Instructor Development Course & PADI Instructor Exam - March 2010

From left, new PADI instructor Jonathan Harris, Aquanauts Master Instructor Meg Smith, new instructors Scott Beadle and Tim Fiorito, and Master Instructor Gary Tytler

Three men from three continents became the latest Aquanauts Dive Centre students to become professional instructors when they passed this month’s PADI Instructor Exam in Pattaya.

Jonathan Harris of the United Kingdom, Scott Beadle of South Africa and Tim Fiorito of Canada posted near-perfect scores across the board on the March 15-17 exam at Discovery Beach Hotel near Aquanauts’ headquarters on Soi 6 and Beach Road.

Fiorito, at barely 19, became the youngest instructor ever to successfully complete Aquanauts’ instructor internship program. Beadle, meanwhile, came to PADI 5-Star Career Development Center in September as an uncertified diver and worked his way up through the ranks over the past six months.

Harris, who came to Pattaya in mid-December and quickly earned a reputation for his flat-out determination, said all three guys found the exam much easier than Aquanauts’ demanding training program and thanked his instructors profusely at a post-exam party, saying the course has changed his life and he wants to teach diving for the rest of his life.

This IDC was staffed by Course Director Roger Smith and Maser Instructors Meg Smith and Gary Tytler.

Instructor Gallery

Click a year and month below to see photos and stories of previous Aquanauts interns on their PADI Instructor Exam and IDCs.