Have a great idea for a new PADI® course? If you’re a PADI Instructor or PADI Freediving Instructor, you can turn your idea into a PADI Distinctive Specialty. Issue certifications in knot tying, reef restoration or marine/citizen science. PADI‘s diver training system allows qualified PADI Professionals to teach almost any course they desire (after the course outlines have been reviewed and approved by PADI).
PADI Instructors around the world have created hundreds of unique specialties over the years including:
- Golf Ball Diver
- Lava Tube Diver
- Loch Diver
- Marine Mammal Rehabilitation
- Scuba Magician
- Underwater Model
If you don’t have an idea for a new specialty, here are a few reasons to consider writing one:
- To attract customers – kids (or kids at heart) love to tell their friends “I’m a Zombie Apocalypse Diver”
- For professional reasons– members of a public safety dive team may need training in specific procedures or equipment
- As a unique souvenir – Bermuda Triangle Diver, or Hot Springs Diver
- Because you have a unique local dive site – in the Tacoma Narrows (near Seattle, USA) you can earn a High-Speed Drift Diving certification
- To help save the ocean – many destinations offer a Reef Renewal Distinctive Specialty
There are also more than two dozen standardized distinctive specialties available, including product-specific courses for dive computers and full-face masks. Several of these outlines are available from the PADI Pros’ Site as a free download, but please note: many require attendance at a manufacturer-sponsored event or completion of a manufacturer-sponsored online course as a prerequisite to applying. Please ensure you have the relevant experience and documentation before applying for one of these specialties.
If you’d like to write your PADI Distinctive Specialty, here’s what you need to know:
Write the Specialty Course Outline
Writing a distinctive specialty can seem daunting. Where do you start? What does PADI require? Read on for a brief overview, or visit the Classic Pros Site for a comprehensive how-to guide (English only) or distinctive specialty guide template (English, Japanese and Spanish).
STEP ONE: Write a Short Overview of the Course Philosophy and Goals
Answer the question: what is the purpose of this course?
STEP TWO: Create the Standards-at-a-Glance section:
- What is the minimum instructor level required?
- What is the minimum age and certification level for students participating in your course?
- How many training dives do you want to include?
- What is the maximum depth limit for the open water training dives?
- Do you need a confined water session for skill development?
- What is the instructor to student ratio for your course?
- What materials and equipment are needed for the instructor? For the students?
Tip: Stay standards-consistent. Follow ratios and supervision requirements from General Standards and Procedures.
STEP THREE: Define Knowledge Development Learning Objectives
Learning objectives should be in black bold and ask a question. For example, What are three safety considerations of diving a full face mask?
Include brief answers to your questions. For example:
What are three safety considerations for diving a full face mask?
- O2 Toxicity at depth
- Unconscious diver at the surface
- CO2 retention and build-up
Tip: include learning objectives and performance requirements that specifically relate to the subject matter (not just diving in general).
If your course includes one or more confined water dives, outline how your confined water session will be conducted.
- Put performance requirements in black bold
- Describe how to conduct the confined water dive (everything from the briefing to the debriefing)
- List the skills student divers must develop in each confined water dive
STEP FOUR: Open Water Training Dives
Describe any special considerations related to your course, then describe each training dive individually. Write out each dive step-by-step starting with dive one.
- Begin with the briefing
- Describe how divers meet the performance requirements
- Each dive should conclude with a debrief and logging the dive
Follow the same procedure for each subsequent open water training dive and always put performance requirements in black bold.
Tip: Most outlines will be approved only if there are two to four required open water dives. Although there are a few distinctive specialties that may qualify for only one dive (pumpkin carving or Easter egg collection, for example), and a few with no dives, the point of specialty diver courses is to introduce people to new areas of diving and increase their dive experience under supervision.
Submit Your Outline and Application
When you’re ready, submit your specialty course outline and specialty instructor application directly to PADI’s Customer Relations Department via email. You can download the PADI Specialty Instructor Application from the PADI Pros’ Site Training Hub.
- Choose Specialty Diver Courses from the dropdown menu
- Select your language
- Click on 10180 Specialty Instructor Application (see screenshot below)
Tips to avoid processing delays:
- Ensure you meet the instructor application prerequisites – for example, have you certified a minimum of 25 divers?
- Fill out the entire application. Don’t forget to include any diver-level training or experience and education you have (if relevant). If applying for a product-specific distinctive specialty, confirm you’ve included proof of manufacturer-sponsored training
- Attach a copy of the instructor guide. This applies to both Method One (Specialty Instructor Training Course) and to Method Three (instructor-authored course by direct application) applications, even if the course outline has previously been approved for another member by PADI. This allows a PADI staff member to review the course outline, confirm it is current, and add the instructor guide to your professional file for future reference.
Here are the most common reasons distinctive specialty course outlines are rejected:
- Missing objectives
- Missing equipment requirements
- Standards issues (minimum age and maximum depth issues, missing student to instructor ratio, etc).
- Not enough course content to warrant a course
(On average, instructors spend a minimum of ten hours working on a distinctive specialty outline).
Don’t worry. If the reviewer has questions or needs additional information, they’ll contact you and you’ll have the opportunity to revise your outline and resubmit.
Questions? Contact your PADI Regional Training Consultant or your PADI Regional Headquarters.
