Instructor Development Courses and beyond

We had to wait for PADI to register, but it is done. The first two new instructors (technically, the last two from 2007) have been registered.

Wouter Koolhaas and Masha Bowen, welcome to the world of OWSI’s. I have enjoyed the short but intens five days with you guys. getting from Assistant Instructor to Open Water Scuba Instructor is not all that easy. Certainly not when it has been a while since you got certified as AI’s.

I am very proud of you guys. You picked up quickly and as we all expected, made it through the exam in one go!

Hope to see you both again. Probably not going to be on Utila… hehe.

Anyway…. happy teaching!

Michel

Totally unexpected it became terrible weather over the last few days. As a result, I got a phonecall this morning that the PADI Examiner was still stuck in San Pedro Sula and therefore the IE would not start at 1400 hours today.
So the waiting has begon…

My candidates are ready. To not get bored, they are studying a little bit more, going over standards and dive theory. I do not think they need it at all; but of course for their confidence it might be helpful I don’t know.

It’s now almost 1400 hours and we’re waiting for the phonecall that will tell us whazzup….

For the second time in a row I have managed to get enough candidates between myself and PeeWee to have PADI send an examiner to the Island of Utila to conduct an Instructor Exam on the island.
This is exceptional. Normally December is so quiet that it does not get scheduled… but again, now for the second time it does. I am a happy person.

And the IDC is going great. The candidagtes are people who have been here before and like the way I teach, apparently. Wouter flew all the way from Holland to get it done and he took Martijn with him. Martijn, who did his IDC with me in June, returned to do his Staff Instructor here. Instead he did his TEC Apprentice Course. Nice as well. Very Nice indeed!
Wouter is still in the TEC course, now going all the way. We have one 50 meter dive left. But….first….. we tackle the IE!

More on this subject the 19th, when a couple of new instructors are getting to relax again….

Another friend from Holland is here to finish his PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor with me and in the mean time kick in 15 specialty Instructor ratings. In the mean time, he’ll be teaching a DUP course. Quite a nice combination I think. Also nice to have friends that litterally fly half a world to come and do their education with me.
It’ll be my last thing to do on this island. After that, real paradise is waiting somewhere for me. I have had several invitations to send my CV to. All from nice places.
hm.. let’s see if there’s a job out there for a PADI Platinum Course Director with over 230 instructor certs hm. You’d think so huh?

Anyway, we’ll see. I can’t wait, that’s for sure.

After a brief period of rest; the newly certified PADI Instructors have started their Master Scuba Diver Trainer program now. This we do as a self paced program. All the candidates chose as many as 15 specialty instructor programs to complete. The first 5 will probably be done by next wednesday if all goes well. After that, another friend from Holland (Wouter Koolhaas), will come over. He will be joining the December IDC that will be conducted from December the 7th till December the 17th. In that same time, one of my other Dutch friends (Martijn Bethlehem) comes back to the Island to do his IDCS with me. Wonderfull isn’t it?
Wouter is already an AI, of my IDC back last year in Holland and will also be doing 15 specialty ratings.
So the next few weeks are going to be really busy for me as a Course Director, which I am really content with.

Life, not being a manager, is in fact treating me well. I finally get to lead the instructor life the way I see other’s do it. Teach, have fun and after, walk home and relax.

EXCELLENT !!!!!!