Divemaster First, Then IDC

You need an active PADI Divemaster certification (and at least 60 logged dives by the time you reach the IDC) before you can start. The IDC itself is split into two parts: Assistant Instructor training and Open Water Scuba Instructor training, usually run back-to-back over one to two weeks depending on the schedule.

It's classroom-heavy compared to earlier courses — you'll practice presenting knowledge development sessions, run confined and open water skill demonstrations, and get comfortable managing student divers, not just diving yourself.

Why Train in Bali

Bali gives IDC candidates a genuinely varied training ground within a short drive: calm, shallow water for skills practice, a real wreck (the USAT Liberty in Tulamben) for demonstration dives, and current-exposed sites near Nusa Penida to build comfort managing groups in tougher conditions. That range matters when the goal is to leave confident teaching in almost any environment you'll be posted to afterward.

After the IDC: The IE

The course ends with the Instructor Examination (IE), run independently by PADI, not by the dive center. Passing it is what actually makes you a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI).

• Prerequisite: PADI Divemaster, 60+ logged dives, EFR Instructor rating (can often be completed alongside the IDC).
• Duration: typically 7–10 days of IDC, plus a separate 2-day IE.
• What you leave with: the ability to teach and certify Open Water divers anywhere in the world.