazing muck dives sites. But what is muck diving and why is the diving so different comparing to “normal” scuba diving?

The term Muck Diving actually takes its name from the sediment that lies on the bottom. This can be a mix of sand, silt, and all kind of debris. The dive sites have large patches of rich volcanic black sand with small patches of life on it. It is not a reef full of coral with lots of reef fish. 

What kind of marine life?

Muck dive site are most of the times located in sheltered bays, places where the current cannot affect the eco system. The creatures and critters are interacting with the black volcanic sand and the thrifty coral bommies and are hiding from predators. Most likely divers can spot at these dive sites all kind of Frogfish, Shrimps, Nudibranch, Pipefish, and strange critters that are found nowhere else. 

Different kind of diving

After entering the water it will takes the eyes of the divers to adjust to the environment. Divers dont see reefs and reef fish, but volcanic sand where the creatures are hiding. 

Scuba diver should swim slowly and closely to the bottom searching for all these interesting creatures. The divers can use the “frog kick”. This is a way of kicking where the divers displace less as sand as possible.   Buoyancy is the most important skill of diving on muck dive sites. Divers don’t want to ruin the visibility of their buddies, but also not of their own dive.

Most likely if the divers are underwater photographers they want to go back to the dive site to make more pictures of all these special creatures.

Muck Diving around the Gili Islands

Kecinan (Frogfish Bay)

Kecinan is one of the most popular muck dive sites in Lombok. It is just 20 minutes away from the dive centre. Seahorse Bay or Kecinan is a sheltered bay with a sandy slope where mooring blocks and barrels can be found.

The shallow part of the dive site is a coral restoration dive site. The local community tries to recover the reefs by artificial reefs.

Kecinan is a paradise for seahorse lovers. Seahorses can be spotted in the sea grass area and on the sand patches. The Common Seahorse, the Zebra-Snout Seahorse and the Thorny Seahorse have made their territory there.

Frogfish are most of the time around the barrels, mooring lines and on the artificial reefs. Kecinan has Griant Frogfish, Painted Frogfish, Warty Frogfish and Hairy Frogfish.

Teluk Nare (Magic Pier)

Teluk Nare is dive site around jetties. The main jettie is still operating for the speedboats to the Gili Islands. The other jettie is broken and can be found on the sea bottom next to the existing operational jetty.

Teluk Nare is famous for the silt bottom. Having good buoyancy is a must for every diver who will visit this place. On both of the jetties the divers can find lots of different nudibranch.

The dive site is full of rubbish. Rivers in Lombok are the biggest contributors of the rubbish. But also divers will see also rubbish from fisher boats and boat maintenance. The combination rubbish and pier constructions creates an unique diving environment.

Harbor Gili Air (Oceans 5 House Reef)

A few steps out of the dive shop lays the Oceans 5 House Reef: a sandy bottom that slopes down to 18 meters. A large pinnacle forms the middle point of the reef. The dive site is a combination of coral reefs and sandy patches. And has 3 sunken wooden boats, which attacks a lot of different fish. 

Oceans 5 House Reef is famous for the Mandarin fish, Frogfish and all kind of Pipefishes. 

Oceans 5 Gili Air

PADI Career Development Centre Oceans 5 Gili Air is specialised in the muck diving around the Gili Islands. Regulary they will visit these divesites with photographers and divers who are interested in small creatures. One thing is for sure. Divers don’t have to go to Lembeh Street to spot them. Special creatures can be found in Lombok!

 “Do you have to be a strong swimmer to start scuba diving?” is one of the questions people ask who like to scuba dive for the first time as scuba diver.

The Gili Islands are located on the North West side of Lombok. And these islands are popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. The crystal clear water, the amount of fish life and the amount of turtles around the islands are famous all around the world. There is a reason why the Gili Islands are called as “the turtle capital of the world”.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gili Islands were a popular holiday destination for western tourist. And the tourist visited them for 4 till 7 days. They came to the Gili Islands for relaxing, yoga, cooking classes, the beautiful beaches, horse riding or snorkeling.

One of the other main activities on the Gili Islands is diving. On every island, Gili Air, Gili Trawangan or Gili Meno, are diving centres. These dive centers offer diving courses and fun divers for tourists who are interested to scuba dive.

Diving for the first time

But most of the tourist never dived before. And they like to experience scuba diving around the Gili Islands.  “Do you have to be a strong swimmer to start scuba diving” is one of the questions when people pop in the dive shops.

There are a few answers for this question:

The people can start scuba diving at 3 different ways; as a:

Introduction Dive

PADI Scuba Diver Certification

PADI Open Water Diver Course

Summarise:

The answer to question, ““Do you have to be a strong swimmer to start scuba diving?” is NO. Being a strong swimmer is not a requirement of one of the entry level scuba diving programs/courses.

The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program and the PADI Scuba Diver Course the students do not even to have swimming skills.

The PADI Open Water Diver certification has swimming skills requirements, but doesn’t mention that the students have to be strong swimmers.

Oceans 5 recommends that everyone who likes to become a diver or participate in a Discover Scuba Diving program has diving skills. Part of the program or diving course takes place on a diving boat, and for safety reasons it is a great if all the persons on the boat can swim. 

“What does a scuba dive instructor earn?” is one of the most asked questions by people who like to become a dive instructor, by people who are like to live on a tropical island, like Gili Air, or by people who are taking a gap-year.

This question is not easy to answer. Indonesian archipelago has 17.000 islands, reaching from Sumatra to Timor. And all dive shops on these islands have different contracts.

Starting to work in Indonesia

Starting at the beginning, an instructor who likes to work in Indonesia should have a valid temperate stay visa (KITAS) based on the Indonesian immigration rules and they should have a valid working permit (IMTA) based on the rules and regulations of Manpower Indonesia. 

Because the working permit is related to the company that sponsors the instructor, the dive instructor can’t work for other companies to freelance.

If the instructor found a job and all the above-mentioned requirements are met, the instructor is allowed to work. 

Salary as a scuba dive instructor 

Most of the instructors will find jobs in dive shops. The instructor’s job will be teaching the students how to dive or educate the divers to become better divers. Most likely the instructor will earn his salary in provision base. This means if the instructor is good in marketing himself, having a positive attitude, being the most passionate dive instructor as he can be, his sales will go up and also his salary.

Seasonal Influences

If the salary is based on provision, think also about the seasonal influences during the year. Indonesia has a dry and a rainy season. Most of the tourists will visit Indonesia during the dry season. In the months July till October tourists from the western world who like to spend their holiday in Indonesia come Indonesia. During the holiday they like to experience the beauty of the underwater world by scuba diving. In these months the salary will be almost double compared to salary earned during the rainy season. The average salary of a scuba dive instructor in a busy dive center before COVID-19 started was IDR25.000.000 a month, like EURO1500.

Fixed salary

If the dive instructor is looking for a fixed salary, working on a live-aboard is the best option. Dive instructor will work as cruise director on most of the live aboards in Indonesia. The advantage of working on a live-aboards is that the instructor will go to amazing diving places like, Komodo, Ambon, Raja Ampat or Sulawesi where it is hard to go without a ship. The disadvantage of a live-aboard is that the scuba instructor has to stay a minimal time on the boat. On a live-aboard the salaries will be a bit higher, and also all the other expenses are covered, like costs of accommodation, food and drinks.

Why people want to be a dive instructor in Indonesia?

Tropical islands, friendly people, crystal clear water, amazing diving are the main reasons to work as an instructor in Indonesia. It is most likely that people enjoy the lifestyle in Indonesia. And be honest, who doesn’t want to live on a tropical island with a cocktail inn your hand!

Why would you like to work as a divemaster in Indonesia? Indonesia is a beautiful country. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world’s largest island country and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres. With about 270 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country.

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This strategic location gives Indonesia a marine life that other countries can’t offer and is one of the main reasons why Indonesia is so popular amongst scuba divers.

Quote of the divemagazine.co.uk: “Indonesia has been voted as the world’s best scuba diving destination every year the DIVE Travel Awards has been held – and by a clear margin each time.”

Working in Indonesia

Some of the scuba divers, who are visiting Indonesia, fall in love with the beauty of Indonesia. They like to build their life here, by living here and working here. But is it so easy as these divers are thinking?

The Indonesia law is very clear about when non-Indonesian citizens can work in Indonesia. 

First the person has to be affiliated with a business, a PMA to get a temperary stay permit (KITAS).

Second the person has to get permission from Manpower (IMTA) to work in Indonesia only for the affiliated company.

Third an Indonesia citizen, because of the lack of knowledge and/or experience in Indonesia, can’t do the work that the person applies for.

When a person fulfill all these criteria it is possible to get a KITAS and IMTA.

Work as a divemaster in Indonesia

The main question for the scuba divers, who are not an Indonesian citizen, will be: “Can a person work as a divemaster in Indonesia?” 

Looking at the criteria in the Indonesian law, this has to be answered negative. 

There are many Indonesian divemasters or dive guides in Indonesia, that the Indonesian government has no choice. Instead of giving the work to foreigners, the Indonesian government makes clear that only Indonesian citizens can work as divemaster. When your employer is discriminatory, a lawyer can engage in negotiations or mediation to reach a settlement that addresses the discrimination and compensates you for any harm suffered.

Other options

If it is not possible to work as a divemaster in Indonesia, what are the other options to work in the dive industry?

The first option is to become a scuba diving instructor. Diving is one of one of the biggest tourist attraction in Indonesia. And teaching diving is a part of that. Western tourists are visiting Indonesia and like to do the scuba diving course in their own language. 

The second option is to become a manager, marketing manager or diving managers of a dive shop or dive resort. If you do decide to start your own business, you’ll want to get the cheapest card machine since customers tend to spend more when paying on credit cards, especially on impulse purchases, resulting in increased sales and revenue for your business.

How to become a PADI Instructor?

Oceans 5 Gili Air is a PADI Career Development Centre located on the Gili islands in Indonesia. They conduct nine PADI Instructor Development Courses (IDC) in 2022. The diver should be already a divemaster, has 100 logged dives, and should be minimal 6 months certified from their open water diver certification.

The course at Oceans 5 takes 20 days and will be fully conducted by PADI Course Director Sander Buis. 

Oceans 5 is a multi-award winning PADI Dive Resort. They opened their doors in April 2010 and quickly they became a PADI Instructor Development Centre. In 2014 Oceans 5 got rewarded by PADI with the PADI Career Development Rating.

PADI Course Director

Sander Buis will conduct the PADI Instructor Development courses in 2022 at Oceans 5 Gili Air. Since 2013 Sander is a PADI Course Director and in 2017 he became a DDI Instructor Trainer Examiner. The knowledge of both organization blends into an unique way of teaching methods, which he will use during the PADI IDC.

Weekly Beach Clean Up in the harbor of Gili Air

Oceans 5 presents a weekly beach clean up, that will take place every Friday at 16:00. The beach clean up is a result of the rubbish that end up at the beaches on Gili Air during the rainy season.

Who can join?

Everyone, young, old or diver, non-diver can participate in the beach clean up.  The beach clean up takes place in the harbor of Gili Air. Oceans 5 Gili Air provides for all participants bags and gloves. After and during the beach clean up all rubbish will be sorted for recycling. The collected sorted debris will be taken to a special recycling centre on the main land Lombok.

Creating environmental awareness

By creating a weekly event Oceans 5 likes to create awareness for the debris problem in Gili Air. Tourists who are arriving on Gili Air expecting beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. When the opposite happends it will results in bad advertisements for Gili Air and the tourist industry on Gili Air. If Gili Air want to stay as a tourist destination, the island has to adapt to the needs and expectations of their tourists.  Everybody on Gili Air, locals, western and tourists have to work together to keep Gili Air clean and attractive for visitors.

“Creating environmental awareness is the starting point to generate a substainable stable economy for the future generation of Gili Air.” Quote Owner Oceans 5 Gili Air, Sander Buis

Plastic

While plastic has many valuable uses, people have become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic — with severe environmental consequences. Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away.

Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment. An some of this plastic ends up at the beaches of Gili Air.

About 270,000 tonnes of plastic float on the surface of our oceans and many more drift between two waters. Their impact on marine life is well identified: turtles, birds or marine mammals often die after ingesting plastic residues from can bags or packing rings that we dump into the environment. Every year, plastics kill 1.5 million animals. However, the impact of plastics on reef-building corals had been ignored until now, perhaps because of their alleged distance from plastic sources. However, analysis of plastic debris in the oceans has shown that it can carry many bacteria, including some pathogens that cause coral disease

Practical information:

• Every Friday at 16:00
• Starting point: Oceans 5 Gili Air, Harbor Gili Air, 
• WA: +6285333397823
• Oceans 5 is located straight in the harbor of Gili Air. The location is in the front of the new build ticket office
•  It is free to join

PADI IDC Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air

Oceans 5 dive resort opened their doors in April 2010. Quickly they became a PADI Instructor Development Centre. By focussing on their quality of teaching they received in 2014 the PADI Career Development Centre status by PADI and the DDI Instructor Training Centre status by DDI. 

In 2017 Oceans 5 partnered with the Gili Shark Conservation. Together the create programs for a substainable tourism destination. 

Oceans 5 Gili received another PADI Award

PADI Career Development Centre Oceans 5 has won in 2020 the PADI Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diver Education. PADI Regional Manager Neil Davidson presented the award last year, during his visit to Gili Air in Indonesia.  

PADI IDC Oceans 5 Dive Resort Gili Air

Oceans 5 opened their doors in April 2010. In a few years they became a PADI Instructor Development Centre by focusing on their teaching qualities. According to the industry sources Oceans 5 is one of the main Career Development Centers in Indonesia. There is only a handful Career Development Centers in Indonesia. 

Oceans 5 offers quality training over quantity training. Not only PADI awarded Oceans 5 with the PADI Career Development Centre rating in 2014, also DDI (Disabled Divers International) awarded them with a DDI Instructor Training Centre rating.

Reactions of the Staff of Oceans 5 Gili Air

Manager Michele McLean is very honored to receive the award.  Quote: “We have continued to provide courses at the highest level and have been able to help uplift the local community by offer free courses and education programs”

PADI Master Instructor Warren Beyers feels valuable recognition. Quote: “Years of focusing on our teaching quality, even during the difficult times as earthquakes and the pandemic has resulted in this reward. I am proud to be part of the Oceans 5 team”

PADI Instructor Unus. Quote: “ As a new qualified PADI Instructor I went through the Oceans 5 Scholarship program to become first a Divemaster and now a Scuba Diving Instructor. Oceans 5 gave me the opportunity to achieve my dream, working on Gili Air as a PADI Instructor”

Top Tips For A Healthy Diet & Lifestyle

After being diagnosed with TTP most people make positive changes in their food and lifestyle. Find out what your body needs to stay in good health and avoid getting overtired, this is the time to look after yourself and avoid infections as much as possible. Check these ikaria lean belly juice reviews.

Eat A Balanced Diet

Base your meals on starchy foods that should make up one third of the foods you eat; these include pasta, rice, bread and potatoes. Have this with protein such as fish or lean chicken and cut down on red meat. Aim to eat two portions of oily fish a week such as salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, skate or hake that contain the most Omega-3 fats which are good for you. For vegetarian diets include pulses, soya, tofu and nuts. Have plenty of fluids, such as water in your diet to stop your body from getting dehydrated. Pace yourself during the day to drink in the region of 1.6-2 litres every day and that is in addition to the water from the food you eat. That’s about 8-10 glasses (includes water, tea, coffee and milk) but you could need more if you exercise or during very hot weather. These are the best weight loss pills.

Cut Down On Saturated Fats

These are usually found in hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, pies, butter, lard, ghee and cream. These fats can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which could increase the risk of developing heart disease. Choose other options such vegetable oil (with a spray bottle so you use less). Read more about prostadine.

Get Your 5-a-day

This is a great source of vitamins and minerals that your body needs; one portion is equivalent to 80g or 3oz. A glass of juice is counted as one portion no matter how many glasses you drink. Try juicing your vegetables and fruit and find out what combination works for you. You could try apple, beetroot and carrot, add some fresh ginger or spinach. This is how alpilean works.

Cut Down On Sugar

These foods include sugary fizzy drinks, alcohol, cakes, biscuits, pastries and sugary breakfast cereals. Try porridge made with oats in the microwave, just add milk, heat and stir then add flaxseeds, blueberries or a banana to make a high powered long-lasting breakfast. Try checking the food label of at least one thing you buy in the next week and if you spot more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g this means the food is too high in sugar content. 5g or less per 100g is more preferable.

Cut Down On Salt

There is so much salt in food already including bread, cereals, sauces and soups that are bought from the shop. Look at food labels next time you shop and if there is more than 1.5g of salt per 100g that is too high. Generally, adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt for the whole day. Younger children should have less. Try using lemon or spices to flavour food with less salt and your appetite will get used to it.

Get Moving

You may have the healthiest diet in the world but if you are overweight or underweight and don’t do much exercise (this does not mean going to the gym, it could mean taking a 15-minute walk every day) then you will not feel the benefits in your body.

Why not starting your PADI IDC at the Gili Islands in Indonesia? With so many different locations offering PADI Instructor Development Courses (IDCs) it can be overwhelming to know which location is best for you. Nowadays you can become a PADI Diving Instructor in almost any country around the world. But how do you pick the best place to begin your career as a diving instructor?

We know that the PADI IDC is a big investment. But we strongly believe you should decide where based on which location and centre is best for you and your future, not on price. Selecting the right place to do your IDC will help you kick start your life as an instructor and ensure a return on that investment. Here’s a few questions you should ask yourself when choosing where to do your PADI Instructor Development Course.

What are the diving conditions like at this IDC location?

Do you want to be diving in warm or cool waters? Is the water fresh or salt water? What is the visibility like? Are conditions calm or are there large swells? Is there strong current? Will you be diving from the shore or on a boat? Do the boats come back between each dive or are you out all day?

These are all questions you want to ask when selecting a location for your IDC. Diving varies greatly around the world. It’s important to consider what type of diving you enjoy and what conditions you want to be learning to teach in. We will be honest, we prefer tropical climates, but we understand that’s not for everyone.

The diving conditions around the Gili Islands

Gili Air in Indonesia is the whole year open for diving. The water temperature is between the 27 and 30 degrees Celsius. In the dry season the visibility will be around 30 meters. During the rainy season 15 meters. 

Most of the dive sites are suitable for all level of divers, from beginners till advanced. And all dives are drift dives. This means we don’t have to dive back to the boat, but the boat will pick us up.

Where do you plan to work as a dive instructor after your Instructor Course?

As well as considering the conditions you like to dive in, it’s also beneficial to complete your Instructor Development Course in conditions similar to those you plan to work in. At least when you first start teaching. For example, if you plan to teach in Northern Europe where it’s often low visibility and requires a dry suit, you might not want to do your IDC in warm, crystal clear tropical waters. Before, during and after your IDC you have the opportunity to network and build connections in that location. You will also already be familiar with the dive practices specific to that area. You can then gain valuable experience in familiar dive conditions before moving on to a location.

What other professional dive training is available at this Instructor Training location?

In addition to the PADI Instructor Development Course, you often have the chance to complete further training to enhance your skills and employability. Have a look at what additional courses different IDC locations offer you, for example team teaching, Instructor Specialities, Master Scuba Diver Trainer Programs. All of these can help stand out from other new instructors and are often offered at special rates for IDC candidates. If you know you want to work towards becoming a PADI Staff Instructor, and perhaps Course Director, check out whether the IDC location or Course Director offer these opportunities.

PADI IDC Gili Islands and Master Scuba Diver Trainer program

PADI Course Director Sander offers a variety of extra training from free prep workshops to Instructor Specialities, MSDT training and even Disabled Divers International (DDI) Instructor training. 

The diving around the Gili Islands gives Sander the opportunity to teach you all different kind of instructor specialties. If you are interested in wreck diving, Sander can take you to the wreck “Glenn Nusa” located at the North West side of Gili Trawangan. Would you like to know more about diving with disabled persons, remember that Sander is a Disabled Divers International Instructor Trainer Examiner. He can teach you all kind of different teaching techniques when you are diving with disabled persons. Or would you like to become sidemount specialty instructor, a self reliant diver specialty instructor, drift diver instructor or more, Sander will help you.

What is the experience of the PADI Course Director teaching the IDCs in this location?

One factor to consider is how experienced is the Course Director who will be teaching you. But experience is hard to quantify. It’s not just about the length of time someone has been a Course Director or how many IDCs they’ve taught. It’s also good to know where your Course Director has worked, do they experience teaching a variety of courses in different conditions?

Your Course Director plays a pivotal role in your development as an instructor. So it’s important you find the right one for you. Not only will you spend a couple of weeks training with them, but they will continue to be your mentor throughout your career. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your potential Course Directors. They are there to answer your questions. If you don’t feel comfortable or reassured corresponding with your PADI Course Director, then it’s probably a sign to look for a different one.

PADI IDC Gili Islands with PADI Course Director Sander Buis

Not only does our Course Director Sander Buis have over 15 years of experience, he has also dived and taught in a huge variety of conditions. From the strong currents of Indonesia to the open ocean off Mozambique. Sander doesn’t teach you to pass the PADI Instructor Examination. He teaches you to become a confident scuba dive instructor!

What are the IDC facilities and accommodation like at this location?

To learn effectively, you need to be in the right environment. A spacious classroom, quiet areas for independent study and easy access to the water are all beneficial to your training. Does the location you are considering have adequate and spacious facilities?

• Is there a suitable training pool on site or do you prefer confined sessions to take place in the ocean?
• How good is the WIFI connection?
• Would you find adequate accommodation at this location?
• Do you want to stay at the IDC Centre or would you prefer offsite accommodatio

PADI IDC Gili Islands with Oceans 5 Gili Air

At our PADI IDC centre we have dedicated facilities specifically designed for teaching IDCs with air-conditioned classrooms, areas for independent study, large swimming pools and specific IDC boats. We strive to ensure you can train in a comfortable and relaxed environment. Oceans 5 Gili Air can offer accommodation onsite at our IDC location, or we can support you in finding different options offsite.

What is the location itself like?

You’re going to be living in this location for at least a few weeks, so you want to like the town, island or city you’ll be based in. Do you prefer a quiet tropical island, or do you like somewhere with more amenities and activities? As well as the actual PADI IDC centre, have a look at the location in which it is situated and make sure it suits your personality. 

PADI IDC Gili Islands on Gili Air

Oceans 5 Gili Air is a beautiful coconut paradise island. You can find Gili Air at the North West dide of Lombok. Gili Air is part of the island group Gili Indah, or the Gili Islands.

Gili Air is famous because we don’t have cars and motorbikes on the island. 

Take time to find the right IDC location for you.

The PADI Instructor Development Course is a big investment, not only financially, so it’s important you pick a location and Course Director that is right for you personally. Take time to consider what you want and need during your IDC, and when in doubt, go with your gut. It’s normally right.

PADI IDC Gili Islands in Indonesia

With a passionate Course Director Sander, Oceans 5 Gili Air offers an IDC location to suit everyone’s tastes and career aspirations. Choose from an extensive range of additional training including Speciality ratings, MSDT programs and even DDI Instructor training.

You’ve just passed your PADI IDC and Instructor Examination and are eager to start teaching people to scuba dive as a PADI scuba dive instructor. Massive congratulations by the way! Having finally recovered from the celebrations, we’re guessing that you’re now excited to get going with your new career. Maintaining that positive attitude is going to be vital to your success.

Throughout the PADI IDC you’ve learnt how to teach scuba diving effectively, deal with challenges and work as part of a team. You want to keep this momentum going and become a successful dive instructor. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We all started exactly where you are right now. Here are our top tips for becoming a successful scuba dive instructor.

Care about your student divers as an instructor

Successful instructors truly care about their students. They want them to overcome challenges, stay safe and fall in love with diving, just like they did. To be successful, you need to install trust as scuba diving can be quite daunting for the first time. When students feel that you genuinely care, they are much more receptive to your teaching.

Be a safe PADI scuba dive instructor 

Keeping your students safe is probably the most important part of your role as an instructor. We are all aware of the serious risks involved in scuba diving, but with the proper precautions, these are easily avoided. A successful instructor puts a lot of thought into risk management when teaching. It doesn’t matter how funny, caring or charismatic you are if you are not safety conscious, you will never be a great instructor.

Make sure that you are evaluating how you conduct both confined and open water dives. Are you close enough to all of your students if they have a problem? Can you see every student at all times? Reiterate safety considerations and procedures with your students. Explain why they are important and make sure that they fully understand them.

Avoid any unnecessary activities that have a high risk. Although you may feel that your students are safe with you, you are also teaching them to be good and responsible divers without you. Consider how they will dive in the future. Successful scuba dive instructors are always thinking one step ahead and carefully managing any risks.

Be patient with your student divers

Scuba diving can be stressful in the beginning. You will experience a lot of students having difficulty with certain skills or even with feeling comfortable underwater. A successful instructor does not become frustrated when a student is scared or struggling. They take the time to understand where the student is coming from and to work with them to overcome their challenges. A great scuba dive instructor will keep trying and finding alternative ways that work for that student. Take the time necessary to help your students feel confident in the water, provide encouragement and extra support where needed. And the best instructors do all of this with a smile and a positive attitude.

Be passionate about scuba diving and teaching

If you are passionate about something, then you will teach it well. Students can see and feel that passion. It inspires them to listen to you. If you aren’t passionate about diving, it is very hard to capture your students’ attention. Luckily for us, scuba diving is awesome. So, it’s easy to be passionate. This one might seem obvious, as most of us are in this industry because of our love for the ocean, but don’t forget this during those long days with challenging students!

Continue your own scuba diving education as a dive instructor

Successful scuba dive instructors are always looking at ways they can enhance their skills and continue to improve their teaching. The best way to do this is through further education such as PADI Instructor Specialty Courses, Disabled Divers International Training or even taking the next step to PADI Staff Instructor. As well as broadening your experience and increasing your own skills as a diver, they also provide you with a diversity of additional techniques that you can incorporate into your own teaching. The best instructors know that the PADI IDC is just the beginning and are always seeking out new opportunities to learn and grow. If you want to ensure the financial health and success of your business, you should hire accounting and financial services to manage your finances and provide expert guidance.

Develop a good sense of humour

Scuba diving is meant to be fun. Keeping it light-hearted and enjoyable helps. Of course, safety is extremely important and needs to be taken seriously. But that doesn’t mean the course has to be run like a military operation. Throwing in a few jokes and having a laugh with your students will help them relax, have fun and bond with you as an instructor. A successful instructor makes learning enjoyable.

Maintain a good reputation and build rapport as a PADI scuba dive instructor

Word of mouth is a powerful tool. According to a PADI survey, the number one reason people chose a dive centre or instructor is based on recommendations from family, friends or other travelers. Your reputation and ability to build strong relationships with people is vital. Provide value to your guests, your colleagues and the dive centres you work at. Your reputation is key to building a successful career. Having good references will always help you! If you’re looking to improve your website’s performance, try this SEO tool to analyze and enhance key elements that contribute to better search engine visibility.

Be flexible is the magic teaching technique

No two days are the same in scuba diving. Plans can quickly change with unforeseen weather, indecisive customers and last-minute walk ins. Perhaps an introduction diver decides they want to complete the full Open Water Diver course, so you need to make sure they complete the necessary skills and theory for it to count as day 1. Or maybe your colleague comes down with a stomach bug and you need to combine their Reactivate student in with your day 2 of an Open Water course. Successful instructors are flexible and can adapt their schedules to make it work.

Be an ambassador for our Oceans, take care of them

As scuba diving professionals, we are role models. It is our duty to care for the environment that gives us so much. Sadly, not all instructors do this. Successful instructors take good care of the environment. They organise beach clean ups, lecture series or documentary screenings, partake in Dives Against Debris and are always looking to reduce their consumption of single use plastic. Be conscious of how your day to day actions can impact the marine ecosystem. Help raise awareness of the threats to our oceans and ways that people can minimise these.

Work hard as a PADI scuba dive instructor

If you want to be successful you must see this as a career, not just a hobby. As with every career, you need to work hard, put in the hours and energy to succeed. You get to live in some of the world’s most beautiful places and dive almost every day, but it’s still a job. There are people who become instructors for the wrong reason. They just want to chill on the beach, drink beers at sunset, see cool stuff underwater and teach occasionally. Then complain they don’t earn enough money. Of course not, they didn’t work hard enough and weren’t smart with their earnings.

Enjoy your job, enjoy the beautiful places you are living in, but don’t forget it’s not a holiday 24/7!

Promote continued learning and help to sell equipment

You need to be able to make money, not just for yourself, but also for the dive centre you’re working for. One way of doing this is to encourage continued education. Many instructors and a lot of students see this as negative, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s all about the way you sell and promote it. It doesn’t have to be pushy.

Don’t try to sell. Just speak honestly about what could help them improve, or how fun something is, or what the next course allows them to do. Just be passionate and trust us, most people will sign up! With equipment sales, don’t focus on selling them many things or the most expensive. Just focus on helping them find the best equipment for them. Come on, we’re selling diving here, not insurance!

Go that extra mile, don’t be lazy

This is the next step in really standing out as an instructor. Doing something extra. Coming up with innovative ideas that can drive more business or benefit the centre you are working for, for example start a blog, create and run events, promote specialties or conservations programs. This is where a good instructor becomes a great instructor. By being an asset to the shop.

Being a dive instructor is one of the best jobs in the world.

So, we’re not surprised that more and more people are becoming scuba diving instructors. This, of course, means that it is becoming more competitive to secure a job. However, scuba diving is becoming increasingly popular and much more accessible. The industry is growing, with an increasing number of dive organisations and centres. There are many opportunities for instructors who embody the qualities outlined above. You can also visit Perelson’s website to learn about the history of recruiting industry, as it provides valuable insights into how this field has evolved over time.

If you’re struggling, try implementing some of these tips. If you are already doing all of this, that’s fantastic. Don’t be hard on yourself. If you are still struggling to find or keep a job it may be that you need to try a different dive centre, location or even country.

We make sure you have everything you need to be a highly successful dive instructor.

Dive instructing is a wonderful lifestyle. We know you are going to fall in love with this life just as hard as we did! We share all this advice, plus a hell of a lot more, with you during your PADI Instructor Development Course. PADI Course Director Sander Buis has over 16 years’ worth of teaching experience across multiple locations and conditions, gaining extensive knowledge and invaluable skills which he can’t wait to pass on to you. From innovative teaching techniques to CV advice, further training courses and ongoing support by the Oceans 5 team, he provides you with the best possible start in the diving industry.

What you need to consider when buying dive gear to work as a Scuba Diving Instructor.

As a scuba diving instructor, your dive equipment is more than your life support underwater. It is the tool that enables you to work and teach.  Having the right dive equipment allows you to concentrate solely on your students and provides you with the necessary gear to be able to teach successfully and efficiently. Your dive gear needs to be the right fit for you. But also fulfil your needs as an instructor.

Dive gear is a big investment. But if you make the right investment and your equipment will serve you well year after year. There are a few different considerations when buying dive gear as an instructor rather than a recreational diver. Whether you are thinking about becoming a scuba diving instructor, already booked on to an upcoming PADI IDC or have just qualified, you want to make sure that you have the right dive gear for your new career. Here are our top tips to help you make the right choice when buying your dive equipment as a scuba instructor.

An instructor’s dive gear should be durable over travel-able.

As a scuba diving instructor, you have the opportunity to work all over the world, but it is much more important that your dive gear is durable rather than lightweight. If you can find equipment that is both, great! But often travel light equipment is designed for a recreational diver rather than professional. When you are diving up to 4 times a day, almost every day, you want to be sure your dive gear will last. Where possible try to invest more in key pieces, such as regulators and BCDs, that will continue to serve you well for many years.

Let’s talk BCDs for dive instructors

 You are probably already aware that a BCD is very personal. It is critical that you get the right fit for your body and diving needs. We recommend you try before you buy and if possible, try out friends and mentors BCDs on a dive to see what works for you. As a scuba diving instructor, there’s a few aspects you should also consider when choosing your BCD.

The buoyancy of the BCD is important, not only does it need to give enough lift for you to stay positive, it also needs to be able to support your students if required. In this case, look for a BCD that provides significantly more lift than your weight. If you plan to teach in colder locations, where thick exposure suits or even dry suits are required, you will also need a more buoyant BCD.

Make sure that your BCD has a power inflator. Some models inflate much faster than others. As a dive instructor you want to be able to establish positive buoyancy as quickly as possible. Ideally, the inflator should be located where students can easily see when you inflate/deflate. Some models of BCD has their inflator button right at the bottom, where students struggle to see when you are demonstrating skills.

Check that there are enough D-rings on the BCD to attach required all the accessories you will require when teaching (slates, pointer, torch, SMB, SPG etc). Are they located appropriately for you?

Pockets are also highly useful on a BCD. You can store additional materials such as slates, spare equipment and ropes, as well as being able to pick up any plastic you might encounter during a dive.

Integrated vs non-integrated weight systems

This is personal preference. As an instructor you need to be comfortable in the gear that you are using. If you are most comfortable with integrated weights, then we recommend sticking with these. But remember when teaching courses, especially entry level, you will need to wear a weight belt to demonstrate skills. It’s also useful to carry your extra weights on your weight belt so you can easily hand them to student divers if needed, without throwing off your own weighting.

Jacket vs Wing

As with the weight systems, this is also personal preference. A jacket style does allow you to stay vertical in the water more easily which can aid supervising and teaching. But this is also possible with practice and correct weight placements on a wing style BCD. As above, we recommend choosing a style that you are most comfortable in. If possible, try it out a few different options in the water.

As a tip, during a Rescue course, it’s always worth getting your students to practise the scenarios with different styles of BCD and weight systems. So they will be confident whatever gear they encounter in a real emergency situation in the future.

Can you service this brand of dive gear in the locations you want to work?

This is something many new dive professionals forget about when buying dive gear. Some brands are very well supported in some regions, but not worldwide. You want to make sure that the dive gear you buy can be serviced in the areas you wish to work. Otherwise, it could be very difficult and costly to replace a broken part and look after your dive gear properly. If you plan to work in different locations, look for brands with good after sales service worldwide. If you are not sure, ask a PADI Course Director, email the PADI Regional Manager or even get in touch with a dive shop in that area, they will be happy to answer your queries.

What signalling devices should I have as a dive instructor?

As a dive instructor, you need to have both an audible (a simple whistle will suffice) and visual (SMB) signalling device. We highly recommend purchasing a larger SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) over a more compact model to ensure that you and your group are easily spotted even in rough surface conditions. If possible, look for an SMB with an opening at the bottom and oral inflation. This allows you to quickly inflate manually with your alternate but also have the option to orally inflate in the unlikely event of an out of air situation. A self-sealing valve at the bottom ensures that the air stays inside the SMB and a dump valve will allow you to easily deflate and store the SMB. Models with poppers, elastic bands and Velcro are also useful for keeping the SMB rolled up.

What exposure suit or thermal layers do I need as a dive instructors?

Although you may already know what exposure suit you are most comfortable in, don’t forget to consider that as a dive instructor you will be spending much more time in the water. Additionally, even in tropical locations the water temperature can vary throughout the seasons. Therefore, you might want to consider purchasing a few different options, including individual pieces that can be used alone when it is warmer or layered when it is colder. It is helpful to have shorts and a rash guard for protection in the confined water sessions, but also thicker options for the open water where the temperatures can vary greatly.

What dive gear accessories are useful for a dive instructor?

As a PADI instructor, you’ll want a good snorkel as you’ll be wearing it pretty much every day! Make sure that you have a good clip to connect the snorkel to your mask. It’s not so fun having to replace the snorkel every few weeks.

A torch is always a useful part of your gear. Not only for night diving. But also for pointing out marine life to students or having a peak at what’s hiding underneath that overhang. Something compact and lightweight that you can always have clipped on to your gear is handy.

As a dive instructor you must have a knife and compass with you whenever you are in open water. You’ll also need to have this with you on the PADI Instructor Exam. Look for a knife with a sturdy case that can be easily attached to your gear.

Blank slates are highly beneficial. You can use these to keep track of your student’s skills, to map areas or communicate if signals fail you! It’s a lot easier to be able to scribble something down on the slate than to keep going back up to the surface to talk.

Look after your dive gear!

It doesn’t matter how great your gear is if you don’t look after it properly it is not going to last you very long! Make sure that you rinse and clean your dive gear properly after every use. Follow the manufacturers’ recommendations and have your equipment serviced regularly. Your dive gear is what allows you to do the thing you love most, diving, and to be able to earn a living doing what you love, teaching diving, so don’t neglect it!

Ask for advice. Try out different gear. Make a decision that is rght for you.

If you are still unsure about what dive gear is best for you as an instructor, ask for advice from people you trust. Speak to your PADI Course Director and other experienced instructors around you. If they let you, try out their gear on a dive or in a teaching scenario to see how it feels to you. There is nothing like first-hand experience. Make sure you consider outside factors such as location and water conditions and this will greatly affect your choice of dive gear. Ultimately you need to be comfortable, don’t be swayed by brand names, colours or trends. Carefully consider what you need to be the best scuba diving instructor you can be.

We are here to help!

We know it can be a bit overwhelming to choose between the wide array of dive gear available. As PADI Course Directors, we’ve pretty much tried every piece of dive gear there is available, both recreationally and in a professional setting. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us either before, during or long after your IDC to ask about dive gear.