Sneak Peek of the PADI IDC Day 1

Inside day 1 of the IDC

The IDC is a huge moment in any diver’s life. At IDC DIVE, we want the whole process to feel as stress-free and comfortable as possible. Challenging, yes. But incredibly rewarding too. And we’re here to support you through the journey. Here’s a sneak peek inside Day 1 of a PADI IDC with us in Dahab.

Skills Circuit

Before anything else, every candidate needs to perform 24 skills to demonstration quality. These are the same skills you learned during your Divemaster course. Now you need to own them well enough to teach them.

During the skills circuit, we make sure everything is up to scratch and that candidates feel confident with their demonstrations. If you’re a little unsure of your skills, we always recommend arriving a few days early in Dahab for a polish-up session.

We’re here to support you through your IDC and help you become the best instructor you can be.

Your IDC should set you up to become a great instructor, not just a certified one.

A few things that make it smoother

We run the skills circuit at Reef 2000, one of the best confined open water sites in Dahab.

Candidates are positioned facing up the slope, which makes the skills easier to execute on Day 1.

We line everyone up close together so we can observe three candidates simultaneously and keep things moving.

Our job as instructors is to find the path that gets every student there. Not just the easy ones. Every single one.

Not 100% confident in all 24 skills yet?

Arrive a few days early. I’ll take you in the water for a focused prep course covering your demonstration-quality skills and dive theory, so you can walk into your IDC feeling ready.

Two pro moves that actually work (also with you)

Take them to the water first

Reset the anxiety, rebuild the confidence, then come back to the skill.

Practice with a snorkel

Let them get comfortable breathing with water around their face before taking it to the next step.

I also share plenty of useful tips, tricks and bits of instructor knowledge over on my social channels. If you’re preparing for your IDC, thinking about becoming a PADI Pro or just want to get better at diving, come and have a look.