The Big Day has come!!

The Big Day has come!!

Today is the big day, I’m going to start my IDC course! I didn’t really believe it yet when I woke up, but it really is time now.

Pete had offered to drop me off on the first day, so I didn’t have to stress about how to get there. On our way, it really became clear to me; “This is it!” My hands were shaking, that’s how nervous I was!

We arrived on the scene, I mean, Dive center, and walked through the door. I was lucky to had already met some of the people there; David, our PADI Course Director and Tim, our PADI Master Instructor.

I also met all my fellow IDC-candidates, and soon discovered we would be divided in two groups; Spanish and International. I was of course in the International group, who could all speak English. We had people from England, Ireland, Latvia, Hungarian and another Dutchy! Then there were also our two assisting (to be) PADI Staff Instructors: Phil, from Teide Divers, who I already knew, and Alexandro.

Pete stayed around for a little while, which was very reassuring, and David, our PADI Course Director, started the first presentation: Orientation. We received a schedule for the 7 days of the IDC, introduced ourselves and it soon became a lot clearer that it wasn’t all as scary as thought!

The IDC is developed to (as the name Instructor Development Course suggests) develop new Instructors, and to teach you everything you need to know. No one expects you to already know everything, because you’re only a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor! We are here to learn.

I feel very reassured, and already less stressed than in de last couple of weeks. Pete went back the Dive Center and the rest of the day we listened to more presentations about General Standards and the Business of Diving.

Tomorrow we will start the day with practice exams, to see where we are all up to, and what we need to work on over the next week.

I got a ride home from Lorcan, one of my fellow candidates on the IDC who owns a Dive Center in Gran Canaria, and after a quick drink with some of the DM interns and Pete and Melissa, I went home to do some of my last studying!

Wish me luck!

Love, Alice