Instructor Development Course & PADI Instructor Exam - July 2009

Aquanauts' July 2009 IDC students and staff. From left, Master Instructor Gary Tytler, IDC Staff Instructor Meg Smith, new OWSIs Andrew Jennings nad Alison Breeze, and Course Director Roger M. Smith.

Tourists may have been soaking up the sun and partying until dawn, but for Alison Breeze and Andrew Jennings, four months in Pattaya meant getting up at dawn and studying into the night to become scuba diving instructors. This month all their hard work paid off.

Jennings of England and Breeze of Scotland became Aquanauts' latest interns to pass the PADI Instructor Exam, sailing through the three-day exam with near-perfect grades. They are now headed back to the U.K. for a breather before returning to Pattaya later this year to continue their dive education.

“I came here on holiday and didn’t really know what to expect when I signed up,” the 28-year-old Jennings said. “But it turns out to be the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Aquanauts’ management demands excellence from their students, but the results showed on the recent exam. Jennings, for example, posted perfect marks seven of the nine times he faced the marking pen.

This month's success makes it 25 straight months where Aquanauts interns passed the I.E., giving Aquanauts the best pass rate in Central Thailand.

This month's IDC was staffed by Course Director Roger Smith, Master Instructor Gary Tytler and IDC Staff Instructor Meg Smith. See below for photos from the IDC and I.E.

Beautiful blue skies, warm water and tropical islands are what you get when you do your IDC with Aquanauts in Pataya!

Andrew Jennings makes his open water presentation on the Aquanauts boat during the Instructor Development Course.

Alison Breeze shows students what they need to dofor her skill during the IDC.

Judge, jury and executioner: The instructors grade the presentations.

Andrew and Alison during the open water part of the IDC.

The IDC moves on to rescue, with alison playing the "victim" and IDC Staff Instrutor Meg Smith overseeing things.

Now it's Alison's turn. Not her good form, getting her chin right on the pocket mask.

Off to the Instructor Exam! Andy and Ali get ready to hit the water on Day 3 of the I.E.

Rescue again: Practiced on the IDC, now the students are tested on it.

Andy makes his debriefing on the I.E. boat.

Success! Alison and Andy get congratulations from Instructor Examiner Thomas Knedlik after passing the I.E.

Instructor Gallery

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