PADI Professional Level Courses
With a resident Course Director, and with a small group and individual attention training philosophy, you will be assured that your training will be second to none. You will find that the whole team at Buddies will always be on hand to create an environment most beneficial to your education as a diving professional.

Course prices in Euro (EUR). The equivalent value in Lm, Sterling and US Dollar are for comparison purposes. Please check the current exchange rate in your country. Prices are subject to change without notice. We accept the following credit cards - Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, and Euro card. We also accept Eurocheques. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required when booking any Professional Diving Course.

PADI PROFESSIONAL LEVEL COURSES

PADI Dive Master
The Divemaster course introduces you to the first step in the professional level of diver training. You will be introduced to the duties of a PADI Divemaster as well as enhancing your knowledge of dive theory and your in-water skills. The minimum duration of the course is 12 days. You also have the option of completing the Divemaster course as an internship that lasts up to 12 weeks.

There are a total of 12 knowledge development sessions in the Divemaster training course. This knowledge will be evaluated through 8 exams. The sessions include:
1. The role and characteristics of the divemaster
2. Supervising general diving activities for certified divers
3. Assisting with student divers in training
4. Dive theory introduction
5. The physics of diving
6. The physiology of diving
7. Dive equipment
8. Decompression theory and dive tables
9. Divemaster conducted programmes
10. Risk management
11. Business of diving
12. Furthering your dive career

The waterskills and stamina modules during the divemaster course include:
1. Stamina assessment and development
2. Diver rescue assessment and development
3. Confined water skills assessment and development

The course also includes a practical application module, which involves:
1. Underwater map making
2. Underwater problem solving
3. A Divemaster conducted programme
4. Either an internship or practical training exercises aimed at polishing your skills in leading other divers underwater safely and assisting with student divers

During the course you will be given the opportunity to work with both student divers and certified divers while under the supervision of a PADI instructor.

The course is conducted in English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Arabic and Maltese. Please note that to apply for this course you need to have: 

1.Rescue diver training                                                                

2.Be at least 18 years  old.                                                                      

3.60 logged dives,                                                                                  

4.First aid and CPR training in the past 24 months.     

If you do not have any of the above requirements, please contact us as we usually are able to come to special arrangements to complete the dives or training you require prior to starting the Divemaster course              

Divemaster crewpack (includes slates and CD) also available for 151.50 Euro. Please contact us for more information on the Divemaster course.

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Assistant Instructor
The Assistant instructor course is the next step, after becoming a Divemaster, towards becoming an Open Water Scuba Instructor. The minimum duration of the course is 4 days.

There are a total of 7 academic presentations, which include:
1. Course orientation,
2. Learning, instruction and the Padi system,
3. Padi Discover Scuba & Snorkelling Programmes
4. Developing knowledge development presentations
5. Teaching Project Aware and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty
6. Teaching in Confined Water
7. Conducting Open Water training presentations

During this course you will practise and become proficient at the following:
1. knowledge development teaching presentations
2. confined water teaching presentations
3. open water teaching presentations
4. 20 dive skills of Padi Skill Evaluation

You will also need to complete the Assistant Instructor Standards Exam. The relevant knowledge reviews from the Instructor Candidate Workbook need to be completed before attending for the course.

You have the option of doing the Assistant Instructor Course as a stand alone course any time of the year or enrolling in the first part of the IDC (please check below for dates).

Please note that to enrol you need to be certified as a PADI Divemaster or hold a leadership level certification with another recreational diver training organisation. If you are crossing over from another training agency (e.g. CMAS or BSAC) please check with us what your current certification would be equivalent to in the PADI education system. You also need to be at least 18 years old and be a certified diver for at least 6 months and have 60 logged dives. You also require proof of CPR and first aid training within the last 24 months.

Please contact us for more information on the Assistant Instructor course.

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Open Water Scuba Instructor
There are a total of 15 curriculum presentations, which include:
1. Course Orientation
2. Dive Industry Overview
3. General Standards and Procedures
4. The Role of Media and Prescriptive Teaching
5. Legal Responsibility and Risk Management
6. PADI Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver Course
7. Teaching Children
8. The PADI Continuing Education Philosophy
9. Business Principles for the Dive Instructor
10. Adventures in Diving Program
11. Specialty Diver Courses and Master Scuba Diver Program
12. Rescue Diver Course
13. Divemaster Course
14. Diver Retention Programs
15. How to Teach the RDP (required only for crossover instructors)

During this course you will practise and become proficient at the following:
1. Knowledge development teaching presentations
2. Confined water teaching presentations
3. Open water teaching presentations
4. 20 dive skills of the Padi Skill Evaluation
5. 800 metre non-stop swim using mask, snorkel and fins

You will also need to complete the 5 sections of the Instructor Pre-assessment Exam. The relevant knowledge reviews from the Instructor Candidate Workbook need to be completed before attending for the course.

The course is available on request or in conjunction with an IDC. Please note that if you want to sit for an IE immediately after the IDC, this can only be done in the dates listed below.

Please note that to enrol you need to be certified as a PADI Assistant Instructor or as a current instructor member in good standing with another recreational diver training organisation. If you are crossing over from another training agency (e.g. CMAS or BSAC) please check with us what your current certification would be equivalent to in the PADI education system. You also need to be at least 18 years old and be a certified diver for at least 6 months and have 60 logged dives. You also require proof of CPR and first aid training with the last 24 months.

Please contact us for more information on the Open Water Scuba Instructor course.

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Instructor Development Course (IDC)
The last two steps towards becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor is attending and completing an Instructor Development Course (IDC) and a PADI Instructor Exam (IE). The IDC is aimed at preparing candidates to work as PADI Assistant Instructors and/or Open Water Scuba Instructors. The IDC will help you gain a complete understanding of PADI's educational goals and philosophies. The IDC is also the ideal venue to provide you with the necessary professional education so that you would be able to implement the PADI system in confined water, classroom and open water environments.

The IDC has a duration of 9 days rather than the minimum required 7 days. This allows you more time to brush up on areas that might require some work and gives us the opportunity to offer individual attention when it is required. By the end of the IDC, you will be fully prepared to attend the IE, which is scheduled right after every IDC, and to work as a diving professional anywhere in the world.

The first part of the IDC is the Assistant Instructor (AI) course, which usually takes 4 days to complete. The second part is the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) course and this takes 5 days to complete. You may choose to do both sections together or separately. Please have a look at the Assistant Instructor & Open Water Scuba Instructor Course descriptions above.

IDC Start Dates for 2008:

The above materials are also available as a Crewpack at 550 Euros - SAVE over 100 Euros and get a free PADI Bag! It is also required to have the 3 versions of the RDP, the Encyclopedia of Recreqational Diving and the Diving Knowledge Workbook + Diver manuals. Please contact us for more information on the Instructor Development Course.

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The Instructor Examination(IE)
This is run by an Instructor Examiner from the PADI International Office and lasts about two days. Exams are scheduled right after the IDCs (see dates below). The fee is paid directly to PADI and is currently 381.88 pounds Sterling / 516 Euros.

Please note that to attend an IE, candidates are required to have 100 logged dives and have successfully completed an IDC or OWSI programme within 12 months of the start date of the IE.

March 2008: 07 to 08March
May 2008: 30 to 31 May
November 2008: 14 to 15 November

Please contact us for IE dates in Malta in 2009.

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Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep
During these courses you will be taught how to organise, promote and conduct PADI Specialty Diver Courses. Candidates usually choose 5 specialties which are a preparation for the Master Scuba Diver Trainer, which can then be applied for after the instructor has certified 25 students. The advantage with doing the specialties at the IDC is also that the instructor can teach the specialties immediately, as soon as applications are processed after the IE. Otherwise an instructor has to certify 25 divers before applying to teach specialties. You would also need to document that you have only 10 logged dives in the related specialty rather than 20 dives required if you apply for them directly with PADI. This is because you will be given hands-on tips on how to prepare and conduct these specialties.

You can choose from the following: 

A. Boat Diver Instructor
B. Deep Diver Instructor
C. DPV Instructor
D. Dry Suit Diver Instructor
E. Enriched Air Instructor
F. Equipment Specialist Instructor
G. Multilevel Diver Instructor
H. Night Diver Instructor
I. Oxygen Provider Instructor
J. Search & Recovery Diver Instructor
K. Underwater Naturalist Instructor
L. Underwater Navigator Instructor
M. Digital Underwater Photography Instructor
N. Wreck Diver Instructor

Please contact us for more information on the Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep course.

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Emergency First Response Instructor & Care For Children Instructor
The Emergency First Response Instructor course will enable you to develop your instructional abilities in teaching the EFR course and Care for Children (CFC) course. You will be trained in providing the necessary knowledge development and role model skills in Primary (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) for both adults and children. You will also be trained in the optional skill of using the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).

The Care for Children Instructor course will enable to expand on your EFRI skills to handling emergencies involving children. This has become a compulsory module to be done with EFRI since July 2005.

Please note that to enrol for the EFRI course you have to have completed the EFR (Primary & Secondary Care) and Care for Children (or equivalents) in the last 24 months. If you are a CRP/First Aid Instructor with another agency or a paramedic please contact us about the Crossover program. These courses are available either right after the IE dates or may be conducted separately any time during the year.

Please contact us for more information on the Emergency First Response Instructor course.

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Staff Instructor
This course is designed to provide Master Scuba Diver Trainers with the necessary training to be able to staff PADI IDCs and also to independently teach the Assistant Instructor course. During this course you will need to demonstrate acceptable performance on the Instructor Dive Theory Exam, the AI Standards Exam, PADI Skill Evaluation, a knowledge development teaching presentation and a confined water teaching presentation. Our Course Director will also guide you and teach you how to evaluate teaching presentations in knowledge development, confined water and open water.

The last component of this course involves either of 2 options:

Option A
Auditing a complete IDC. This option can only be run in conjunction with an IDC

Option B
You would be evaluated on presenting the 7 IDC Curriculum components from the PADI AI course. This option is more flexible and we are able to offer it all year round.