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PADI Diving Instructor Course (IDC) in Alicante

Turn your passion for diving into your profession.

We do not want to prepare you merely to pass an exam. We want to prepare you to be an instructor.

Take your PADI Instructor Development Course in Santa Pola, Alicante, under the guidance of a PADI Course Director and within a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center.

From Divemaster to PADI Instructor

Becoming a PADI Instructor means far more than earning a new certification. It means learning to teach, to manage students, to solve problems and to inspire confidence. Above all, it means turning your passion for the ocean into a profession that can take you to work anywhere in the world.

The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is the programme that prepares diving professionals to become PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors. During your training you will learn to develop and organise PADI courses, deliver academic presentations, teach skills in confined and open water, work with PADI standards and manage the real situations you will encounter as an instructor.

Your PADI professional pathway

The complete pathway, step by step, from the first professional level to the higher levels of Instructor Development.

01 · Divemaster

The first PADI professional level. Learn to supervise diving activities, assist instructors and develop the skills required to work within a dive centre. It is the mandatory starting point: you can see it in detail on the PADI Divemaster course.

02 · IDC Prep

Arrive at the IDC fully prepared. We will review dive theory, demonstration-quality skills, rescue exercises and any areas you need to reinforce before beginning your instructor training.

03 · PADI IDC

This is where your transformation from Divemaster to dive educator begins. We will work on academic presentations, confined water teaching, open water teaching, PADI standards, risk management, problem solving and professional development.

04 · Instructor Examination

After successfully completing your IDC you will be able to sit the PADI Instructor Examination (IE). This is the moment to demonstrate everything you have learned.

05 · PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

This is where your career truly begins. As a PADI Instructor you will be able to start training new divers and building your professional experience within the diving industry. But your training does not have to end here.

06 · Specialty Instructor / MSDT

Develop your professional profile by becoming an instructor in a range of PADI specialities and continue progressing towards higher professional levels.

Why take your IDC with Dive Academy?

We are the only centre in the area that trains instructors. These are the reasons why national and international candidates choose to develop their professional training here.

Training led by a PADI Course Director

Your training will be led personally by a PADI Course Director, the professional level responsible for training future PADI Instructors.

We do not train you to pass. We train you to teach

Passing the IE matters, but our goal goes much further. We want you to finish your training feeling ready to walk into a dive centre and start working as an instructor.

Real dive centre experience

Your training takes place inside a working dive centre. Courses, students, boats, logistics, equipment and real situations are part of our daily routine. You will learn not only how to teach diving, but also how the industry really works.

Customized training

Every candidate arrives at the IDC with different experience. That is why we will identify your strengths and the areas you need to improve, helping you build confidence ahead of the Instructor Examination.

Training in Spanish and English

We prepare national and international candidates and can deliver the training in either Spanish or English.

The Mediterranean and the Tabarca Marine Reserve

Our location in Santa Pola allows us to combine professional training with some of the finest diving environments on the Costa Blanca.

Your PADI Course Director: Christian Llácer

PADI Course Director · Marine biologist · Founder of Dive Academy Santa Pola

My relationship with the ocean began long before I turned to diving professionally. After studying Biology and specialising in the marine environment, I discovered that my true vocation lay in fieldwork, education and diving. My professional career has taken me to train and work in different parts of the world, until I developed Dive Academy Santa Pola as a centre specialising in PADI education. Becoming a PADI Course Director allows me to take the next step: training the next generation of instructors.

“My goal during your IDC will not simply be to help you pass the Instructor Examination. It will be to help you become the kind of instructor I would want to work with in my own dive centre.” Welcome to Dive Academy Instructor Development.

Entry requirements for the IDC

To enrol on the PADI Instructor Development Course you must meet the requirements set by PADI:

Be a PADI Divemaster or a certified professional from another recognised organisation.
Be at least 18 years old.
Have been a certified diver for at least 6 months.
60 logged dives to start the IDC and 100 to sit the Instructor Examination.
CPR and first aid training completed within the last 24 months (EFR or equivalent).
A medical certificate of fitness to dive signed within the last 12 months.

If you are missing any of these requirements, let us know. We can organise the preparatory pathway so that you arrive at the IDC with everything in order, including any dives you still need to log.

More than an IDC

Your professional career does not end when you earn your Instructor certification. At Dive Academy you can continue developing through a range of professional programmes, alongside the rest of our PADI diving courses.

PADI IDC Prep

Preparatory training so you can start your IDC with confidence.

PADI Instructor Development Course

The complete programme for becoming a PADI Instructor.

EFR Instructor

Develop the competencies required to teach Emergency First Response.

PADI Specialty Instructor

Expand the specialities you can teach and build a more complete professional profile.

MSDT Preparation

Continue building experience and specialities on your way to Master Scuba Diver Trainer.

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

Take the next step within Instructor Development and begin taking part in the training of future instructors.

Are you ready to turn diving into your profession?

Every instructor started exactly where you are now. With experience. With a passion for diving. And wondering what the next step would be. We will help you with the rest.

Next PADI IDC in Santa Pola, Alicante. Limited places.

Frequently asked questions about the diving instructor course

What do I need in order to take the PADI IDC?

You must be a PADI Divemaster or a certified professional from another recognised organisation, be at least 18 years old, have been a certified diver for at least 6 months and hold CPR and first aid training from the last 24 months, as well as a medical certificate of fitness to dive.

How many dives do I need to take the IDC?

You need 60 logged dives to start the IDC and 100 to sit the Instructor Examination. If you are short, we will organise a preparatory pathway so you can complete them before you begin.

Does the IDC include the Instructor Examination?

No. The IDC is the training, while the Instructor Examination is the official exam organised and assessed by PADI, with separate registration and fees. During the IDC we prepare you specifically to pass it.

Can I take the IDC in English?

Yes. We prepare national and international candidates and deliver the full training in either Spanish or English.

What is the difference between a Divemaster and a PADI Instructor?

A Divemaster supervises diving activities and assists instructors, but cannot certify students. A PADI Instructor can teach and certify complete courses. The Divemaster is the mandatory step before accessing the IDC.