Instructor Development Course
At Blue Marlin Gili Trawangan, our Instructor Development Course (IDC) is led by two Platinum PADI Course Directors; Holly Macleod & Doug Hoy, with a combined 16 PADI Platinum recognition awards and over 30 years of experience. Training takes place in our on-site classrooms, custom-built dive pools, and at some of the Gilis’ best dive sites.
Beyond preparing you for the Instructor Exam, we focus on real-world teaching through workshops, team teaching, and mentorship with our experienced staff. With our supportive community, world-class facilities, and proven success record, Blue Marlin is the ideal place to launch your dive career.
Meet Your Course Directors
Holly Macleod
Course Director
Holly leads the Instructor Development Course at Blue Marlin. With over 23 years in the diving industry, her global experience spans top destinations like Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. She’s been instructing in Indonesia since 2012 and has specialised in teaching the IDC for over a decade, where she has certified over 3,000 instructors, earning her PADI’s Platinum and Elite 300 Awards for 13 consecutive years. Holly’s expertise, passion and experience have earned her an acclaimed reputation in the diving world, making her the perfect mentor for those looking to begin their dive career.
Doug Hoy
Course Director
Doug has over 15 years of dive industry experience across the world, starting out in Honduras and Mexico he arrived in Indonesia in 2015 and joined Blue Marlin Komodo. Certifying thousands of recreational and professional students, he made the step up to Course Director in 2020. He has teamed up with Holly on Gili Trawangan where their combined industry experience gives our IDC candidates the most comprehensive knowledge base for their development. Doug's experience teaching IDCs has also earned him the Elite PADI Platinum Course Director rating.
Course Highlights
2 Weeks of Free Fun Diving
We welcome and encourage all of our instructor candidates to arrive 2 weeks early and take advantage of 2 weeks of as much free fun diving as you'd like with our team! This is your chance to settle in, meet the Blue Marlin family, and explore the Gili Islands' underwater world.
3 Preparation Days
Another added bonus is our 3 free prep days just prior to your course. Think of these as a sort of Divemaster refresher, perfect to brush up on anything you might feel a bit rusty on, and a great chance for us to recognise any areas that might need a little bit more attention.
Team Teaching
One of the things that truly sets our IDC apart is the Team Teaching experience you’ll have afterwards — if you choose to take part. Team Teaching gives you the chance to work with real students and assist on genuine courses, all under the guidance of our instructor team. You’ll build experience at your own pace — leading as much or as little as you’re ready for — while receiving constructive feedback and mentorship every step of the way. It’s the perfect bridge from training to teaching, right up until you’re confidently running your own courses like a pro.
Get Certified, Then Get Ahead
Your IDC package at Blue Marlin includes more than just the Instructor Development Course. You’ll also complete your Emergency First Response Instructor (EFRI) rating, plus we include Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor and Shark Conservation Instructor training free!
These additional ratings not only strengthen your teaching portfolio but also give you the tools to inspire the next generation of divers and ocean advocates.
Team Teaching
Real Experience, Real Students
Once you’ve passed your IDC, the learning doesn’t stop. You’ll have the chance to team teach alongside our instructors, gaining real-world experience leading actual courses before heading out into the industry. It’s the perfect bridge between training and teaching.
Ongoing Mentorship
Your connection with Blue Marlin doesn’t end after the IDC. Holly runs a global instructor network — a private chat group of all her past candidates — where instructors share job openings, advice, and opportunities worldwide. It’s an incredible community that keeps supporting you long after you’ve become an instructor.
Blue Marlin Perks
When you train with Blue Marlin Gili Trawangan, you’re not just signing up for an IDC — you’re joining one of Indonesia’s most established and respected dive centres. Our program combines decades of teaching experience with a hands-on, personal approach that ensures every candidate gets the time, attention, and mentorship they deserve.
You’ll have access to on-site classrooms, purpose-built training pools, and our house reef just steps away, giving you the perfect environment to practice, refine, and master your skills. Alongside world-class training, your IDC at Blue Marlin comes packed with added value designed to give you the strongest possible start as an instructor. From essential instructor-level ratings to carefully selected specialty add-ons, you’ll finish the course with a broader teaching portfolio and a competitive edge in the job market. It’s our way of ensuring you’re not just ready to pass the exam — you’re ready to succeed from day one.
Beyond the training, you’ll be immersed in a vibrant island lifestyle — surrounded by instructors, divemasters, and divers from all over the world who share your passion for the ocean. From career mentorship and job placement support to lifelong friendships and sunset debriefs on the beach, doing your IDC at Blue Marlin isn’t just a course — it’s the beginning of your new life as a dive professional.
Pre IDC Preparation
To make sure you hit the ground running, we include free IDC Prep Days before the course kicks off. These relaxed sessions are designed to refresh the key parts of your Divemaster training so you start your IDC feeling sharp and confident.
We’ll brush up on dive theory, run through skill circuits, and revisit those all-important Rescue exercises — all with plenty of guidance (and laughs) along the way.
Here’s a glimpse of what your Pre-IDC Prep Days usually look like…
Day 1
Morning - Physics
Lunch
Afternoon - Skill Circuit
Day 3
Morning - Equipment & Deco theory
Lunch
Afternoon - Skill Circuit & Rescue Practice
Day 2
Morning - Physiology
Lunch
Afternoon - Skill circuit
What Does Our IDC Consist Of?
Course Workshops
The PADI IDC consists of these 16 workshops:
- Orientation
- Dive Theory
- PADI System
- Learning and Teaching
- Discover Scuba Diving
- PADI Open Water Diver Course set up & scheduling
- Risk Management
- Knowledge Development Presentations
- Confined Water Training
- Skill Development
- Open Water Training
- Continuing Education
- Advanced Open Water Diver
- Rescue Diver
- Sales Techniques
- Course Close
Your Teaching Practice
- Open Water Teaching Presentations
- Confined Water Teaching Presentations
- Knowledge Development Presentations
- Performing all 24 Open Water dive skills
You will also show us your Dive Theory by passing a five-part theory exam (made much easier by the prep days), plus a PADI System and Standards exam.
Materials
The PADI IDC Crewpack includes all the materials needed to prepare for the IDC. The PADI Crewpack includes:
- IDC elearning
- Specialty Instructor outlines
- Online dive knowledge workbook
- PADI’s Guide To Teaching
- Instructor slates for core courses (OW, Advanced, Rescue and DM)
- Lesson planning slate
Course Price
We want your Instructor journey to feel exciting from day one — starting with full transparency. Here’s everything that’s included in the program, laid out clearly so you can plan your adventure with confidence.
IDC Price Breakdown
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Course Price
1600 USD
This is the full cost of your Open Water Scuba Instructor and Emergency First Response Instructor training with Blue Marlin. This is the core price for your actual training and everything we provide here at the dive centre.
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Crewpack
790 USD
The Crewpack is required for every Instructor candidate worldwide. It includes all your official PADI learning materials, slates, manuals, planning tools, and reference guides that you’ll use throughout your training — and afterward as an Instructor. This fee is paid to Blue Marlin who will buy the Crewpack from PADI on your behalf.
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PADI Exam & Application Fees
1782 AUD
Once you’ve successfully completed your training, this fee is paid directly to PADI towards the end of the IDC. This price covers; The PADI Instructor Exam (1190 AUD), the Instructor Application (350 AUD) and the EFRI Application (242 AUD) It’s the final step in becoming a recognised PADI Instructor.
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Enriched Air Instructor Application
145 AUD
At Blue Marlin, we included Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor training free! Once you've successfully completed the exam we will apply for your Nitrox Instructor rating, you only need to cover the application fee.
2026 Dates
IDC & IE
7th January - 26th January / IE - 27th & 28th
11th February - 2nd March / IE - 3rd & 4th
18th March - 6th April / IE - 7th & 8th
22nd April - 11th May / IE - 12th & 13th
27th May - 15th June / IE - 16th & 17th
1st July - 20th July / IE - 21st & 22nd
5th August - 24th August / IE - 25th & 26th
9th September - 28th September / IE - 29th & 30th
14th October - 2nd November / IE - 3rd & 4th
18th November - 7th December / IE - 8th & 9th
Career Progression
Interested in making the best start to your dive career? Welcome to the PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep Course - Learn to teach the diving activities that you enjoy most and increase your employment opportunities! From Deep to Wreck we can arrange for specialty training that involves great diving to gain the certifications you need. Receive hands on training in how to manage, organize and conduct specialty training programs. With our MSDT package you can become an Instructor in any 5 specialties that you choose, at a greatly discounted rate!
IDC Staff Instructor - Take the next step in Instructor development and learn how to assist on an IDC and train fellow instructors. IDC Staff candidates will learn how to organize and audit an entire IDC. During the program itself you will also develop your evaluation and counseling skills. At Blue Marlin Dive we encourage Staff Instructors to play an active role in teaching and become part of our IDC team.
PADI MSDT
MSDT Package
5 Specialties - $500
Individual Specialties
Non - Diving Specialty $110
2 Dive Specialty $135
4 Dive Specialty $165
*Application fee per specialty - AU 145
Available PADI Specialties:
Enriched Air (Nitrox) - Fish ID
Wreck Diver - Deep Diver
Underwater Naturalist - Boat Diver
Underwater Navigator - Emergency O2 Provider
Shark Awareness - Sidemount Diver
Night Diver - Search And Recovery
Digital Underwater Photography - Drift Diver
Underwater Videographer
Enquire About IDC
Get in Touch About Your IDC
Thinking about taking the next step in your dive career? We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions about the course, want to know more about life on Gili T, or simply need a little guidance, we’re here to help.
You can speak directly with our amazing Course Director, Holly Macleod — she’ll be more than happy to answer any questions and guide you through the process. Reach out to Holly via email or WhatsApp for a personal response.
Prefer social media? You can also connect with our team on Instagram for quick replies and the latest updates from Blue Marlin.
