Instructor Development Course & PADI Instructor Exam -- July 2008

For six months Tom Badstubner watched as fellow interns joined Aquanauts, toiled through their PADI Instructor Development Course and became new Open Water Scuba Instructors. Working his way from uncertified diver to professional, he had to wait six months.

But his patience was rewarded July 20 when he and fellow interns A.J. Rankin and Jenny Darby all sailed through their Instructor Exam and earned their OWSI certification. "It was a long six months," Tom said. "But it was worth it."

It was a small, but stellar class of IDC candidates. A.J., an American, and Jenny, from the U.K., had been with Aquanauts for four months. Rankin will be continuing his training and become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with Aquanauts.

Badstubner, of South African and German descent, came to Aquanauts just after the New Year and will stay on through the IDC Staff Instructor level.

This month's Instructor Exam now makes it 25 for 25 instructor exam candidates who have passed and become instructors. Aquanauts is the only professional training program with a perfect track record for 2008 and has the best overall pass rate of any school in Central Thailand.

This IDC was staffed by Course Director Roger Smith, Master Instructor Gary Tytler and IDC Staff Instructor Sally Rathbone.

Instructor Gallery

Click a year and month below to see photos and stories of previous Aquanauts interns on their PADI Instructor Exam and IDCs.