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Teach specialty courses and guide students the whole way from Open Water Diver to Master Scuba Diver — a genuine step up in what you can offer as an instructor.
Get more infoMaster Scuba Diver Trainer, or MSDT, is the first rating that PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors can earn after certifying. It recognises instructors who have broadened their teaching by adding several Specialty Instructor ratings and who have an active record of certifying divers.
The MSDT pathway is about expanding what you can teach. Each specialty adds a new set of courses, which means more variety for your students and more opportunities for you as a working instructor.
| Theory (knowledge development) | Each Specialty Instructor rating includes an instructor-level orientation to the specialty's standards, content and teaching approach. |
| Pool / confined water | Where the specialty uses confined water, you practise presenting and evaluating the relevant skills. |
| Open water | Where the specialty includes open water training, you practise teaching and supervising it under the guidance of a PADI Course Director or qualified trainer. |
| Internship | Not applicable; the MSDT rating also requires proof of active teaching, with students certified, after your Open Water Scuba Instructor rating. |
Minimum age 18, current PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor status in good standing, five Specialty Instructor ratings and a record of certifying students, with around 25 diver certifications commonly required. Confirm current MSDT requirements with Scubaversity.
Minimum age: 18
At Scubaversity: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI), 5 PADI Specialty Instructor certifications, and a minimum of 25 divers certified.
Typically one or two days per Specialty Instructor rating depending on the topic, so the five ratings can usually be spread across several days or weeks. Confirm timing with Scubaversity.
Newly qualified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors who want to broaden what they teach and move toward senior roles such as Staff Instructor.
Teach multiple specialty courses, improve your employability, grow your income potential, and open the pathway toward PADI Master Instructor and technical diving instruction (Tec 50, DSAT Trimix).
You need to already hold PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI), have 5 PADI Specialty Instructor certifications, and have certified a minimum of 25 divers.
Not exactly — MSDT is earned once you hold the required Specialty Instructor ratings and diver-certification count, so the path and timeline depend on which specialty ratings you already have. We'll assess where you stand and map out what's left.
You'll be able to teach multiple specialty courses, improve your employability as an instructor, grow your income potential, and open the pathway toward PADI Master Instructor and technical diving instruction (Tec 50, DSAT Trimix).
We're a PADI 5 Star Career Development Centre based in Gauteng, so classroom and skills work happen at our home base, with specialty teaching practice arranged at inland sites and, where relevant, on our coastal trips.
MSDT pricing is available on request — contact for pricing. Exactly which specialty instructor ratings you still need depends on what you already hold — contact us and we'll map out the path and confirm what's included.
No. MSDT is for PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors. You first complete the IDC and pass the Instructor Examination.
No. Master Scuba Diver is a recreational rating for divers. Master Scuba Diver Trainer is a professional instructor rating.