If you are passionate about diving and instructing you may want to take your instructing skills to another level by becoming a BSAC Advanced Instructor, the third of BSAC’s instructor levels.
On the Advanced Instructor Course, you will go sea diving from boats. Advanced Instructors learn to teach the advanced skills a diver needs to drive boats, manage dives, find wrecks, use charts, carry out underwater surveys, and run projects. Advanced Instructor courses run in the summer around the UK coastline, and give you the chance to learn how to help teach the skills divers need on more advanced dives.
What surprised me the most about the course was just how much fun it was! I love teaching but I love learning too and to spend time with some top BSAC National Instructors coaching me was fantastic. It has given me confidence in my ability to teach at higher levels.
- Helena Robertshaw, Bingham SAC
Definition of an Advanced Instructor
An experienced instructor who has been trained and is competent in a range of organisational skills, teaching techniques, and delivery methods and is capable of:
- Planning, Preparing and Presenting practical and interactive lessons making use of Planning Tools without reliance on existing Instructor Notes or resources.
- Organising and teaching diving activities for advanced diving skills without the need for the detailed lesson plans offered by the DTP.
- Taking every opportunity to enhance the skills and experience of divers and Instructors on an ongoing basis.
- Organising training activities for the delivery of both diver training and specialist courses and playing a leading role in the supervision and development of Instructors up to OWI and beyond.
- Providing a comprehensive range of skills for teaching and developing effective Dive Management leading to the achievement of the high levels of competence required by Advanced Divers, Diving Officers and First Class Divers (FCD).
- Defining their own Personal development needs and identifying the means to address them.
- Contributing to Regional and/or National developments through the Coaching Scheme and NDC involvement
- Undertaking further training to become an Instructor Trainer (IT).
- Progressing to National Instructor after achieving IT and FCD status.
An Advanced Instructor would play a considerable role in organising group activities and ensuring the continuing personal development of all attending those activities including divers, support teams, students and instructors.
Advanced Instructor Course and exam
To become a qualified Advanced Instructor you need to attend the Advanced Instructor Course (AIC) and then pass the national Advanced Instructor Exam (AIE).
Having consolidated your advanced instructing skills by practising at your club after your Advanced Instructor Course, you can become a qualified Advanced Instructor by passing the Advanced Instructor Exam.
The exam is in two parts:
Part 1: Theory assessment
The Theory assessment involves a 60-question multiple choice examination and includes questions covering:
- Diving knowledge cover Ocean Diver - Advanced Diver inclusive
- Instructor knowledge at OWI level
You can undertake the theory assessment at any time as it does not rely on the information in the AIC. You must hold a Pass in the theory assessment before attending the practical AIE and you are encouraged to book the assessment as soon as possible.
Part 2: Practical assessment
Two days’ of planning and managing diving and making maximum use of the instructional opportunities.)
The two-day Advanced Instructor Course extends an Open Water Instructor’s range of teaching tools to help them teach the higher levels of the BSAC Diver Training Programme, moving away from reliance on extensive instructor resources.
To enrol you must already be an Open Water Instructor and a BSAC Advanced Diver (or have equivalent certification from another recognised training agency).
The Advanced Instructor Course will help you to blur the distinction between a dive and an instructional dive experience. The main focus is on extending your instructing experience on real dives. This will include teaching effective dive management and teaching whilst in boats as well as under water.
You will develop a range of complementary teaching techniques, practise them and get plenty of feedback from course instructors. You’ll be better prepared to support training for more advanced diver grades and to support the development of assistant instructors in your club. Such instructor development includes the use of positive critique techniques and the creation of personal development plans.
The action-packed programme includes planning and implementing an instructional dive and a task-based project dive, taking advantage of all the teaching opportunities that such dives present.
After attending this course you can use your extended teaching skills and help support vital instructor development at your club.
The role of the Advanced Instructor:
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Organise Advanced Diver and First Class Diver training groups
- Develop Instructors post IFC
Book your places online now:
- Book Advanced Instructor course
- Book Advanced Instructor Practical Exam
- Book Advanced Instructor Theory Exam
The Theory assessment involves a 60-question multiple choice examination and includes questions covering:
- Diving knowledge cover Ocean Diver - Advanced Diver inclusive
- Instructor knowledge at OWI level
You can undertake the theory assessment at any time as it does not rely on the information in the AIC. You must hold a Pass in the theory assessment before attending the AIE and you are encouraged to book the assessment as soon as possible.
Not a BSAC member? You can do this course by joining BSAC directly or joining via a local club. Find a club.
Students will be given a pack of supporting learning materials that includes a student guide to record your experiences and personal development plan. You will need dive kit suitable for use in open water. You will also need writing materials and a slate.
Your next steps – developing your skills
You could progress to Instructor Trainer or National Instructor!
Volunteering as an Instructor Trainer (IT) can be immensely rewarding. By getting involved as an IT you can help to bring on the next generation of BSAC instructors, from assistant instructors and above. For more information and to register your interest in the Instructor Trainer Development Course, email bookings@bsac.com.
Read blog: Instructor Trainer Development Course – a student’s perspective
Passionate about the future of BSAC training and want to make a contribution to our organisation at the highest level? You could progress to National Instructor.
