Adjusting to Change: The Challenge for Older Dive Instructor Students

As we’ve discussed before, Aquanauts gets interns in all shapes and sizes, young and old, from all parts of the world. While the majority of the people who join us are under 35, we’ve been seeing an increasing number of people in their upper “thirtysomethings,” their 40s, 50s and even 60s who want to “go Pro” and become a PADI divemaster or instructor. And they pretty much all want to know one thing before the join: “Am I too old?”

In most cases, the answer is “No.” If you are healthy and in reasonable shape, there should be no physical hurdle to you becoming an instructor. You do have to be free of any serious heart conditions, asthma, emphysema, diabetes and other diseases that could strike while you are under water. And you need to be sound enough physically to do the work of an instructor, including lifting heavy tanks, equipment bags and the like. Endurance is also an issue, as just to pass the divemaster course you will have to pass an 800m swim test.

Australian Greg King, who began his internship at age 62, is just one of many diving instructors Aquanauts has training, including another at 61 and many more in their 50s. (Click to enlarge.)

Having said that, it’s not as simple for older students to become PADI Pros as just passing the physical test. One obstacle we’ve seen that that is unique to this age group, particularly those with a lot of dive experience, is mental: Specifically, students can struggle if they are not willing to change and accept new ideas.

Now, obduracy is not exclusive to older people. We’ve seen a few stubborn, bullheaded 20-somethings. But it’s not just a stereotype, either, to say that those in their 50s and 60s can get set in their ways.

You may be a very experienced diver and even have experience teaching, either in an academic setting or something like first-aid or swimming or the like. But that doesn’t mean you can be a good PADI instructor. By the time you’ve made it through the divemaster course, you should be a good, skilled competent diver. Then you start the Instructor Development Course. And the IDC is not about learning to dive. It’s about learning to teach the PADI System, or, as many like to say, “The PADI Way.”

The PADI system may not always seem intuitive or even the easiest way to teach diving. But the absolute fact is that if you fight the system, you will fail. And we’ve seen that those with a lot of life experience are reluctant to change. (Of course, it also happens in reverse, with young brash students thinking they know better than the instructor and change an IDC presentation “to make it more interesting.” They too usually end with a failing grade because they didn’t do it The PADI Way.)

What students need to do to pass the IDC with good marks is to practically give up their free will and just follow the outlines. PADI lays out how to do a presentation or a skill for you in easy to follow steps on instructor “slates.” Follow A, B, C & D, hit all the points and you score well because you covered all the important material your students will need to know. PADI has been training divers like this for more than 25 years. They’ve pretty much got it down now. Do you think you, with your months or few years of experience you can do it better? Maybe you can, but you’ll be doing it under your own or a different dive agency.

Accepting and adjusting change isn’t easy for anyone and it can be understood if you’ve built a successful life and career before deciding to become a dive instructor. I asked Course Director John Taylor, himself 65 years old, if he could have started instructor training at his age, or even five years younger.

“Yes, but I’m open to new things and new experiences,” he said. “If I wasn’t diving, I’d jump into some other new thing and learn that.”

John’s lucky. It’s not that easy for everyone. But if you want to Go Pro, you not only have to get your body in shape, but your mind as well.