Professional Courses

IAHD has developed specific training programs for dive professionals to enable Dive Leaders, Assistant Instructors and Instructors from recognized dive organizations to become certified to train handicapped divers.

During these training programs, you will learn about the various forms of physical and mental disabilities, which aspects of the varying forms of disability require special attention and how you can integrate a dive course from the dive organization of which you are a member, with a corresponding IAHD course. You will also learn about the IAHD certification procedure.

Instructor Assistant

The IAHD ‘Instructor Assistant’ course is the first 'professional' certification in the IAHD range of courses. Following successful completion of this course, an IAHD ‘Instructor Assistant’ may assist an IAHD Instructor during courses and may also independently run ‘Scuba Experience’ sessions.

During this course, medical-related issues that may be encountered when training a person with physical or (minor) mental disabilities are covered in detail. Trainees are also taught how to run ‘Scuba Experience’ sessions and how to escort divers with physical or (minor) mental disabilities underwater.

An IAHD Instructor Assistant is a highly regarded professional who can escort divers with physical or (minor) mental disabilities throughout the world.

Instructor

The IAHD Instructor course is designed to train Dive Instructors from recognized dive organizations in the knowledge and skills that are required to train and certify people with a physical or (minor) mental disability to dive, in a safe and enjoyable way. An IAHD Instructor is also authorized to run the IAHD Partner course and, when authorized by IAHD, any IAHD specialty courses in which he or she is certified at Instructor level by a recognized organization.

The IAHD Instructor is responsible for the safety of his or her trainees and assistant’s and therefore the demands during this course are high

Instructor Trainer

In the same way that an IAHD Instructor is responsible for training IAHD divers, an IAHD Instructor Trainer is responsible for training IAHD Instructors. He or she is required to ensure that the Instructor candidate has the knowledge and skills required to successfully run IAHD courses. For this reason, the Instructor Trainer course is only run at the IAHD head office.

During the IAHD Instructor Trainer course, the participants learn how to bring out the best in an IAHD Instructor trainee. Of course, didactical, management and dive skills are covered to ensure the highest quality and the professionalism and attitude of the IAHD Instructor trainee are evaluated.

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