SDI Open Water SCUBA Diver Instructor (OWSDI)

The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor (OWSDI) course is designed to teach current Divemasters or Assistant Instructors certified with a recognized dive training organization the knowledge to effectively function as an open water scuba diver instructor. This program is divided into two sections, an instructor development course (IDC) and an instructor evaluation course (IEC).

What you can expect to learn

The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

  • SDI Standards and Procedures
  • History of SDI
  • Products and procedures
    • How to place an order
    • Registration procedures
    • Yearly renewals
  • Liability and insurance
    • Risk management
    • Waivers and releases
  • Filling out an accident report
  • Methods of instruction
    • Teaching theory, methods and oral communications
    • Lesson preparation
    • Use of training aids
    • SDI home study program, use of knowledge quest
  • Successfully selling scuba
    • Budgeting courses
    • Recruiting students
    • Organizing and scheduling a course
    • Retail sales
  • Instructor ethics
  • Physics and physiology of diving

Course Equipment Requirements

  • Basic open water scuba equipment for diving leaders

Course Prerequisites

  • Minimum age 18
  • Certified diver for a minimum of 6 months
  • Proof of 100 logged dives completed in a number of different environments with varying depths
  • Be certified as a SDI Divemaster, SDI Assistant Instructor, or equivalent
  • DA requires a rec or tech pass in GUE Fundies
  • Provide proof of current CPR, first aid and oxygen provider

Note: FRTI Adult, Child, & Infant Emergency Care & Oxygen Provider programs may be combined with the SDI Divemaster program.

Over the last 20 years of teaching Open Water Instructor programs, we have noticed lack of consistency in diving skills to the standard that DA has always required of our dive pros. Most often, these divers were lacking in the fundamental diving skills, such as:

  • Equipment configuration and use (we teach all our SDI Open Water Students in a backplate and wing)
  • Trim and buoyancy
  • Propulsion techniques including backwards kick
  • Valve management
  • Gas sharing
  • SMB deployment

The Open Water Instructor program should be about learning how to work with divers, teach new skills and most importantly how to evaluate and provide feedback to divers who are trying to learn and improve. Through dozens of Instructor Development and Instructor Evaluation programs, we came to the conclusion that we needed to require more of the students coming into the professional level training so that we could spend the allotted time focusing on what professional level training should be about.

The GUE Fundies training has explicitly defined and objectively measurable standards. Requiring that our students enter any professional level course with a GUE Fundies rec or tech pass, was the most effective way to ensure that all students are diving and operating at a minimum level of proficiency and competency before beginning their professional training.

Want to know more?

Ask more questions or schedule any of these courses Email Us.