PADI Instructor Update & Refresher Course – Koh Tao

Return to Teaching or Refresh Your Instructor Skills with IDC Koh Tao

Have you been away from scuba diving for a while? Has your PADI Instructor membership lapsed, or are you simply looking to refresh your teaching knowledge and skills?

At IDC Koh Tao, we can help you understand what is required to return to teaching and provide the training and support you need to feel confident getting back into the water.

Whether you’ve been away from teaching for a few months or several years, returning to the industry can feel a little daunting. PADI standards, teaching materials and training techniques may have changed since you last taught a course.

Our experienced PADI Course Director team can help you work out the most appropriate way forward.

Returning to Teaching as a PADI Instructor

If your PADI Instructor membership has lapsed or you’ve been inactive for some time, the process of returning to teaching will depend on your individual circumstances.

Factors that may affect the requirements include:

• How long your PADI membership has been inactive or lapsed.
• When you last held Teaching status.
• How long you’ve been away from diving and teaching.
• Any changes to PADI standards, procedures or training materials during that time.
• Any additional requirements PADI may specify before restoring your Teaching status.

Not every Instructor will need to follow the same process.

Before arranging any training, we can help you establish your current status with PADI and identify the steps required to return to teaching.

Depending on your circumstances, this may involve completing required updates, reviewing current teaching standards or undertaking a full Instructor Development Course and Instructor Examination again.

Our aim is to make the process as straightforward as possible while ensuring you’re properly prepared to return to teaching.

PADI IDC Update – Attend an Instructor Development Course Again

Even if your PADI membership is current, you may feel that you would benefit from refreshing your knowledge and teaching techniques.

At IDC Koh Tao, we offer qualified PADI Instructors the opportunity to attend our Instructor Development Course (IDC) again as an update and refresher.

This gives you the chance to revisit the training you originally completed to become an Instructor, while learning about current teaching methods, standards and procedures.

Rather than simply studying independently, you’ll be able to participate in an active IDC alongside new Instructor candidates and our experienced Course Director team.

What Can You Expect During Your IDC Update?

Depending on your experience and the areas you would like to focus on, your update can include:

• PADI Standards and Procedures: Review current standards, course requirements and important updates. Our six reasons for choosing PADI covers why the system is structured the way it is.
• Knowledge Development: Refresh your understanding of teaching presentations, student learning and effective communication. Our ten teaching tips for new Instructors is a useful starting point.
• Confined Water Training: Revisit skill demonstrations, student evaluation, positioning and effective teaching techniques.
• Open Water Training: Review how to organise and conduct Open Water training dives, manage students and evaluate performance.
• Dive Theory: Refresh your knowledge of Physics, Physiology, Equipment, Decompression Theory and the Recreational Dive Planner, and Skills & Environment. Our Study Hub resources cover each of these areas.
• Neutral Buoyancy Workshops: Develop your demonstration skills and explore our approach to teaching skills while neutrally buoyant.
• Practical Teaching Experience: Participate in training sessions and receive constructive feedback from our Course Director team, including team teaching alongside experienced Instructors.

One of the benefits of attending another IDC is the opportunity to look at familiar subjects from a different perspective.

You may already have years of experience teaching students, but working alongside other professionals can introduce you to different methods and approaches that you can incorporate into your own teaching.

Is an IDC Update Right for You?

Our Instructor Update program may be suitable if:

• You’re a PADI Instructor returning to the diving industry after an extended break.
• Your PADI membership has lapsed and you want help understanding the requirements to return.
• You’re an active Instructor who hasn’t taught courses for some time.
• You completed your original IDC several years ago and would like to become familiar with current teaching methods.
• You want to improve your confidence in confined or open water teaching.
• You’re interested in developing your teaching techniques and learning from other experienced professionals.

If you are already teaching and looking to add to what you can offer, you may also want to look at the Master Scuba Diver Trainer program or Specialty Instructor training, which can be combined with an update.

Why Choose IDC Koh Tao for Your Instructor Update?

Our Instructor Development programs are led by our experienced Platinum PADI Course Director team, including Matt Bolton and Kieran Beard Hooley. We have been involved in developing dive professionals on Koh Tao for many years.

We place particular emphasis on practical teaching, student management, demonstration-quality skills and neutral buoyancy.

Our approach is not simply about passing examinations. We want Instructors to understand why they teach in a particular way and develop the confidence to adapt their teaching to different students and situations.

By joining one of our monthly IDCs, you’ll have the opportunity to learn alongside other professionals, refresh your knowledge and develop your teaching in a supportive environment.

How Long Does an Instructor Update Take?

This depends on what you need.

If you’re returning to teaching after a period of inactivity, we’ll first help you identify the requirements that apply to your PADI membership status.

For Instructors who want to attend our IDC as a refresher, we can discuss whether joining the entire program or focusing on particular training sessions would be most beneficial.

We conduct IDCs every month on Koh Tao, giving you several opportunities throughout the year to join our training. Current dates are listed on our PADI IDC schedule.

How Much Does the PADI Instructor Update Cost?

The cost will depend on the training required and whether you would like to attend the full IDC or selected sessions. Our course prices page lists our standard pro-level training costs, and our breakdown of the real cost of becoming a PADI Instructor on Koh Tao covers the fees that sit outside course prices.

PADI Membership & Digital Materials

If your PADI Instructor membership has lapsed, you’ll first need to arrange payment of the applicable PADI membership fees.

Once your membership has been processed, you’ll be able to access the updated digital training materials available through your PADI account.

This is an important first step, as we want you to be working with the most current PADI standards, procedures and teaching materials throughout your training.

Depending on how long you’ve been inactive, PADI may also require you to complete additional steps before your Teaching status can be restored. We can help you establish exactly what applies to your situation.

Physical Instructor Materials

You’ll also need to have a complete and up-to-date set of the required physical Instructor teaching materials, including the relevant PADI cue cards. These are listed on our PADI education materials page.

If you completed your original IDC several years ago, some of your existing materials may no longer be current.

Before your training begins, we’ll help you identify which materials you already have and which may need updating or replacing.

Having the correct materials means you can fully participate in the practical teaching sessions and become familiar with the resources you’ll be using when you return to teaching.

Any PADI membership, reinstatement or other applicable fees are separate and will depend on your individual circumstances.

Contact us with a little information about your Instructor history and what you would like to achieve, and we’ll help you work out the most suitable option.

Planning Your Stay on Koh Tao

If you are travelling to join an update, it is worth planning the practical side early. Our guide to living on Koh Tao for three months covers accommodation, daily costs and what to expect from island life, and our lifestyle packages combine training with accommodation if you would rather arrange both together.