Course Director

PADI Course Director is the highest and most respected professional rating in recreational scuba diving, held by Master Instructors who go on to train the next generation of PADI Instructors themselves. Where most instructor-level roles focus on teaching divers, a Course Director teaches other instructors, running Instructor Development Courses and other instructor-level training that shapes standards across the whole industry.

Getting there is not simply a matter of enrolling. Entry is earned by securing a place on a Course Director Training Course, or CDTC, through a genuinely competitive application process that examines your diving and teaching experience alongside your training goals and readiness for the role. It reflects just how much responsibility comes with the rating.

To be considered, you need to already hold PADI Master Instructor status with solid teaching experience and prior IDC assisting experience behind you, along with an EFR Instructor Trainer rating. You will also need at least two hundred and fifty logged dives and practical experience working within a PADI Dive Centre or Resort, all of which demonstrate the depth of background expected at this level.

For instructors who reach this point, Course Director represents the culmination of years of professional development, and our team at Diving Academy is genuinely proud to support ambitious instructors as they work toward it.