Best PADI Dive Instructor Course in Thailand

Become a PADI Diving Instructor in Thailand

For many aspiring PADI Divemasters, choosing the right location and dive centre to complete a PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) can feel overwhelming. With so many destinations and training facilities available worldwide, narrowing down the best option for your professional development is an important decision.

In this article, we aim to provide practical and up-to-date insight into the PADI IDC process, helping future instructor candidates better understand what to look for when selecting a training environment. Drawing on the most common questions we receive from IDC candidates, we will outline key considerations including training quality, instructor experience, course structure, professional development opportunities, and the overall learning environment.

As professional-level scuba divers, continuous improvement and ongoing education are fundamental parts of the diving industry. PADI standards are recognised globally as the benchmark for diver education and professional development, and undertaking an IDC represents an important step towards becoming a confident, knowledgeable, and capable dive professional.

Learn to teach Scuba Diving in Thailand

It is through this philosophy of high-quality diver education and environmental responsibility that we train all professional-level candidates to conduct in-water skill demonstrations while maintaining neutral buoyancy. Developing the ability to teach and demonstrate skills neutrally buoyant not only reflects strong personal diving ability, but also promotes better diver control, increased student confidence, and reduced impact on the marine environment.

For Divemasters who have completed their training elsewhere and are looking to further develop themselves as confident, capable, and environmentally aware PADI Professionals, refining these techniques can be an important step in professional growth.

While Instructor Development Courses are offered worldwide, aspiring dive professionals should take the time to carefully research the quality, teaching philosophy, and long-term value of the training they choose. The standards, habits, and teaching techniques developed during your IDC will directly influence not only your success during the Instructor Examination, but also the type of dive professional you become once you begin teaching independently.

5 Star Career Development Centre

By the end of this article, we hope you will have a clearer understanding of the difference between a standard IDC centre and a 5 Star Career Development Centre, and why this distinction can have a significant impact on your professional development both during and after your Instructor Development Course.

Once you have identified a dive centre that appears suitable for your training, one of the most important factors to consider is the experience, reputation, and teaching philosophy of the professional-level instructional team and Course Directors who will be conducting your IDC. The quality of mentorship and real-world industry experience available to you during training can play a major role in shaping your confidence, teaching ability, and future career opportunities within the diving industry.

If professional reputation and industry expertise are high on your list of priorities — and they should be — our professional training team offers more than 50 years of combined experience working at the highest levels of the scuba diving industry. This depth of experience allows us to provide aspiring dive professionals with not only the training required to pass the Instructor Examination, but also the practical knowledge, teaching techniques, and professional development needed to succeed as a confident and capable dive instructor long after the IDC is complete.

Award Winning PADI IDC on Koh Tao

Over the past two decades, many professionals within the PADI organisation itself have received training and mentorship through our senior Course Director, Matt Bolton. This depth of experience and long-standing industry reputation reflects our commitment to delivering professional-level training to the highest possible standard.

Our approach to instructor development is built on honesty, professionalism, and individual progression. We do not make unrealistic promises or focus solely on certification outcomes. Instead, our goal is to help every candidate reach the highest level of their personal and professional potential through dedicated mentorship, structured training, and real-world teaching experience.

In return, we look for candidates who demonstrate a genuine willingness to learn, strong commitment, professionalism, integrity, and a positive attitude throughout the training process. Above all, we value individuals who share a true passion for the marine environment and the protection of the marine life that inhabits it.

Introduction to the PADI IDC on Koh Tao, Thailand

Our PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is a professional level scuba training program designed to prepare qualified divers for a career as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor. Structured to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical teaching experience, the IDC equips candidates with the skills, confidence, and professionalism required to teach and supervise divers to internationally recognised standards.

The course is typically completed over a 14-day period and is divided into several key phases, each designed to progressively develop your understanding, teaching ability, and professional competency as a dive instructor.

IDC Preparation Phase

The preparation phase is designed to help candidates build a strong foundation before the formal IDC begins. During this stage, participants review the relevant PADI Instructor Manuals, complete assigned knowledge development, and work through the PADI Instructor eLearning materials in advance.

This preparation allows candidates to arrive ready to fully engage with the practical and academic elements of the IDC while developing a clear understanding of PADI teaching systems, standards, and educational philosophy.

IDC Teaching Phase

The IDC teaching phase forms the core of the Instructor Development Course and focuses on all aspects of becoming a professional dive instructor. Throughout this phase, candidates develop and refine teaching techniques for classroom presentations, confined water sessions, and open water training.

Additional topics covered include dive planning, student control and supervision, risk management, problem solving, diver safety, customer service, and professional-level communication skills. The program is designed not only to prepare candidates for the Instructor Examination, but also to develop confident, capable, and adaptable dive professionals ready to work within the global diving industry.

Instructor Examination Phase

The final stage of the PADI Instructor Development process is the Instructor Examination (IE), an independently assessed two-day evaluation conducted by PADI Examiners. The IE is designed to comprehensively assess each candidate’s knowledge, teaching ability, dive theory understanding, professionalism, and in-water skills as a prospective PADI Instructor.

Our IDC is designed to be both challenging and highly rewarding, preparing candidates not only to successfully complete the Instructor Examination, but also to develop the confidence and competence required to work as a professional dive educator within the global diving industry.

For divers who are passionate about scuba diving, education, and sharing the underwater world with others, the IDC represents far more than just a certification course. It is an opportunity to transform a passion for diving into a professional career and lifestyle, opening the door to teaching a wide range of PADI diving courses and working in dive destinations around the world.

Topics covered in the PADI Instructor course in Thailand

The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is designed to provide candidates with the theoretical knowledge, practical teaching ability, and professional understanding required to become a confident and capable scuba diving instructor. Throughout the program, candidates develop skills across a wide range of academic and in-water training areas.

Dive Theory

The dive theory component of the IDC revisits and expands upon the core principles of scuba diving education. Subjects covered include diving physics, physiology, decompression theory and use of the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP), diving equipment, environmental considerations, and the development of watermanship and skill performance standards.

Teaching Techniques

Candidates learn how to effectively conduct classroom presentations, confined water sessions, and open water training dives. The program focuses heavily on instructional techniques, student control and supervision, evaluation methods, constructive feedback, and remediation strategies to help future instructors become confident educators.

Dive Planning

The course also covers professional dive planning procedures for a variety of diving activities, experience levels, and marine environments. Candidates develop an understanding of how to safely organise and manage dives while considering environmental conditions, diver ability, logistics, and emergency preparedness.

Risk Management

Risk management is a fundamental part of professional-level diver training. Instructor candidates learn how to identify potential hazards, minimise risks, apply safe diving practices, and respond appropriately to problems or emergencies that may arise during training and recreational dives.

PADI Standards and Procedures

A significant portion of the IDC focuses on understanding PADI General Standards and Procedures. These standards form the foundation of all PADI programs worldwide and ensure that divers receive consistent, safe, and high-quality training across the global diving industry.

Customer Service and Professionalism

In addition to teaching and safety skills, the IDC also emphasises professionalism and customer service within the dive industry. Candidates learn the importance of communication, organisation, professionalism, and creating positive experiences for certified divers, students, and dive centre guests alike.

Become a PADI Dive Instructor on Koh Tao

You will also learn how to conduct teaching presentations in confined water and conduct Open Water training dives for a variety of PADI courses including the PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue & Divemaster courses. We will expand your knowledge of dive theory so that you are very comfortable teaching both new scuba divers and professional level candidates, and we will teach you to anticipate diver problems before they happen and fix them easily when they do occur. By the end of the Instructor Development Course (IDC), you will be an expert in finding and applying PADI standards in all your teaching activities and you will also be able to demonstrate both Confined and Open Water scuba skills with confidence and ease. At the end of the two-week training course, you will then be tested on what you have learned.

Independent PADI Exams

The PADI Instructor Examination is a two-day exam that will test your ability to teach in the classroom, swimming pool and in Open Water. You will also have to pass dive theory exams in Physics, Physiology, Decompression theory, Equipment and Skills & the Environment. The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) also has a module focused on the Rescue Diver course. We will develop your rescue skills to Instructor level and you will be able to perform the 10 basic Rescue skills to demonstration quality. You will also participate in a Rescue Scenario.

What are the prerequisites for the PADI Scuba Instructor Course?

Before enrolling in a PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) in Thailand, candidates must meet several minimum training and experience requirements established by PADI. These prerequisites ensure that all instructor candidates possess the foundational diving knowledge, experience, and maturity required to begin professional-level training.

To qualify for enrolment on a PADI IDC, candidates must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have been a certified diver for a minimum of six months prior to the start of the course
• Hold at least 60 logged dives
• Possess experience in areas such as night diving, deep diving, and underwater navigation

These requirements help prepare candidates for the academic, practical, and leadership demands of the instructor training process.

Enroll on the PADI Instructor course in Thailand

To attend the PADI Instructor Examination (IE), candidates are required to have a minimum of 100 logged dives. However, candidates completing their IDC through a PADI Career Development Center (CDC) may be eligible for additional flexibility under current PADI standards.

As a PADI Career Development Center, Black Turtle Dive is authorised to enrol IDC candidates into the Instructor Examination prior to reaching the 100-dive requirement. Following successful completion of the IE, candidates can complete their remaining logged dives before notifying PADI to activate their teaching status.

Another important prerequisite for joining the IDC is holding a current PADI Divemaster certification or an equivalent professional-level qualification from another recognised scuba diving training agency.

Signing up for the PADI IDC on Koh Tao

Recent diving experience is an important requirement when beginning professional-level scuba training. Candidates who have not been diving within the previous 12 months may be asked to complete a scuba review or refresher session before commencing the IDC. This allows divers to rebuild confidence and refresh core scuba skills before progressing to demonstration-quality performance standards required at instructor level.

In addition, all candidates must provide a valid medical clearance confirming fitness to dive, signed by a physician within the previous 12 months, with no significant changes to medical condition since the assessment was completed.

EFR and PADI Dive Instructor Training in Thailand

If you have not completed the PADI Divemaster course, you can still join the PADI Instructor Development Course after successfully completing the PADI Divemaster Course dive rescue assessment.

As future PADI Professionals, instructor candidates are expected to be capable of managing emergency situations and ensuring the safety of both students and certified divers. For this reason, all IDC candidates must hold valid First Aid and CPR certifications issued by a recognised training organisation within the previous 24 months.

If your First Aid or CPR certification has expired, refresher training can usually be completed as part of your IDC preparation prior to attending the Instructor Examination. Do not worry if your first aid certification has expired as we can complete a refresher during your IDC.

How to choose the best Diving Instructor Course in Thailand?

When choosing a PADI Instructor course it is important to consider factors such as the reputation of the dive centre, and the experience and reputation of the PADI Course Director (s), and the team that will be conducting your IDC. The quality of the facilities, diving equipment and overall learning environment are also important. You can read customer reviews or get recommendations from fellow PADI Professionals. Has the Dive Center or Course Director received any awards from PADI for the quality of their IDC? Is the Dive Center only an IDC Center or do they hold the PADI Career Development Center rating?

Highest Training Standards

PADI Career Development Centers meet the highest requirements for training PADI Professionals and offer career-oriented programs to prepare scuba diving professionals for employment in the dive industry. Other factors to consider include the environment. Does the dive center take their commitment to the environment seriously? This includes asking their divers to agree to follow established environmental guidelines, and follow these same guidelines themselves. Look for a dive centre that is recognized for their commitment to the environment such as a PADI Eco Center or Green Star Dive Center and make sure they are a Green Fins certified member. Alternatively, choose a dive centre that has all of these awards!

Marine Conservation Eco Dive Centre Awards

Does the dive centre have an active marine conservation program? Do they conduct regular Dive Against Debris dives & beach clean ups? Does the dive centre conduct Coral Watch surveys? Do they run an active Ecological Monitoring Program? Do they have a recognized Coral Restoration project? These are all important questions a Divemaster considering becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, should ask the PADI Dive Centers they are considering joining, to complete their Instructor Development Course (IDC).

What is included in a Diving Instructor Course in Thailand?

The IDC focuses primarily on the courses and programs that a newly certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) will be qualified to teach after successfully completing the PADI Instructor Examination (IE).

This includes training in how to conduct the Discover Scuba Diving experience program, which introduces non-divers to scuba diving for the first time, as well as the globally recognised PADI Open Water course — the world’s most popular entry-level scuba certification program.

Throughout the course, candidates develop skills in classroom presentations, confined water instruction, open water teaching techniques, student supervision, risk management, dive planning, and diver safety procedures. The program is designed not only to prepare candidates for the Instructor Examination, but also to build the confidence and professionalism required to teach and supervise divers in real-world diving environments.

Learn to teach PADI Diver courses

Other courses we focus on include the PADI Advanced Open Water course, the PADI Rescue Diver course and PADI Divemaster course. Part of the PADI Instructor course in Thailand is the Emergency First Response Instructor course that teaches you how to teach basic first aid and CPR skills and issue EFR certifications with these courses. During the Black Turtle Dive IDC, we also focus on PADI AWARE courses including the PADI AWARE Shark Conservation Instructor course, something we include within our PADI Instructor Development Course. We believe all PADI Instructors should be capable of organising and conducting community events such as dive site clean ups, which benefit the marine environment and give PADI Instructors an opportunity to teach their divers about the Marine debris problem the world is currently facing.

PADI 100% AWARE & Greenfins Eco Dive Centre

As a PADI 100% AWARE and Green Fins Eco Dive Centre, we believe scuba diving professionals should play an active role in protecting the marine environment. Instructors are in a unique position to educate and positively influence divers, encouraging responsible diving practices and greater environmental awareness.

Through education and leading by example, dive professionals can help reduce harmful impacts on marine ecosystems and encourage divers to make more sustainable choices, including reducing the use of single-use plastics. Small changes in daily habits can have a significant positive impact on the health of our oceans and coral reefs.

Environmental responsibility and sustainable diving practices form an important part of our professional-level training programs, helping develop dive professionals who are not only skilled instructors, but also advocates for marine conservation.

Skill Training in Neutral Buoyancy

During the PADI Instructor Development Course, candidates are required to complete a full skill circuit consisting of the 24 core Divemaster-level dive skills. To successfully pass the evaluation, candidates must achieve a minimum total score of 82 points, with no individual skill scoring below a 3 and at least one underwater skill receiving a score of 5.

Two of the most important skills within the evaluation — regulator recovery and mask removal and replacement — must be demonstrated while neutrally buoyant in order to achieve the highest performance score. While PADI standards define neutral buoyancy as being “at least on the tips of your fins,” our training philosophy goes significantly beyond the minimum standard. We train professional-level candidates to demonstrate skills while fully neutrally buoyant, maintaining precise control, stability, and positioning throughout the entire demonstration.

At Black Turtle Dive, we place a strong emphasis on buoyancy development as a core professional diving skill. As part of our IDC program, candidates complete our specially developed Fluid Mechanics Buoyancy Clinic, designed to refine underwater control, trim, breathing techniques, and overall diving efficiency. These workshops help candidates develop the confidence and precision required to demonstrate skills to demonstration quality while maintaining complete control underwater.

By mastering skill demonstrations in a truly neutrally buoyant position, candidates not only improve their performance during the IDC and Instructor Examination, but also develop safer, more environmentally responsible diving practices that benefit both future students and the marine environment.

Our philosophy is simple: producing highly skilled PADI Instructors begins with delivering the highest quality professional diver training possible.

Fluid Mechanics Buoyancy Workshops

Our philosophy for training PADI Dive Instructors is centred around developing professionals to the same high standards we expect from our own instructional team at Black Turtle Dive. In many ways, we approach every IDC candidate as though we are preparing them to work alongside us as professional dive educators.

A major part of this philosophy is our strong emphasis on buoyancy control and environmentally responsible teaching practices. We encourage all of our instructors to conduct Open Water skill demonstrations while neutrally buoyant, and we train our IDC candidates to do the same throughout their professional development.

Teaching skills neutrally buoyant provides a far more realistic representation of modern scuba diving practices and promotes better control, comfort, and confidence for student divers. More importantly, it significantly reduces unnecessary contact with the marine environment.

Traditional kneeling techniques on sand or reef areas can disturb delicate marine ecosystems and negatively impact bottom-dwelling organisms and coral habitats. Even seemingly harmless contact with the seabed can damage fragile marine life and contribute to long-term environmental degradation. By teaching students to maintain proper buoyancy and positioning in the water column, instructors help create safer, more environmentally conscious divers from the very beginning of their training.

We believe professional dive education should not only produce confident and capable instructors, but also dive professionals who lead by example and actively contribute to the protection of the underwater environments in which they work.

Full Set of Scuba Diving Equipment

We include the free use of our scuba equipment with every PADI Instructor Development Course, including the use of a dive computer. However, if you are serious about working as a scuba diving professional then we strongly recommend that you get your own dive equipment, which we can help you source from our suppliers. Reputable PADI Dive Centers expect PADI Instructors seeking employment to own their own full set of scuba equipment, just the way you would expect a carpenter you employed to work on your house, to arrive with a full set of tools to do the job. Owning your own diving equipment that you are comfortable and familiar with, is an absolute must for any aspiring PADI dive instructor

Our Customer Promise

You also get our Black Turtle Dive Promise with every PADI IDC. We believe in respect for both our customers, our marine environment, and our tropical home. For us, respect means responsibility, equality and diversity, high service standards, protecting and conserving our environment, striving for excellence, fostering a strong dive community, and conducting training to the highest standards.

Why is Koh Tao the best location for PADI Dive Instructor Training?

Koh Tao (“Turtle Island” in Thai language) is a warm, tropical paradise located in the Gulf of Thailand, part of the Chumphon Archipelago that also includes Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. Located around 70 kilometers from Koh Samui, Koh Tao is known for its beautiful beaches, clear water, abundant marine life and the most popular destination in the world for scuba diving and snorkeling. Local fishermen originally gave the island its name because they believed the shape of the island resembled a turtle when approached by sea from the south. At approximately 21 square kilometers, Koh Tao is a very small island. In fact, when displayed on Google Maps, the location pin is often bigger than the island itself.

Tourism & Scuba Diving on Koh Tao

With a full-time local population of only a couple of thousand people, the economy on Koh Tao is based almost exclusively on tourism and scuba diving. While our small island is less developed than neighbouring Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, it is certainly more charming, one of the reasons why it is the perfect place to do your scuba diving instructor course in Thailand. With over 50 dive centres on the island Koh Tao certifies approximately 80,000 scuba divers per year. This presents lots of opportunities for you to connect with other divers, make new friends, and find employment after you have completed your PADI Instructor Development Course. Completing PADI scuba training on Koh Tao is a bit like taking an immersive language course. We live, eat, and breathe scuba diving on Koh Tao. And you will too.

Amazing Viewpoints on Koh Tao

And Koh Tao is not just scuba diving. The island boasts some great viewpoints and nature trails for those that like to explore and be close to nature, and the island has many shallow bays that are perfect to snorkel or swim. For the more active minded Koh Tao has a variety of gyms offering boxing, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, MMA, HITT classes, core strength training, yoga and much more, not to mention a Trapeze and even a shooting range.

Cafes & Beachside Restaurants

The island has a vibrant café and beachside restaurant scene, boasting some great tea and coffeeshops, tasty French & Danish pastries, and delicious food & drink from all over the world including Japanese, Korean, Italian, French and of course our personal favourite is Thai cuisine.

Accomodation

Koh Tao is a popular destination for all types of global travellers, and it is especially popular with scuba divers and snorkelers. The island offers a relaxed atmosphere and a wide variety of accommodation options, from budget-friendly hostels to luxurious resorts. So, when you are not diving, and not on your PADI Instructor Development Course, there is still lots to do on Koh Tao to keep you occupied.

Things you can do on Koh Tao

Scuba diving and snorkeling in Koh Tao

Scuba diving and snorkeling: Koh Tao is one of the best places in the world to learn to dive, and it also has the most beautiful dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand. You can see a wide variety of marine life, including whalesharks, sharks, turtles, pelagics and an abundance of reef fish.

Hiking and exploring in Koh Tao

Hiking and exploring: Koh Tao is a small island, but there are still some great hiking trails to explore. You can hike to the top of all the best viewpoints on Koh Tao or hike to the beaches on the south, north, west or east coast.

Relaxing on the beach in Koh Tao

Relaxing on the beach: Koh Tao has some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. You can relax on the beach, swim in the ocean, Paddleboard, Kayak or go for a walk along the beach. Koh Tao is a great choice for aspiring Divemaster candidates and PADI Dive Instructor candidates, who want the best training and who want to live the tropical island lifestyle. If you are looking for an amazing, relaxing, and adventurous destination, to take your PADI Instructor Development course, Koh Tao is the best choice in Thailand.

How to get to Koh Tao for my Diving Instructor Course?

Koh Tao is not a difficult place to get to, however, it is also not the easiest. That would be another reason why we think that Koh Tao is the perfect place to do a diving instructor course in Thailand. One thing that tourists notice all the time is that there are no large commercial planes that overfly the island. That is because there is no airport on Koh Tao. You cannot access the island directly by air and the closest airports to Koh Tao are on Koh Samui, and in Surat Thani and Chumphon on the mainland.

High Speed Ferries to Koh Tao

The only way to access Koh Tao is by ferry boat. The primary ferry company for transportation between the Gulf islands is Lomprayah, a highly-established ferry company that has been moving people between the islands for over 20 years and they are typically the top choice for tourists. Lomprayah has large catamaran-style boats that are comfortable, very seaworthy, and offer both air-conditioned and open-air sitting areas. They depart from Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Chumphon.

Night Boats to Koh Tao

Alternatively, there are comfortable night boats, with sleeping compartments that depart from Surat Thani or Chumphon most nights. These will arrive on Koh Tao early in the morning. Do you have questions or concerns about getting to Koh Tao? We have been travelling these waters for over 25 years and we are experts on travelling to and from Koh Tao. Get in touch with us today and let us bring some good visibility to your travel plans.

When is the best time to take a Diving Instructor Course in Thailand?

The truth is that anytime is a good time to do a scuba diving instructor course in Thailand. Absolutely anytime is the perfect moment to make a choice that will forever change the direction of your life. When it comes to weather and general diving conditions, the nicest months of the year are usually from January to roughly around September. During this part of the year rain is infrequent and the conditions on our local dive sites can be fantastic.

Learn to teach Scuba Diving in all of Koh Tao Weather

Completing your PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Course in clear, calm conditions can be an incredible experience — especially when accompanied by exceptional marine life encounters such as whale shark sightings. However, while training during the best seasonal conditions offers enjoyable and comfortable diving, some of the most valuable professional experience can often be gained during the monsoon season.

During monsoon periods in Koh Tao, diving conditions can become more challenging and unpredictable. Water visibility may reduce significantly, currents can vary, and temperatures may drop to around 24–26°C. While these conditions can be more demanding, they also provide aspiring dive professionals with important real-world experience that helps build confidence, adaptability, and professional competence.

Learning to teach in a variety of environmental conditions prepares instructors to work safely and effectively regardless of weather or dive site conditions. Developing this level of experience is an important part of becoming a confident and reliable dive professional.

It is common within the diving industry to encounter dive professionals who avoid working in less-than-perfect conditions due to limited experience or lack of confidence. By training across a range of diving environments and weather conditions, instructors develop the ability to adapt, problem solve, and maintain high teaching standards even when conditions are more challenging.

Gaining experience in varied conditions ultimately provides greater confidence, stronger leadership skills, and more control over your professional diving career — rather than allowing the weather to dictate your capabilities as an instructor.

Can I do a Dive Instructor Internship in Thailand?

Not only CAN you do a dive instructor internship in Thailand, but we strongly encourage it. Like any precise skill, scuba diving takes practice to master. While experienced scuba divers may make things like buoyancy control look like a piece of cake, their execution of these skills is perfect only because they have had lots of practice. Being a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor means you need to be in total control of yourself underwater, and you also need to teach and demonstrate underwater scuba skills while still maintaining complete underwater control of your students. This takes practice.

Becoming a PADI Diving Instructor on Koh Tao

Teaching scuba diving is also quite different from working as a professional PADI divemaster. Experienced PADI Scuba Instructors know how to teach PADI courses to high organizational standards, whilst teaching in their own style. Just like a brand-new elementary teacher will not be the students favourite on their first day, a new PADI Scuba Instructor will need to practice and perhaps an opportunity to learn from a mentor before they can be fully comfortable in all teaching situations. This is why a team-teaching Scuba Internship is your best option to fully prepare you to teach medium to large groups of divers.

Diving Instructor Team Teaching with a Mentor

Working alongside a more experienced ‘mentor’ Instructor, we build up your skill level and confidence, at your own pace, as you participate in briefings and debriefings, demonstrations and problem solving with real life students. Your mentor Instructor will look after time management, and ensure everything stays on schedule whilst helping you to develop your newly learned Instructor skills and techniques.

Diving Instructor Internships in Thailand

Your team-teaching Internship will give you the benefit of team-teaching several Open Water courses, and some continuing education courses such as the Advanced or Rescue courses. Once you have completed the Diving Instructor Internship you will be much more comfortable teaching your own multiple student groups to the high Black Turtle training standards.

Choose a PADI Dive Centre in Thailand that works for you

Choosing a PADI Dive Centre can be almost as tricky as choosing a university. Most can look spectacular from their online presence and all are competing to attract new tourists and scuba diving enthusiasts. It is important to remember when you are looking for a suitable provider for a diving instructor course in Thailand, you find an organization you can trust to train you properly. Properly means not just to the standards expected by PADI, but above and beyond these minimum standards to ensure both you and your future students are safe while underwater.

Support for PADI IDC Candidates

It is important you find a dive centre and PADI Course Director that will continue to support you, and offer advice long after you have completed the PADI Instructor training course with them. Look for a PADI dive centre in Thailand that is recognized by PADI as one of the best scuba training locations in the world. A dive centre that has received awards to recognize the quality of their training programs, their commitment to the environment and the excellence of their customer service. Black Turtle Dive is one of those highly-awarded dive shops. We are a PADI 5-Star Career Development Center that is also 100% PADI AWARE, holds the Green Star Award and is a certified Green Fins member.

Protecting our Marine Environment

We also offer our Reef Ecology and Marine Conservation Training program (REACT), a Conservation focused education training program written by Marine Scientists and offered through Conservation Diver, a marine science training agency, so we have ECO going on every day at our dive centre. Black Turtle Dive is also the home of Matt Bolton, one of the most dedicated and accredited PADI Course Directors and scuba diving industry consultants in the world. A multi award winning Platinum PADI Course Director since the awards inception in 2006, Matt has been awarded PADI’s Outstanding Contribution to Instructor Development on two occasions and PADI’s Outstanding Contribution to Diver training on multiple occasions.

Outstanding Contributions to Instructor Development Awards

Matt has been living and working on Koh Tao for over 25 years and has brought several marine conservation initiatives to the island and raised the general PADI teaching standards for the entire island. Matt’s core team consists of two PADI Course Directors, Lucas Levy and Course Director Kieran Hooley, both of whom have been involved in training PADI Professionals for many years. Our pro level staff team and senior trainers also includes multiple Staff Instructors (IDCSI), additional Master Instructors (MI’s), who have all completed their training in-house to a very high standard. We actively encourage continued personal development for all of our OWSI Instructors through MSDT, IDCS and MI, in addition to differentiating themselves with marine conservation specialty course teaching certifications. This makes the Black Turtle Dive IDC Team the most experienced Professional level training team in Thailand. Do not accept anything less than quality training over a price point.

Best PADI Diving Instructor Course in Thailand

Our PADI Instructor Development Course is run and managed by one of the most respected PADI Course Directors in the whole scuba diving industry. With over 50 years of combined industry expertise teaching at all levels of the PADI education system, many awards for the quality of training and the contributions to the scuba diving industry, our PADI IDC team is unmatched for experience and achievements in Instructor Development. On top of that, as a 5-Star PADI Career Development Centre, Black Turtle Dive is recognized by PADI as one of the top places in the world to start a new career as a PADI Diving Instructor. Still not convinced that we are the right choice for your diving instructor dreams? Come and join us on Koh Tao to complete your PADI diving instructor course in Thailand and change your life for the better. If you are on Koh Tao and want to discuss your IDC options, please send a contact form or stop by our office in Mae Haad and introduce yourself.