The first professional level in recreational diving. Lead guided dives, assist instructors, and open doors to dive work worldwide — in 4 to 6 weeks.
The OWSI path is intensive and structured around a single high-stakes exam. Here's exactly what you're working toward.
The Instructor Development Course is 7–10 days with a Course Director. You learn how to teach confined water skills, deliver academic presentations and run open water dives to instructor standards.
Days 1–10The Instructor Examination is a 2-day assessment run by an IE Team Leader, independent of your IDC school. Written exams, confined water evaluations and open water presentations. You pass or you don't.
Days 11–12Pass the IE and you're a Open Water Scuba Instructor. Your credentials are registered on the Pro Site, searchable by dive centers worldwide from day one.
After the IEThe IDC doesn't just train you to dive, it trains you to teach. Academic knowledge, confined water technique and open water instruction are all assessed to IE standard before exam day.
Compare Agencies →Or equivalent professional-level certification from a recognised training agency
Minimum required to enrol — most candidates arrive with 150–300
Emergency First Response — must be within 24 months of the IE date
No upper age limit
A realistic breakdown of what happens during a 5-week Divemaster course on Koh Tao.
Swim tests, snorkel circuits, timed surface swims and rescue scenarios.
Deep dives into physics, physiology, decompression theory, dive tables and the RDP.
You assist instructors on Open Water courses, conduct discover scuba dives and start running your own skills circuits.
Lead certified diver groups on guided dives around Koh Tao's dive sites.
Final water skills assessment, knowledge reviews and log verification.
The Divemaster certification is the gateway to professional diving work across the world.
PADI Divemaster is recognised globally. Thailand, the Maldives, Red Sea, Caribbean, Indonesia — dive centers worldwide hire certified DMs.
Lead guided dives, assist courses, run equipment stations and conduct discover scuba dives. A Divemaster is a working role, not a certificate that sits in a drawer.
Divemaster is the required prerequisite for the OWSI course. Most instructors on Koh Tao started exactly here.
As a professional, you log dives daily. A typical season on Koh Tao means 200+ dives per year — experience that compounds fast.
Working as a dive professional on an island like Koh Tao means accommodation, meals and dive gear are often part of the employment package.
Your PADI number is searchable by any dive center in the world. From the moment you certify, you're in the professional system.