Basic Mermaid Instructor
Dive into teaching the fun, skillful world of mermaiding.
4 days
PADI Certified
Course booking
From
£1,000.00
Need help choosing? Our team can match the course to your experience, goals and confidence level.
PADI 5-Star
Instructor Development Centre
Small Groups
Real Instructor Attention
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Diving Academy
Safety First
Confidence Before Speed
Course overview
What to expect
Basic Mermaid Instructor
Mermaiding is one of the fastest-growing, most joyful corners of the PADI world, and this four-day course hands you the keys to teach it properly. You'll learn to guide complete beginners through monofin technique, undulation, buoyancy and body position, with real emphasis on clear communication and building water confidence from the first session. You'll leave with a complete toolkit for running your own classes, plus a direct route toward full PADI Mermaid Instructor.
In detail
About This Course
The PADI Basic Mermaid Instructor course qualifies you to teach the Basic Mermaid programme, one of the most distinctive and fast-growing offerings in the PADI Mermaid Professional line. Over four days at Diving Academy, you will learn how to guide students safely through beginner mermaiding skills, from monofin technique and undulation to buoyancy and body position, alongside the safety procedures and equipment considerations that keep mermaiding both fun and genuinely safe.
Because mermaiding attracts a wide range of students, many of them new to structured in-water training altogether, this course puts real weight on how to teach clearly and reassuringly, manage a classroom of first-time monofin users, and build the water confidence that Basic Mermaid students need before progressing further. You will leave with a full toolkit for planning, briefing and running Basic Mermaid sessions of your own.
To join, you will need to be a certified PADI Advanced Mermaid or hold a qualifying equivalent certification, along with Emergency First Response training completed within the last 24 months and a current medical statement dated within the past 12 months, reflecting the more involved swimming demands of mermaid training.
Completing Basic Mermaid Instructor is a direct step toward the full PADI Mermaid Instructor rating, opening the door to teaching across the whole Mermaid Professional pathway. For instructors keen to diversify into one of PADI's most engaging newer disciplines, it is a natural and enjoyable place to start.
The process
How The Course Works

Step 1
Instructor Knowledge Development
Classroom sessions walk you through the PADI Mermaid teaching system from the instructor's side of the pool - how to run prescriptive, learner-centred lessons rather than just perform the skills yourself.
PADI states: requires PADI Basic Mermaid, Mermaid and Advanced Mermaid certification, minimum age 18, and current EFR Primary and Secondary Care training

Step 2
Teaching Practicum
You put theory into practice by assisting with a real Discover Mermaid experience and two confined water Mermaid sessions, working directly with students under supervision until your presentations feel second nature.
PADI states: candidates assist a Discover Mermaid course and two confined water sessions

Step 3
Confined Water Teaching Rating
You come out qualified to teach Discover Mermaid and Basic Mermaid entirely in a pool or confined water site - no open water required, which makes it a natural fit for landlocked or remote locations.
Course curriculum
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
- Teaching beginner mermaid skills
- safety procedures for teaching in water
- structuring a mermaid class
Getting ready
Before You Start & What's Next
Prerequisites
- Certified PADI Advanced Mermaid (or qualifying cert)
- EFR within 24 months
- current medical statement within 12 months
Next Steps
- PADI Mermaid Instructor
Upcoming training
Dates & Booking
No fixed dates listed right now
Choose your preferred start date and the academy will confirm instructor availability with you directly.
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Not sure where to start?
We will help you pick the right course, package and dates without making the process feel complicated.
Quick facts
Duration
4 days of structured training
Location
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Certification
Recognised PADI qualification on completion
Have questions?
We're here to help
Our course directors can talk you through Basic Mermaid Instructor, confirm it's the right fit for your experience, and help you find a date that works.
From
£1,000.00
