PADI Specialty Instructor

The PADI Specialty Instructor rating enhances your skills as an instructor by allowing you to teach divers specific specialties such as Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, Enriched Air (Nitrox), Night Diver, and more. Specialty ratings increase your employability, broaden your teaching opportunities, and directly meet the needs of your divers.

This program is especially important if you are working toward the Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) rating, which requires at least five Specialty Instructor certifications. Specialty training courses are beneficial for all instructors, and some are also available to Assistant Instructors, Instructor Candidates in training, and PADI Divemasters.

• How to organize and conduct PADI Specialty Diver courses
• Standards and procedures for your chosen specialty
• Advanced teaching techniques and student skill development
• How to log, structure, and certify specialty training dives
• Specialty-specific knowledge and in-water practice

• PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor rating (minimum)
• Logged at least 10 dives in the specialty area you wish to teach
• Minimum age: 18 years
• Some specialties may require additional prerequisites (e.g., EANx for Nitrox, Deep Diver experience, etc.)