Open Water Instructor Course
The Open Water Instructor grade requires students to attend two Courses and to subsequently Pass two Examinations. The second course in this process is the Open Water Instructor Course
Introduction by 
DAVID WAKELAM
Open Water Chief Examiner
The principles of diving instruction within the BSAC are set out in the Instructor Foundation Course (IFC) which is classroom and swimming pool based. We all know however, that there is no substitute for teaching in the 'real' environment in which we all enjoy our sport, the open water.
The Open Water Instructor Course therefore builds on the foundation of the IFC and concentrates on the differences between the pool and open water.
The course revises the essential elements of effective instruction of practical skills and extends them for the open water environment. The main focus of the course is the Planning, Preparation and Presentation of a practical Open Water lesson with the support and guidance of a group tutor.
In addition the course considers other responsibilities that apply to instructors and advice and guidance is given to all students on progressing their diving instruction and how they should personally progress.
The advice and guidance below and the links from it is designed to help students prepare for the event and answer some typical questions and to further serve as a source of future reference during thier continued development and preparation for assessment.
DAVID WAKELAM
Before the event
The Open Water Instructor Course consists of :
Prerequisites
The entry requirement for the Open Water Instructor Course is Dive Leader, attendance at an IFC and a minimum age of 16.
There is no requirement to do any studying before the event but if it would be helpful to revise the Notes from the practical lessons from the IFC and appropriate sections from the 'Teaching Scuba Diving' Manual.
Booking the Course
The entry requirement for the Open Water Instructor Course is Dive Leader, attendance at an IFC and a minimum age of 16.
There is no requirement to do any studying before the event but if it would be helpful to revise the Notes from the practical lessons from the IFC and appropriate sections from the 'Teaching Scuba Diving' Manual.
Booking the Course
Once you have decided to do the course booking is simple with one of 3 methods available to you
- Online for Open Water Instructor Course
- by Post using the Open Water Instructor Course Application Form
- by phone Tel : 0151 350 6209
Dates are published in the Annual Programme of Events sent to all members, online as part of the Find an Instructor event and for the coming months in the latest issues of 'DIVE' and BSAC Talk.
Things to check
Please make sure that your membership is current (now and at the time of the course) and that BSAC HQ has a record of the relevant Diver grade. It may be necessary for you to submit documentary evidence of this to complete the application.
What to expect?
You should receive confirmation of your booking shortly after completion of the process and all documentation has been checked and confirmed. 2 weeks before the event Joining Instructions (sample) are sent out with details of the event, venue and what to bring plus local contacts and accommodation lists should they be required.
Some regions provide formal Examination Prep Events and you may be contacted directly by the regional representative inviting you to such an event.
During the Course
Typical timetable
The Theory Instructor Examination will take slightly longer than half a day, 4.5 to 5 hours depending on local conditions. A sample Timetable can be viewed here.
What happens?
The day will start with an overall brief from the lead Instructor on the day. They will introduce the Instructor Team, Local Organiser and any other relevant people and give a brief overview of the location and perhaps highlight appropriate teaching locations and any specific information you may need.
After the Course
Things to check
Please make sure that your membership is current (now and at the time of the course) and that BSAC HQ has a record of the relevant Diver grade. It may be necessary for you to submit documentary evidence of this to complete the application.
What to expect?
You should receive confirmation of your booking shortly after completion of the process and all documentation has been checked and confirmed. 2 weeks before the event Joining Instructions (sample) are sent out with details of the event, venue and what to bring plus local contacts and accommodation lists should they be required.
Some regions provide formal Examination Prep Events and you may be contacted directly by the regional representative inviting you to such an event.
During the Course
Typical timetable
The Theory Instructor Examination will take slightly longer than half a day, 4.5 to 5 hours depending on local conditions. A sample Timetable can be viewed here.
What happens?
The day will start with an overall brief from the lead Instructor on the day. They will introduce the Instructor Team, Local Organiser and any other relevant people and give a brief overview of the location and perhaps highlight appropriate teaching locations and any specific information you may need.
After the Course
Following the completion of the Open Water Instructor Course it is important that students take the time and effort to plan for all possible lessons that they could be given on the Practical Instructor Examination. Practice with teaching studetns within the branch and advice from qualified instructors and the Coaching Scheme will all assist with this preparation as will the advice on the PIE found eslwhere within this section.
What can I teach?
Successful completion of the Open Water Instructor Course does not remove the need for supervision for teaching diving in the Open Water. An Assistant Open Water Instructor will still require to be supervised by an OWI until they successfully pass the Practical Instructor Exam (PIE) (and TIE if not already done so).
Teaching Resources Downloads
Practical Lesson Planning Sheets
Classroom Lesson Planning Sheets
Theory Lesson Checklists
Practical Lesson Checklists
Theory Examination Question Paper (sample cover sheet)
Theory Examination Answer Sheet (sample Answer Sheet)
shotline configurations
Book an Open Water Instructor Course Online
Page last modified: 19th Mar 2008 - 16:57:48