I’ve just received an email from PADI informing me that once again I have been awarded the prestigious “Platinum Course Director” status. Every year since it’s inception, I have reached this highest level of recognition. Now, I’m in an elite group of only 73 Course Directors worldwide.
What does Platinum Mean?
PADI Instructors Ready for a new and exciting life
But should I be proud of this? The award is given depending on how many certifications that I issue each year. Essentially, how many new PADI Instructors that I create each year.
The award has nothing to do with quality, nothing to do with the high success of new Instructors in the “real world” following their time at the “Prior Knowledge” academy, and nothing to do with the positive attitudes created on my IDCs.
It’s certainly flattering for me to be labeled “Platinum” but what else does it mean?
Why is it important for you to be taught by a Platinum Course Director?
PADI IDC Staff Instructor! after 5 short months!
Like anything in life, it’s important that you get the very best quality for your money. The PADI Instructor Development Course is the most important Scuba Diving course that divers will ever take. So it’s essential that the Course Director is “Match Fit” and is fully prepared for the ever changing needs of the modern PADI Instructor.
My pride doesn’t come from seeing people pass an Instructor Exam – that’s easy!!
My pride comes much more from seeing the success of my past IDC Candidates in the months and years following their Instructor Exam.
My pride comes from the many emails that I recieve telling me how they have progressed using the techniques that they learned.
My pride comes from the statistic that nearly 40 pct of all candidates that I teach reach PADI IDC Staff Instructor Course status.
My pride comes every time that I see my past Instructors teaching their own students.
My pride comes from seeing my past IDC Candidates truly changing their lives, and truly changing the lives of other people.
Why is our PADI IDC different from others?
People who come along on a PADI IDC are trained to a very high standard and fully prepared to work as a modern PADI Instructor in today’s world. The candidates are taught skills to communicate with all of their students in a fun, effective and efficient way to help divers learn quickly and with little fuss. Our candidates are taught psychological teaching techniques that “Cut of the Crap” of widespread negative teaching methods and replace them with Life Skill methods to make teaching diving the most wonderful profession on this planet!
So. AM I proud to be a PADI Platinum Course Director every year since 2005?
Damned right I am!!! My only passion is that I teach the very best Instructor Development Courses that people can get – anywhere in the world! That’s my only aim in my professional life. I could not do that if I only taught a handful of people each year, or if I only taught a couple of IDCs a year. It’s important that I reach Platinum Status.
Every single PADI IDC that I teach is different to the last one. It has to be! For a start, every IDC has different people on it – they have to be treated like individuals. Not only that, the PADI examiners are forever changing the emphasis for the Exam – rightly so! It’s a dynamic industry. It’s important for the Course Director to have their finger on the pulse. Lastly, the world is always changing, learning to become a 2012 PADI Instructor is so very “Last Year!”