Puerto Rico
IDC in Puerto Rico
Category
PADI 5 Star IDC
Address
Puerto Rico
PADI IDC Dive Center, Puerto Rico
If you’d like to take your Instructor Development Course in a very relax, personal and as real world environment it can be, then a PADI IDC on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico is just what you are looking for!
What is the reason Divemasters and Assistant Instructors should take their IDC in Puerto Rico?
We are able to offer new PADI Instructors the very best beginning to their new life / new career with the best PADI Instructor Development Course in Central America / Caribbean in Puerto Rico. Accommodation is provided on your full / extended 14 day PADI IDC which will include lots confined water practise opportunities and open water presentations as well as extra academic classes including extra PADI IDC Mock Dive Theory and Standards exams.
You will have the learning experience of what working in a dive boat is all about, including boat handling, tying a boat, and some more as a bonus!
And being Puerto Rico a U.S. territory, no passport is needed if you are a U.S. citizen and the same federal laws apply.
Having dived all around the Caribbean, from Cozumel, Bonaire, St. Thomas, Dominican Republic, Mona Island and some others as a PADI instructor and having the experience of owning a Dive Center and managed another one before being in Sea Ventures is some proof that we will offer nothing but the best IDC there is, period.
Thanks to his commitment all his students have passed their IEs without any problems.
- 15 years as a PADI Professional
- Disabled Divers International Instructor
- U.S. Coast Guard 100 tons Certified Boat Captain
- BBA in Accounting from U.P.R.
- Teaches every PADI courses
History
Being born in Puerto Rico, his father taught him to swim at age 5, becoming a competitive swimmer and national champion at 6. He felt confident enough to go with his father and father’s friend out in their boat to do snorkeling while they went diving. It wasn’t long until he got a big interest and curiosity for the underwater world so at an early age he was already scuba diving as a Jr. Open Water. Before becoming a PADI Professional, Course Director used to work as a Senior Auditor in a CPA Firm, but after some years gaining experience in different kinds of industries, he realized that diving was his real passion.
So at 2004 he became a PADI Open Water Instructor and changed professions. Since 2004 he has been living the dream – giving the opportunity to others to discover the underwater world. He opened his dive center in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico for a short period of time before he discovered that Fajardo on the East coast of Puerto Rico is the place to get the dive center in. So he closed his center and started to work in a dive operation in a hotel as the Dive Center Manager.
Then, he was hired as the Operations Manager where he has been for 10 years. So, being the oldest dive center in Puerto Rico with more than 30 years taking divers underwater, he kept growing professionally by getting his Captain’s License and later getting the opportunity to do the Course Director Training Course.
What are you facilities like?
We are located in the biggest marina in the Caribbean. We have 2 Newton 46’ Dive Boats with one of them used as the IDC and IE boat, AC multimedia classroom, confined Water Training is done in the pool of a hotel 5 minutes from the marina and Open water dives are just as close as a 20 minutes boat ride. In the marina we have our boats, dive shop, showers, supermarket, Deli, restaurant, bar, Laundromat and Car Rental among others. And 5 minutes from the marina there is Jose Aponte Airport and Culebra and Vieques Ferry terminals.
Has anything funny happened during your IDC courses?
Every IDC has its own funny situations and participants. But one of them, on a Knowledge Development Presentation trying to make a contact. When one asked the others if they ever had been Skydiving, on a roller coaster, surfing or hiking they agreed and answered no to all of them. So not knowing what else to say, just said :”then you guys are just boring!!!” and started laughing uncontrollably…
About
He has been diving for more than 30 years, 15 been a PADI Pro, so too many dives to have a logged number to it though all of them have been just awesome. Now, being the Operations Manager of Sea Ventures he often does go out with the crew and keeps doing several dives a day and loves doing it. Has been a PADI Elite Instructor for more than 5 years being active as a PADI Course Director.
Has a variety of Specialty Instructor Trainer ratings, including several distinctive specialties to keep up the ladder and become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Still teaching every PADI course from PADI Seal Team and Discover Scuba Diving to MSDT to stay sharp with skills as well as using teaching techniques to share in future PADI IDCs.
Emergency first Response Instructor Trainer, Disabled Divers International Instructor, PADI Swim School Instructor Trainer, U.S. Coast Guard 100 tons Certified Boat Captain and BBA in Accounting makes some other certifications and degrees that helps make his IDC unique.
What else do you like non Diving?
Being an Ironman triathlete, like bicycling, swimming, going to the gym or just watching a good soccer game. Also enjoy time hanging out with family and friends.
What are your personal diving obsessions?
As Sea Ventures is the only Dive Center in Puerto Rico doing Coral Restoration Projects with the support of NOAA, not only working in these projects, but getting involved with conserving and educating everyone either diver or non diver the importance of the coral reefs and showing the coral nurseries that they have and maintain in some of their dive sites are some of the diving obsessions.
What type of diving do you like the best?
Diving over some of Puerto Rico’s beautiful reefs close to one of our beautiful little islands and cays watching all kinds of marine life there is to see in the Caribbean Sea.
Why do you love being a PADI Course Director?
Wow!! Going through an IDC is a unique and unforgettable experience and it is pretty rewarding to have an Instructor that did the IDC with Sea Ventures tell you some years later that they are working somewhere else in the world and after comparing newly certified instructors preparation with theirs, they feel pretty confident and better prepared. That is just a great feeling of accomplishment!
What does the future hold for you?
Only accomplishing the goal of letting the world know that Puerto Rico has great diving opportunities and that there is a great place to do your IDC.
What does IDC students think?
“I came from the states to vacation in Puerto Rico and did my Open Water Diver certification. I traveled a lot and dove in other places, but never the dive professional was as inspiring. So I went back to Puerto Rico and started my Advanced Open Water with him where he showed such respect to the marine world and a kind of gets to you passion for diving that I just found my career. I moved to Puerto Rico and kept doing other courses with him. Not only he became my mentor during all my training as a PADI recreational and professional, but he became my friend and gave me the opportunity to work with Sea Ventures as a Divemaster and as an Instructor. He is a very humble yet knowledgeable Course Director. Now, I am pretty proud to not only met and get trained, but I became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
