Give Us a Call +1 (855) DIVE UTD
Give Us a Call +1 (855) DIVE UTD
Thank you for considering joining our UTD Instructor Family. Becoming a UTD Instructor is definitely one of the most exciting journeys that you will undertake, however it is extremely challenging. To properly prepare you to teach the UTD educational curriculum in a consistent manner we require that everyone, no matter what previous instructor rating they may have, take a core level class called UTD Instructor Development Class (IDC) and then be evaluated by our Training Advisory Board (TAB).
Upon completion of this process - UTD IDC plus evaluation by the TAB, you will become either a UTD Open Water Instructor or a UTD Foundational Instructor and will be able to teach within the TAB recommendations. As a UTD Open Water Instructor you can then start to upgrade within the recreational category to achieve a full UTD Foundational Instructor rating. Only a full UTD Foundational Instructor can move up to upper level categories such as technical, cave, wreck or rebreather instructor. This is achieved by taking a UTD Technical, Cave, Wreck and/or Rebreather IDC. Below is a discussion of the IDC process:
We are dedicated to teaching divers to become "Thinking Team Members."To begin your UTD IDC journey you must first ensure that you meet the prerequisites* as listed below. Then you must complete each of the following steps:
Although you will do much of the preparation for the IDC on your own, we are available at any time to guide you, answer questions, and talk about the programs. You will complete the online classroom programs and tests for each class you plan on teaching. You'll study our Standards and Procedures and Instructor Operations Manual. Then you'll explore our Instructor Playbook.
The Playbook is the heart of the UTD instructor materials. This document describes, in great detail, how to teach critical skills at the various levels. The book outlines how those skills are applied to each UTD certification class and include the methodology on simulating failures, instructor positioning during critical skill training, and the expected student outcome of each simulated failure.
Attached to the playbook are hours of video that describe in detail how to teach dry runs - personal and critical skills taught on the surface. We also have a private group on the UTD website that offers a discussion forum and a private shopping cart for instructor materials.
The prerequisites to become a UTD Open Water or Foundational Instructor are Divemaster with any recognized training agency, proof of 200 non training dives and at least UTD IDC Prep or Ess of Rec / Tech or any other upper level UTD class. A full list of prerequisites can be found in the UTD Standards and Procedures.
IDC Prep
This is a personal skills class that prepares you for the UTD IDC. This is only needed if you have not taken a UTD Essentials of Rec/Tech/Side Mount or any other upper level UTD class. The three-day class covers how we teach buoyancy, trim, propulsion, basic-6, s-drills, valve drills, and smb deployment. All these skills are taught at demonstration level. The class also goes through proper weighting, how to dive a 'balanced rig,' Min-Deco ascent strategies, and Rock Bottom gas planning. Cost is approximately $450 plus $99 for online course materials (materials are included if the UTD IDC package is purchased first). If a candidate's personal skills are at the UTD IDC Prep level via prior training and practice, this step may be skipped with permission of the Instructor Trainer teaching the IDC.
Review of all student materials supplied in the Open Water or Foundational category, including Open Water, Rec 1, 2, 3, Essentials, Nitrox, Rescue, Dry Suit.
This is an online program comprised of approximately 16 hours of video that address UTD's teaching philosophy, ethos, Standards and Procedures, Playbook, and much more.
These IDC's are held worldwide and consists of a 3 to 5 day in-water IDC depending on level. Your instructor trainer (IT) with work with you to develop your ability to lecture, present dry runs, conduct in water teaching, and evaluate your students.
At the conclusion of the IDC, your instructor trainer will post additional videos of you giving one classroom lecture, one dry run, and one teaching event to the Training Advisory Board for final evaluation.
UTD's Rec 1 / Open Water) IDC is an entry level instructor development course that prepares the candidate to teach the UTD Open Water curriculum. Upon completion and passing the Training Advisory Board evaluation, the candidate becomes a UTD Open Water Rec 1 Instructor and can teach within the TAB recommendations.
UTD's Foundational IDC is the highest level instructor development course within the recreational category and prepares the candidate to teach UTD's ESM, ZUBA and Rec 1 (Open Water ), Rec 2 (Advanced), Rec 3 (Master), Essentials of Recreational curriculum. This IDC prepares the candidate for evaluation by the UTD Training Advisory Board. Once completed and passed the evaluation, the candidate becomes a full UTD Foundational Instructor and can teach within the TAB recommendations. The UTD Foundational Instructor can then start to upgrade to one of the upper level categories by taking the Technical, Trimix, Cave, Wreck, and/or Rebreather IDC's.
Side Mount diving is becoming wildly popular among recreational open water divers, advanced technical divers, cave divers and wreck divers because it offers the best of all worlds. Your IDC can be conducted in side mount or back mount. If you take your IDC in side mount, you will need a back mount endorsement to teach in back mount, and visa versa.
Back Mount diving is the most common configuration for recreational open water divers, advanced technical divers, cave divers and wreck divers. If you take your IDC in back mount, you will need a side mount endorsement to teach in side mount, and visa versa.
The below prices are for your UTD Instructor Development Course and include registration, online materials, online academics, first year instructor membership and IT fees. The only thing they DO NOT include are any relevant travel expenses.
Note: As a policy, because the upper level IDC's are generally taught with real students, the tuition fees may be waived if the instructor candidates provide full paying students in their IDC upgrade.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a UTD Instructor, please let us know. We look forward to talking with you.