Today was the last day of our Assistant Instructor course. This course is the first part of Instructor Development Course (IDC). IDC consists of two parts: the AI course followed by Open Water Scuba Instructor course. Usually they are taken together, but it's possible to do them separately, like we did. AI course focuses on in-water diver control, presentation (or lecture) preparation and conduct. During the course you also learn about PADI programs that can be conducted by Assistant Instructors. This are the same as Divemaster programs plus: Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Photography, Seal Team Missions and Project Aware Specialties. Additionally AIs can asses the surface skills during OWD course and give the lectures during that course. Another important part of the course is about general PADI standards and procedures and particular courses standards.
A part of the course also focuses on demonstrating skills underwater, however unlike the DM which stresses the quality of the demonstration, AI is about maintaining control underwater. The same goes for the open water part of the course: you are assigned two exercises that you must perform with a group of "students". These students are of course your fellow AI trainees or instructors, and each of them is simulating a problem, as assigned by the instructor. These problems range from collecting corals while you're not looking, through loosing parts of equipment, to trying to do an uncontrolled positive buoyancy ascent:) You, as their instructor, must maintain complete control over what they are doing and don't let them do anything stupid. The quality of your briefings and debriefings also gets rated.
At the end your diving knowledge is exam (same as during the divemaster exam).
I feel that during this course I've learned a lot about conducting lectures and presentations and also about diver control. Still, I feel that I need a little bit more experience before signing for my OWSI course and completing the Instructor Examination.
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