Search & Recovery Diver Instructor Course

Search & Recovery Instructor Course in Koh Tao

Develop advanced problem-solving skills and expand your teaching portfolio with the PADI Search & Recovery Instructor Specialty course at IDC Koh Tao.

Losing an item underwater—whether from a boat or during a dive—is more common than many divers expect. Successfully recovering it requires more than luck. It demands structured planning, effective search techniques, and precise execution. This course teaches you how to turn an unorganised search into a controlled and successful operation.

As a PADI Search & Recovery Instructor, you will be qualified to teach divers how to locate and recover lost objects using proven underwater search patterns, navigation techniques, and lifting methods. This specialty is both challenging and highly rewarding, combining practical skills with real-world application.

Search & Recovery Diving Around Koh Tao

Koh Tao offers the perfect environment for Search & Recovery training. With a wide range of dive sites featuring varied topography, depths, and conditions, it provides ideal scenarios for practicing real-world search and recovery techniques.

During your training, you will conduct structured underwater search patterns using compass and natural navigation. You will also learn how to safely recover objects using lift bags and other techniques suited to different sizes and weights.

These practical sessions allow you to gain hands-on experience in realistic conditions, ensuring you are confident and capable when teaching your own students.

Who Can Enrol on the PADI Search & Recovery Instructor Course?

To enrol in this course, you must be:

• A renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI)

Note: IDC/OWSI candidates may complete the Search & Recovery Instructor training during their IDC but can only apply for certification after successfully passing the PADI Instructor Examination (IE).

To qualify for certification, you must complete training with a PADI Course Director and demonstrate relevant experience. This is a course exit requirement.

What Will You Learn?

This course is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach search and recovery techniques effectively.

During the program, you will:

• Deliver and be evaluated on a knowledge development presentation based on the Search & Recovery Specialty curriculum
• Review PADI Search & Recovery standards, procedures, and course structure
• Learn how to organise and conduct the Search & Recovery Specialty course
• Complete open water training sessions where you will demonstrate, execute, and evaluate student-level search and recovery skills

You will also develop expertise in underwater navigation, search pattern execution, hazard identification, and the safe use of lift equipment.

Upon completion, you will be certified to independently teach the PADI Search & Recovery Diver Specialty course, allowing you to offer a highly practical and skill-based program.

PADI Materials

Please bring the following materials:

• PADI Specialty Instructor Manual (from your IDC Crew Pack)
• PADI Instructor Manual (available as a free download for renewed PADI Members via PADI Pro / MyPADI)

PADI Fees

• PADI Search & Recovery Instructor Application Fee: AUD $145

Why Add the Search & Recovery Instructor Specialty?

Search & Recovery is one of the most practical and skill-focused specialties in diving. It enhances your ability to solve real problems underwater and builds confidence in both you and your students.

Adding this specialty increases your versatility as an instructor, improves your employability, and contributes toward your PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) certification.