PADI Instructor Course in Utila

This morning, I am sitting in my little Utila apartment eating papaya, drinking a freshly brewed Honduran coffee, and studying physics. The other day I got a text message from a friend back home asking about my vacation. Yes, I am eating fresh exotic fruits and the weather is hot and sunny, but it’s not a vacation. First, I completed my Divemaster training and now I’m taking a PADI Instructor Course in Utila, Honduras.

My PADI Instructor Course

The full name of my course is the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC).

My class includes 6 other students all working toward the same goal to become a certified PADI Instructor.

It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it’s intense! Some days are spent in the classroom, a couple have been spent in the pool, and some are spent in the open water (my favorite). Our instructors, Andy and Bryony from UDC, are training us to teach knowledge reviews in the classroom and skills in the water, so we are as prepared as possible to teach Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue and more scuba classes.

Busy Learning In The Classroom

I am loving the teaching part, but still need to nail down the physics! Those of you who knew me when I was a student know I was better at reading and writing than math, and that hasn’t changed. But for me to be able to explain to my future students the effects of pressure on the body and the way volumes change at depth, I need to understand it completely. I am studying hard and making progress. In fact, this past Tuesday our class completed the course and passed the exam to teach EFR (Emergency First Response). I haven’t studied this hard since college!

And In The Water

My favorite aspect of the training is the in-water sessions. We teach different scuba skills and play each other’s students when we’re not the teacher. We learn how to teach the skills and what common mistakes to look for in the students. It’s excellent training and can be highly entertaining, like when a student is assigned to put their mask on upside down. So while I’m not technically “on vacation,” I am also having fun!

Here are some of the photos our instructors took of our class sessions. There are lots more on the Facebook page.

We have a few more days of practice and study before the tests begin on Tuesday and end the next day. By Wednesday night, the results will be in. Think good thoughts for me and I’ll keep working hard. Yay diving!