PADI "platinum" course director?

[yle]

I find it strange that they use a straight count of students that pass their IDC as a success measure for the rating. It seems obvious that a combination of straight count and succees rate (number of students achieving divided by number of students attempting) would be a better measure.

Given that a truly valid rating does not exist, what is the best way to choose a place to take the IDC?

I plan to take it in about a year, and my goal is to become a good instuctor, not to just get the card. So far I have found no clear and reliable way to choose where to do it.

I haven't spent much time in the middle of IDC's, but I suspect the success rate is pretty high. The Divemaster course is where the real work is, and where a student finds out whether or not they have the skills to handle being an instructor. Since the DM course is a pre-req to the IDC, anyone not able to handle the IDC wouldn't make it to the course to begin with.

And considering the cost of taking the IDC... anyone taking the course is all the more motivated to succeed.

Bruno, if you're planning to go pro, focus on finding a good instructor for your DM course. It's much more important, in terms of learning what you'll need to know and do as an instructor, than the IDC. It's difficult to know who the right instructor is when you have limited experience dealing with instructors, but go with your instincts. You'll be spending a lot of time with your DM instructor in a "mentoring" role: they'll provide you with a lot of good advice and put you to work helping them with classes. So make sure it's someone you can work with comfortably.

 

[Bruno Genovese]

I haven't spent much time in the middle of IDC's, but I suspect the success rate is pretty high. The Divemaster course is where the real work is, and where a student finds out whether or not they have the skills to handle being an instructor. Since the DM course is a pre-req to the IDC, anyone not able to handle the IDC wouldn't make it to the course to begin with.

And considering the cost of taking the IDC... anyone taking the course is all the more motivated to succeed.

Bruno, if you're planning to go pro, focus on finding a good instructor for your DM course. It's much more important, in terms of learning what you'll need to know and do as an instructor, than the IDC. It's difficult to know who the right instructor is when you have limited experience dealing with instructors, but go with your instincts. You'll be spending a lot of time with your DM instructor in a "mentoring" role: they'll provide you with a lot of good advice and put you to work helping them with classes. So make sure it's someone you can work with comfortably.

Thank you yle and the others that replied.

I already found a good (and local) instructor for DM training. Although it is not one of the famous schools, it is in the same school where I certified for open water, and deep and nitrox specialties (the last two with the instructor that teaches the DM course) and I am happy with their teaching.

In my case I think it might be an advantage that they are local, as I can practice the DM skills until I feel like I mastered the requirements. Then do DM work with them if they'll have me or another local outfit until ready for IDC.

For the IDC they are even one of the options, as they have been working on flying in a Course Director for the first in-country IDC course. But I don't know yet who that CD is or how good is he at teaching. Also, since the flown in CD will have limited time in country I fear the course might be rushed (which might not matter if the school does pre-course training so that the IDC course is just a matter of passing the tests after having done practice dry runs with the local instructor)

Even so, it seems prudent to investigate all options just in case things don't go as I hope for the local IDC course.

 

[yle]

I already found a good (and local) instructor for DM training. Although it is not one of the famous schools, it is in the same school where I certified for open water, and deep and nitrox specialties (the last two with the instructor that teaches the DM course) and I am happy with their teaching.

Bruno, it sounds like you have just what you need. Enjoy your DM course (it was definitely the most fun and rewarding of my scuba courses...) and definitely pick your instructors brain for IDC suggestions.

 

[Birddog1911]

Investigate your options, but I wouldn't necessarily worry so much about the class being rushed, due to a CD flying in.

Our CD ran our shop for years, but decided to hang it up as far as working IN the shop, and wanted to travel. So, now he travels the world when and where he wants, and acts as a CD for not only our shop, but others as well. He is a Platinum CD. He also has a reputation, which I learned the "hard way" this weekend, as a very tough CD. But, he wants all of his instructors to do well at the IE, and be good instructors overall. It's a matter of pride with him that he trains quality instructors. If I recall, in all of the time that he's been a CD, he's only had 1 candidate fail the IE.

 

[Diamond Reef]

PADI is a lot about awards that mean little to anyone but PADI. They give awards for the most students taught, which is dubious at best, there is no award for the BEST students taught, because that would be a hard metric to count, and PADI is all about making it easy.

I would consider this a marketing tool at best, and think that it really doesn't count much towards whether or not a "platinum" course director will make a better course director than a standard ol' everyday course director, which is a hard enough standard to maintain. It's interesting that I could find nothing online about why there are only 58 of the Platinum kind of course director worldwide, and why it should be important to anyone else but PADI. Not much of a marketing tool....

 

[Diamond Reef]

There has been a way to measure which students were trained the best. The Diamond Reef® System has been used since the early 90's world-wide and helps instructors do an effective, more objective job at producing more competent students in a shorter period of time. It's an industry game-changer. facebook.com/diamondreefsystem. Read 'OUR STORY first.

 

[TMHeimer]

From one example that I know of and what I read here, Platinum CD is good for one year. Of course if the CD doesn't make Platinum next year and is only Gold or Silver, the CD is obviously just as good an instructor.

 

[decompression]

There has been a way to measure which students were trained the best. The Diamond Reef® System has been used since the early 90's world-wide and helps instructors do an effective, more objective job at producing more competent students in a shorter period of time. It's an industry game-changer. facebook.com/diamondreefsystem. Read 'OUR STORY first.

I’m sorry but I have a huge issue with this. Just watching the video of the “highly trained” diver dog paddle through a hula hoop using their hands made me physically ill. This diver is a mess, from gear, trim and technique. This is atypical for a “peak performance buoyancy” course which does little to actually teach proper buoyancy but let’s them think they have improved because they can swim through a hula hoop.

 

[ofg-1]

I always thought the "Platinum" course director meant that they had generated enough revenue for PADI to allow Drew Richardson to buy another platinum pinky ring.

 

[oly5050user]

I find it strange that they use a straight count of students that pass their IDC as a success measure for the rating. It seems obvious that a combination of straight count and succees rate (number of students achieving divided by number of students attempting) would be a better measure.

Given that a truly valid rating does not exist, what is the best way to choose a place to take the IDC?

I plan to take it in about a year, and my goal is to become a good instuctor, not to just get the card. So far I have found no clear and reliable way to choose where to do it.

Do IDC thru a facility that will work with you give you classes . Why would they hire or use an new instructor that did not go thru their facility? More likely to use someone that is known to them . Unless you can bring something to the table that is needed or unique why would they hire an unproven new instructor?