PADI MSDT + PADI Staff Dive Instructor Internships

Mermaid's CDC Dive Center Pattaya, Thailand was operated since the late 80's by the late PADI Course Director Stephen Blumenthal - Steve built a great dive training center with dedication to the PADI learning system and quality of training. With an IDC (PADI Instructor Development Course) and PADI IE (PADI Instructor Examination) monthly it is a great place to further qualifications. Being a pro-active CDC (Dive Career Development Center), Mermaids have been recognized by PADI for outstanding commitment to dive career training.

To be trained as a PADI scuba instructor is superb and if your scuba dive training was thorough then you should be looking at a good start to your dive career and find it easy to find a dive job. There's a lot of dive employment out there as the industry grows but employers want the best trained professional divers.

Some new scuba professionals would rather have some experience behind them for confidence prior to approaching possible dive employers for scuba diving employment. They have the scuba diving instructor license but now they feel that they are at the bottom of the list of dive instructors out there as have yet to teach a dive course. This is not always the case as many of the new dive instructors can be more focused on everything in front of them that they need to teach. Many new scuba instructors with no experience will blow you away as their control and knowledge is all 100% fresh and they are really trying to prove something to both themselves and the dive students. In many cases this works very well indeed.

Whilst it is true that you can get to dive work directly from the internship with confidence some do prefer to have real life dive teaching experience under their belts. Please note that the Resort Operations Specialist (ROS) can be added to either the MSDT or the STAFF packages. The Dive Business Management Training program has been designed for those looking at entering the diving industry at management level and secure employment as a dive center manager or dive resort manager.

Mermaid's Dive Center use the superb PADI system and have the PADI MSDT (Master Scuba Diver Trainer) Starter program, the MSDT Diving Life Internship and the PADI Staff instructor programs as internships - please see below:

The “Diving Life” Specialty Diving Instructor (MSDT Starter) Package:

PADI dive instructors enrolling in this option will receive a CD-ROM including 23 PADI Specialty Instructor outlines. Instructors will present lectures to a PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer and field questions pertaining to those dive specialties. The course is designed to prepare you to teach at least 5 PADI Specialty Courses of your choice (extra specialty ratings are available on request).

Some goals you will accomplish:

1. Present Specialty Course lectures to a PADI Course Director (Dive Specialty Instructor Trainer), and discuss standards and marketing for the 5 PADI Specialty Diver Courses.
2. Achieve 5 PADI Specialty Instructor ratings of your choice.

Cost: 30,000 Thai baht - Exchange rate - (in addition to any Mermaid’s IDC Package Fee)

Includes: PADI Fees for 5 Specialty Instructor Courses and 5 Instructor Specialty Outlines.

The PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Certification:

The PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating is awarded to a PADI diving instructor that can teach a minimum of 5 PADI specialty courses and has experience in teaching 25 students dive courses. To hold this qualification demonstrates to a dive employer that you have good experience in teaching and also can teach a range of specialty courses. This makes you more valuable to the dive facility. An employer will feel confident that you can work in diving and teach scuba as you shall have noted experience. Your dive teaching experience can be seen on the PADI Pro web site and hence a dive employer can check your credentials and amount of dive certifications you possess.

The “Diving Life” MSDT Internship – PADI Dive Instructors enrolling in this option will be taken on as part of the Mermaids Dive Center staff for a period of 2 months after the IE and post-IE courses have been completed. 

Mermaids ensure that the MSDT trainee receives experience in teaching diving courses across the board. The MSDT will not teach open water over and over but get to teach all recreational diving courses, specialty courses and even Divemaster. Mermaids ensure that you are prepared for all.

During the 2 months the MSDT will have access to all the benefits of a member of Mermaid's instructor team. Some goals you will be able to accomplish:

1. Record at least 25 PADI teaching certifications.
2. Achieve 5 PADI Specialty Instructor ratings.
3. MSDT or Master Scuba Diver Trainer certification in FULL.
4. Un-limited Diving (usually 60-80 dives).
5. Add 2 month’s diving work experience at a PADI Five Star CDC to your CV.

Cost: 84,800 Thai baht - Exchange rate - (in addition to any Mermaids Group IDC Package Fee).

Includes: 2 month lodgings, 5 PADI Specialty Instructor Outlines and ALL PADI course fees are paid.

The PADI Staff Instructor Certification:

PADI IDC Staff Instructors are PADI MSDT's moving towards instructor-level training or teaching the Instructor Development Course (IDC). IDC Staff Instructors can independently train and certify PADI Assistant Instructors as well as assist to train PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors. At this level you are beginning to direct instructors how to instruct. As an assistant on IDC's you are now very useful to the PADI Course Director. Achieving this level opens up your attractiveness to dive employers in IDC and CDC Centers.

The “Diving Life” IDC Staff Internship / Traineeship. PADI Instructors enrolling in this program will be taken on as part of the Mermaid's Staff for a period of 3 months after the IE and post-IE courses have been completed.  During this time you will have access to all the benefits of a member Mermaid’s instructor team. Some goals you will be able to accomplish:

1. Record at least 25 PADI Certifications.
2. Achieve 5 PADI Specialty Instructor ratings.
3. Achieve the PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) rating. (as above)
4. Achieve the PADI IDC Staff rating.
5. Unlimited diving (usually 80-100 dives).
6. Add 3 months scuba work experience at a PADI Five Star CDC to your diving CV.

Cost: 127,300 Thai baht - Exchange rate -  (in addition to any Mermaids IDC package fee). (Individual cost 66,500 Thai baht - Exchange rate - if not taking the MSDT also).

Includes: 3 months lodgings, 5 PADI Specialty Instructor Outlines, PADI C/W and O/W Evaluation Slates and all PADI Fees for Specialties, MSDT and IDC Staff ratings.

Notes:

- Interns are working on a non-salaried, work for experience, basis ONLY.

- Internship Fees must be paid in full before the start of the PADI IDC.

Scuba Dive Jobs!

All Mermaids Professional divers are entitled to use the Mermaids partnership with 'Divers jobs' for their dive employment assistance. Diversjobs have given Mermaids the edge in gaining suitable dive work and beginning a scuba diving career. An exclusive partnership has been launched with the largest and best maintained database of scuba diving jobs on the web. Dive careers have been launched in Asia, Australia, America and Europe with our special dive job service - this can be used any time after the dive training.