Go pro · SDI instructor courses · Central Texas
Turn diving into your job.
Divemaster and SDI scuba instructor courses in Texas, taught from Austin
Every instructor started as a diver who could not stay out of the water. The professional path runs Divemaster, then Assistant Instructor, then Instructor, and Texas Scuba Academy teaches every step on a schedule built around your life rather than a resort's calendar.
Small candidate groups, real classes to assist on every week, and an instructor trainer who has done the job for years.
The path, in order
Each rating unlocks the next. Most candidates arrive somewhere in the middle — tell us your certification and dive count and we will show you where you stand.
Divemaster
Your first professional rating. Lead certified divers, assist on courses and run dive logistics. You need to be 18, hold Advanced and Rescue (or equivalent), have current CPR, first aid and oxygen provider training, and have 40 logged dives to start.
Divemaster courses →Assistant Instructor
Start teaching. Under an instructor you present classroom sessions and run confined-water skills. Divemaster plus about 60 logged dives gets you in.
Assistant Instructor →Open Water Scuba Instructor
The SDI Instructor Development Course, then the SDI instructor evaluation. Certified at least six months, 100 logged dives, and a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor rating. After it you can teach and certify divers anywhere. Instructor training here is SDI only; a PADI Divemaster can come across.
Instructor course →Already an instructor?
Hold an active rating with another agency? A crossover is mostly online and takes weeks, not months. Your existing rating carries across at the same level.
Crossover →Professional courses
Live prices from our catalogue. Each page lists its own prerequisites and what the agency charges separately.
SDI Divemaster
Your first professional rating — lead dives, guide certified divers, and start a career in diving.
PADI Divemaster
Your first PADI professional rating — lead certified divers, assist instructors, and start a career in diving.
SDI Assistant Instructor
Step beyond Divemaster and start teaching — your first hands-on role as SDI instructor staff.
SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor
Turn your passion for diving into a career — teach and certify divers anywhere in the world.
SDI Instructor Crossover
Already an instructor with another agency? Cross over to SDI's global network — mostly online, in weeks.
Why train for it here
Real classes to assist
We run pool and open-water classes every week, so your internship hours come from real students, not role play.
Two agencies
Divemaster is offered through SDI and PADI; the skills are the same. Instructor training here is SDI only, and a PADI Divemaster can enter the SDI Assistant Instructor and Instructor courses.
Costs stated up front
Course fees are on each course page. Agency application fees, the instructor evaluation and liability insurance are paid to third parties, and we list them so nothing surprises you.
How long it takes, and what it costs
Divemaster usually takes two to four months alongside our regular classes, because the internship is real: you assist on courses as they run. Assistant Instructor adds a few weeks. The instructor course is an intensive block of roughly two weeks followed by the agency evaluation.
Your course fee covers training, mentoring and materials. Paid separately, to the agency or an insurer rather than to us: the professional-level application or registration fee, the instructor evaluation fee, and professional liability insurance, which every agency requires before you teach. You also need your own complete set of gear at this level.
Working full time? Most of our candidates do. Classroom work is done online at your pace; pool and open-water sessions are on weekends.
Questions we get asked
Do I have to become an instructor to work in diving?
No. A Divemaster can guide certified divers, assist on courses, crew boats and work at resorts. Instructor is the rating you need to teach and certify students on your own.
How many dives do I need?
40 logged dives to start Divemaster and 60 to finish it. Instructor candidates need 100 logged dives and at least six months since their first certification.
SDI or PADI?
Both are recognised worldwide. We teach Divemaster through both, so pick the agency of the shop or resort you want to work for. Instructor courses here are SDI only, and a PADI Divemaster qualifies to enter them.
Can I do this while working a full-time job?
Yes. The academic work is online, and the in-water work happens on our normal weekend class schedule. Divemaster is a matter of months, not a career break.
Do I need my own gear?
Yes, at the professional level you need a complete, well-maintained set including a dive computer and a surface marker buoy. We can help you build it over time.
Is there work afterwards?
We hire from our own candidates when we have openings, and we know the shops and resorts our graduates have gone on to. No one can promise a job, but a Divemaster who trained by assisting real classes has the record employers ask for.
Ready to go pro?
Tell us your current certification and roughly how many dives you have logged, and we will map the route from there.
Start the conversation →