HOW TO BEST PREPARE

As you are on the way to do your IDC here in Thailand, with Alain, you might ask yourself how to best prepare for it. Well, you probably heard from your instructor or friends that “The IDC… That was easy.” or “The IDC… That was my most difficult course.” In fact an IDC is really demanding and all will depend on the previous courses, the Instructors teaching those and your own preparation before the IDC starts….

You have many ways to get ready, like attending an Assistant Instructor course here in Phuket, wait couple of weeks/months before continuing with the OWSI and IE or you can follow my recommendations below, and complete a full IDC in one time here in Thailand. Why? Because everything you’ll learn, will be fresh in your head for the Instructor Examination.

DIVING THEORY

Well, this is where usually candidates have problems, especially with the following topics: (Physics, Physiology, Equipment, RDP and Skills and Environment)

1. Go over the Instructor manual, Divemaster section and read the knowledge development part for the 5 topics mentionned above.
2. Work into your Diving Knowledge Workbook, read, answer and understand the questions as you should be able to explain it to someone else. Have a look at the last few pages of the same PADI manual, you will find some IE questions.
3. Work through the Rescue and the Divemaster A&B Exams. However as you will not have the answers from these exams, please contact me as early as possible so I can check your progression.

SYSTEM, STANDARDS & PROCEDURES

This part will take you some times as you are required to do some self study before attending an AI or the IDC.

1. The independent study takes place in your Instructor Candidate Workbook, First Tab. You will have to complete the 16 Knowledge Reviews by reading articles in the Best of the Undersea Journal and / or the PADI Instructor manual.
2. Few weeks prior the IDC starts and your venue in Thailand, I will send for those who booked the course, a home made study tool. It will not only help you to know how to use your manual but it also refers to real life scenario. You'll have to defend your position as Instructor in the Phuket dive’s industry by finding the answers of these problems.

KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT

Even if you are to learn how to prepare Knowledge Development on the AI and the OWSI portions, what can you do, to know more about the topics: well…not that much, but you can read again the Open Water Diver Manual and the knowledge reviews…For the Adventures in Diving manual (AOWD) just read over the Deep Dive, Underwater Navigation and the Search & Recovery topics…In the Rescue Manual cover the all book and the knowledge reviews…Divemaster manual, well, only chapter 2,3 and 5….

If you have plenty of time to prepare and you have a confined water environment near bye, you can review your demonstrations. Go over the Open Water course skills and do a Rescue refresher as you will have all these skills at the IDC…Don’t worry we have plenty of time for this, but…..

DON'T FORGET...PREPARE YOURSELF...