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Texas Scuba Academy
SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor
Professional levelSDI Certified

SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor

Turn your passion for diving into a career — teach and certify divers anywhere in the world.

$2499.95Enrollment Open
Have questions? Call (512) 489-4404
  • ✓eLearning access as soon as you check out
  • ✓We’ll be in touch to schedule your sessions
Taught by Brady Huddleston
SDI Course Director & Instructor Trainer · PADI IDC Staff Instructor · American Red Cross Instructor
Meet the team

What's included

✓SDI professional-level training materials
✓Mentorship from an experienced SDI instructor trainer
✓Real-world teaching and dive-leadership experience
✓A clear path to your next professional rating
✓Flexible scheduling built around your goals

What's not included

Paid separately — these go to the training agency or another third party, not to us.

✕Professional liability insurance — required before you can teach (quoted by your insurance provider)
✕SDI Instructor Evaluation (IE) fee — $500, paid at time of exam
✕SDI instructor application fee — $206, paid to SDI
“Best decision I made. The instructors were patient, the small class size meant real attention, and I booked everything online without a single phone call.”
— Recent Open Water graduate

Who it's for

This course builds on prior certification and experience — here's what you'll need before you start.

✓
Minimum age 18Candidates must be at least 18 years old.
✓
Certified diver for a minimum of 6 monthsTime-in-certification requirement prior to enrollment.
✓
100 logged divesProof of 100 logged dives completed in a number of different environments with varying depths.
✓
SDI Divemaster or SDI Assistant Instructor (or equivalent)Required leadership-level certification to enter the Instructor Development Course (IDC).
✓
Current CPR, first aid, and oxygen provider certificationRequired where local law permits; may be combined with the IDC Program by qualified Instructor Trainers.

Not sure where you stand? The whole professional path, prerequisites and costs are on one page: Become a Scuba Instructor in Texas →

What you'll learn

Instructor Development Course (IDC) Curriculum

✓SDI Standards and Procedures and the history of SDI
✓Products and procedures: ordering, registration, and yearly renewals
✓Liability and insurance, risk management, waivers/releases, and accident reporting
✓Methods of instruction: teaching theory, lesson preparation, training aids, and the SDI home study/Knowledge Quest program
✓Successfully selling scuba: budgeting courses, recruiting students, scheduling, and retail sales
✓Instructor ethics and the physics and physiology of diving

Required Skill Performance & Instructor Evaluation Course (IEC)

✓Present a minimum of four classroom presentations, four confined water lessons, and four open water lessons
✓Perform, to demonstration quality, one complete rescue scenario
✓Complete required watermanship tests: 400m surface swim, 800m mask/snorkel/fins swim, and a 10-minute survival float
✓Bring a simulated-unconscious diver up from a depth of up to 6m/20ft and tow them 100m in under 4 minutes
✓Demonstrate, to instructor-level quality, all Open Water Scuba Diver skills and problem-solving in both confined and open water
✓Successfully complete the IEC: one classroom presentation, one confined water lesson, and one open water lesson evaluated by an Instructor Trainer, plus the SDI Instructor written exam

Frequently asked questions

The IDC typically runs 5–7 days of intensive training, followed by the Instructor Examination. We'll build a schedule around your availability and make sure you're fully prepared before your IE date.

Simple process

How it works

💻

eLearning at home

Complete the academic portion online at your own pace — videos, quizzes, no classroom required.

🏊

Pool training

Confined-water skills with an instructor, scheduled with you — we’ll confirm the pool date and what to bring.

🌊

Open water checkout dives

Finish your certification at a local dive site. Real diving, real skills.

Ready?

Ready to get in the water?

Book online in minutes. eLearning starts instantly. We’ll be in touch to schedule.

Call (512) 489-4404

Already certified? Advanced Adventure Diver is a popular next step.