IDF - a new proposal for instructors

Each of us, people working permanently or casually in the “diving industry”, meets with similar problems and barriers. Depending on the federation represented, these are usually training programs incompatible with the Polish reality, archaisms forcing the implementation of exercises in the teaching process dating back to the previous era, the long process of completion of certificates, the need to purchase training materials, whose quality and relevance is completely inadequate to their price.

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The picture is completed by the irrational cost of certification and annual fees, forcing a constant search for savings – usually at the expense of the length of the course, and consequently the abandonment of rescue exercises, which in the popular perception are the least attractive and unnecessary (just look at the low popularity of courses such as Rescue Diver).

Not accepting this state of affairs, we decided to offer a broad, professionally organised and comprehensive alternative by establishing the International Diving Federation – a platform for safe development for divers and professional business cooperation for instructors.

What’s new ?

The diver’s development path has been broken down into a system of specialisations, allowing everyone, according to their own interests and preferences, to create their underwater career. We have been able to afford it by enriching each of the levels of advancement (including OWD or specialisations such as night diving, nitrox or navigation) with obligatory rescue modules – thanks to which we are sure that each of the certified persons has rescue and self-rescue skills adequate to the dives they have been trained for, without putting off the subject of rescue for later, on one Rescue Diver level, which most divers never reach.

By introducing the rescue modules from the very beginning, and spreading the time and physical workload in this way, we have managed to incorporate into the Rescue course programme issues and practical activities that allow us to increase the diver’s range at this level to 30 metres depth, making this course more attractive to beginners.

Rescue or Deep ?

A subject which has been very controversial in our country for years is the dilemma whether Deep Diver specialisation should be available, following the example of most federations, before Rescue training. Understanding both the arguments of divers wanting to admire objects located at all depths accessible to recreational divers as soon as possible (e.g. Dłubanki on Hańcza or Thistelgorma in Egypt), the arguments of instructors driven by market competition, as well as bearing in mind our watchword – Safety First! – we have developed a model which gives the diver the possibility to make a conscious and safe choice.

If you decide to do Deep Diver training first, you will also do rescue training, and if you decide to do Rescue training (our preferred option), you will increase your qualification to 30 meters (only 10 meters less than Deep level). However, both levels together are necessary to get to Master Diver level which combines all recreational skills into one and opens the way to technical or divemaster/ instructor training.

It is worth noting that the emphasis we place on the development of rescue skills has resulted in an official partnership with DAN – an organisation clearly associated with safety and good diving practice.

Divemaster, becoming a professional !

Getting to the level of IDF dive guide is by no means easy, as we believe that there can be no shortcuts when it comes to taking responsibility for other people. An IDF Divemaster is first and foremost a very advanced diver, familiar with two-cylinder diving, proficient in nitrox diving and qualified to dive to a depth of 50 meters with air decompression.

The divemaster training itself is mainly about didactics and learning to work with people, as the complete set of “recreational” skills is obtained by the candidate at the previous level – the already mentioned Master Diver. In the IDF we say a definite No to the “from zero to Divemaster” programs! Safety First!

How to become an IDF instructor ?

If you are already an instructor of another federation you can take part in a cross-over procedure, where during a theoretical session you will be introduced to the standards and training programmes of our federation, and during a practical session your practical skills will be verified in order to safely conduct training at the levels for which you are applying.

If you are not an instructor yet, we invite you to take part in a course during which you will acquire skills to conduct training at the above described level of Scuba Diving Instructor. The nearest training of this type will take place in autumn.

Both procedures end with the signing of a professional cooperation agreement that clearly and transparently defines the rights and obligations of both the federation and the instructor.

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Interested? Contact the IDF office!

Source: International Diving Federation