IDC Hints Tips
Hints and Tips for your PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC)
Your IDC is getting closer and closer. after all this waiting, planning and training you have found that you have only days to go before the start of your IDC which means it’s even less time before the start of the PADI IDC Prep, that means you should be preparing yourself by revising your dive theory, practising your presentation and demonstration skills, preparing your dive equipment and getting those final bits and pieces together ready for the most important time in your diving career up to now.
The key to a fun, relaxed and successful IDC is to be properly prepared.
We will assume you have exchanged loads of e-mail with your course director and he has confirmed your place and he knows if you are arriving by plane or other means and he knows your flight numbers and times.
It’s common that your fellow IDC students, if taken in a dive or holiday resort, will have a wide variety of dive experience and come from many different backgrounds which all makes for a very interesting IDC. Take advantage of all these great people you are going to be exposed to by learning from them about their backgrounds and diving knowledge. It’s possible that you will learn loads from your fellow students and probably make friends for life on your IDC.
IDC Preparation
First thing is to make sure that you are 100% happy with and understand all of your PADI dive theory, paying particular attention to Physics and Physiology, as this is what more candidates fail IEs on worldwide than any other component of the IE. This is important as you don’t get taught the dive theory on the IDC Prep or IDC but you will only have the opportunity to go over questions you don’t get correct in the quizzes / tests on the IDC. To reemphasis dive theory is from the Divemaster course and will not be taught on your IDC as you will be expected to attend your IDC with this knowledge.
Go through your PADI Encyclopaedia of Recreational Diving and your Diving Knowledge Workbooks and if you’re not sure of something, ask your local dive club instructor to help you out.
If you are doing the IDC Prep you will be doing a dive theory review including a set of exams during it. But you shouldn’t forget that you still need to know the dive theory before you get to your PADI IDC prep / IDC, read more about preparing for your PADI IDC.
PADI Materials
You will be taking your IDC using the 2010 IDC Curriculum and the new 2010 IDC materials, the required materials for this are very different from those used in the past, you will now have the new 160 page Instructor manual (as opposed to the 1,200 page one) and the IDC Candidate Workbook has been withdrawn and in its place comes “The Guide to Teaching”, it’s all very different, so if you do not yet have your 2010 Instructor manual please log onto the PADI Pros website and download it, you can then either use it on your laptop, or if you are not bringing a laptop computer with you, then please print it and you can then put in the front section of your “Guide to Teaching” If you are not renewed with PADI you will not have access to the PADI Pros website so you will need to buy a copy of the paper version from your local dive club, the internet or from your Course Director directly.
You will need to make sure your Instructor manuals are 100% up to date with the latest quarterly training bulletins, good advice would be to read through all the Training Bulletins again to refresh you of what has been going on.
If you do not yet have your DM certification processed by PADI and your DM number you will not be able to access the PADI Pros website to get access the previous year’s Training Bulletins, if it’s been a couple of weeks since your DM and your Instructor tells you he has sent off your paperwork you can email your local PADI office.
If you have yet to receive your DM number by the time you leave for your IDC bring with you a photocopy of your Divemaster application so this can be included in your IDC / IE paperwork, your course director will be able to get it processed during the IDC.
Get in pool for your Skill Demonstrations
Remember it’s not enough to be able just to do the skill, as with your Divemaster course, you will need to be able to demonstrate that skill, Your IDC is exactly the same demonstration criteria as in your DM course.
If you’re not too sure how good your pool skills and demonstrations are, ask your dive club instructor to have a look at you.
You will cover skill demonstrations on the IDC Prep before the start of the IDC, One of the aims of the IDC is to develop your demonstration abilities so don’t worry if you’re not as good as other experienced Instructors. Skills that you should concentrate on are hovering and Alternative air source and ensure than you can hover completely motionless for 60 seconds and that you can do a fin pivot on your fin tips you can demonstrate your weight-belt replace and removal.
You will have a number of skills that you will be teaching on the IDC and on the IE from the PADI Rescue Diver Course so it’s a good idea to assist on a Rescue course if you can as well as going through all the Rescue Diver Course skills if time permits.
You will have the ever popular Rescue Exercise number 7 to practice, remember that on the IDC you will be taught BOTH Mouth to Mask and Mouth to Mouth.
Other Tips for your IDC
Medical remember you need to have a PADI medical signed by a Physician within the past 12 months, in some resorts you can get one done locally very cheaply. As long as you are healthy and have time to get one done in your IDC resort there’s no need to spend a huge amount having one done before you arrive.
Certification cards remember you need all your PADI / non-PADI cert cards, your course director will need the PADI certification numbers, Instruction numbers and Dive Centre numbers. If you don’t have them you can get them off the PADI website.
You need to provide photo-copies of ALL non-PADI certs.
If you are using a Digital Instructor manual, or an instructor manual printed from your CD, you do NOT need to bring the original CD-room with you to the IDC and IE.
The Digital Instructor Manual which is free with PADI annual renewal will not be allowed to be used at the Instructor Examination.
CPR You must have CPR & First Aid training within the past 24 months, if you don’t have it; you need to attend a refresher course, which is included in the IDC Prep.
Photos / Log Book You will also need to bring along 4 passport photos on Day number 1 of the IDC, your log book with proof of 100 logged dives.
If you intend taking the IDC Prep then if you’re lucky your Course Director will incorporate the EANx diver course for free along with the DAN / PADI Oxygen Provider Course. This will involve repeating some of your dive theory (Physics and Physiology – Dalton’s and Boyle’s Law and CNS and Pulmonary Toxicity) which is all good for your revision.
Things to tell your Course Director
- Confirm your exact flight details with them.
- Confirm your resort address / hotel name
- Do you need airport pickup?
- What PADI materials do you need?
- Any special diet requirements