Become a PADI Scuba Instructor atBuddy dive academy

Are you ready to start living your dream and pursue a career in the dive industry? Look no further than Divers Paradise Bonaire at Buddy Dive Resort for your Instructor Development Course.

Buddy Dive Resort is renowned as one of the premier dive destinations in the Caribbean, and it has been hosting Instructor Development Courses since 2010. As a leading PADI professional dive training facility, Buddy Dive Academy offers the ideal environment to kickstart your career. We maintain exceptionally high standards in all levels of scuba education, ensuring your success as a PADI Professional Instructor.

We take pride in being a PADI Career Development Center (CDC)*. With extensive experience from our Course Directors and a track record of training over 200 Open Water Scuba Instructors, as well as more than 500 IDC Staff and Specialty Instructors, we offer the best choice for your professional training. As a PADI CDC, Your Buddies™ provide job placement in Bonaire and the surrounding islands of the Caribbean.

The Dive Academy:

Led by Platinum Course Director Lars Bosman and Gold Course Director Maarten van den Hazel, the Buddy Dive Academy operates with a team of dedicated IDC Staff Instructors. Lars has been a Course Director since 2019 and has trained over 300 candidates across various instructor levels. Maarten, a Course Director since 2013, brings valuable experience from working in Mexico, Indonesia, and establishing his own IDC dive center in the Netherlands. In 2022, he joined the Buddy family. Lars and Maarten have been friends since 2005 when they met at their local dive shop. Maarten trained Lars to become an IDC Staff Instructor in 2015 before Lars moved to Buddy Dive. Their positive energy, combined with years of experience, make them an excellent team.

Vision and Team:

Lars and Maarten lead the Buddy Dive Academy with their team of IDC Staff Instructors. Our vision for the IDC is based on the belief that only the best instructors can train competent divers. In response to PADI’s shortened IDC program, Buddy Dive decided to extend our existing program by an additional day, incorporating more hands-on training sessions and practical workshops. These enhancements better prepare you for your career as a PADI instructor, focusing on teaching control and drawing from our own experiences. We go the extra mile to develop you into the best PADI professional possible. As part of your IDC preparation, you will also complete an additional e-learning course on risk management and risk mitigation.

PADI 5* Career Development Center

* The PADI Career Development Center (CDC) classification is awarded annually to PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centers and Five Star Instructor Development Dive Resorts. These centers and resorts are recognized for their dedication to professional development beyond regular scuba instructor training, meeting the highest requirements for training PADI scuba diving leaders. PADI CDCs provide career-oriented training to prepare scuba diving professionals for employment in the dive industry and offer job placement assistance for program graduates.

IDC DATES 2023/24

All inclusive MSDT and Divemaster course dates

NOTE : It is possible to follow the MSDT program in other weeks, but not as an all-inclusive package.

Everything you need at one location

At Buddy Dive Resort, you’ll find everything you need to become the best Open Water Scuba Instructor. The Instructor Development Course, taking place at one of the world’s best dive operations, is just one of the benefits. We offer a professional dive operation, well-equipped classrooms, swimming pools, and the crystal-clear ocean with typical Bonairean pool-like conditions – all just steps away. With all these resources at hand, you can entirely focus on becoming the best instructor possible.

Choosing the all-inclusive IDC package means you won’t have to leave the resort for meals and accommodation. Everything is conveniently provided for you. And if you want to blow some bubbles with your new friends after a day at the IDC, simply strap on a tank and enjoy our beautiful house reef.

EXTRA Workshop by our Dive Operations Manager

Buddy Dive Resort is recognized as one of the most active and successful dive operations worldwide. Drawing on our experience with everyday logistics, we incorporate this valuable knowledge into our PADI Instructor Development Course. This component prepares our candidates to interact with diving activities and management in real-life situations, making them more employable and facilitating their development in the diving industry. This workshop is a valuable tool for individuals aiming to work in dive shops, dive centers, and diving resorts.

PADI Instructor Development Course at the best Diving Resort of Bonaire

Become a PADI professional in the Caribbean while diving at the best Diving Resort in Bonaire. Buddy Dive Academy provides you with top-notch professional dive training and education. We have included the most effective tools in our PADI IDC package to exponentially increase your professionalism and employability in the dive industry. Our package includes:

  • Free PADI Emergency O2 provider course
  • Free week of hands-on teaching PADI Courses with our experienced PADI Instructional Staff
  • Free online counseling and tutoring with our Course Director to assist you with the 5 theory segments two weeks prior to your arrival
  • Free equipment rental
  • Free job placement assistance, helping you find the job of your dreams in Bonaire, other islands in the Caribbean, or anywhere else in the world.

Your Buddies’ choice: The all-Inclusive IDC

When you choose the all-inclusive IDC package at Buddy Dive Resort, you’ll have everything you need to become a professional and well-educated scuba instructor. Your Buddies will take care of all the details, including shared accommodation, meals, materials, the course itself (including the EFR instructor and Emergency O2 provider courses), instructor applications, and the Instructor examination.