Is Teaching the Open Water Course Beneath You—Or Actually Above You?

Why foundational diver training is the true test of a great Instructor.

In the scuba industry, a quiet but persistent belief lingers: that teaching Open Water courses is a step down for high-level instructors. Many technical or advanced instructors regard entry-level training as repetitive, draining, or beneath their status. But this belief is not only misguided—it risks undermining diver safety, the integrity of training, and the future of the dive community itself.

At its core, the Open Water Diver course is the most critical step in a diver’s journey. It introduces people who have likely never breathed underwater to a completely foreign environment. These students arrive with no knowledge of physics, pressure, or buoyancy—only trust in their instructor to lead them safely into the unknown.

That trust is not something to take lightly. It demands an instructor who is not only technically proficient, but also emotionally present, patient, and able to communicate with clarity and care. While technical students arrive equipped with a foundation of knowledge and motivation to advance, Open Water students often begin with uncertainty, anxiety, and minimal understanding of the risks involved. Teaching them requires not just information transfer—but transformation.

Entry Level - The Most Difficult Course to Teach?

It is easy to assume that advanced or technical courses are harder because the dives are deeper, the equipment more complex, or the theory more intense. But in reality, those students are already committed to scuba as a serious pursuit. They understand the dangers. They are willing to invest time and money to expand their skillset. In short, they are already divers.

Open Water students, by contrast, are beginners in every sense. They are often price-sensitive, unsure if diving is for them, and may never take another course. And yet, their first experience will determine everything. A positive introduction can lead to a lifelong passion. A poor one can end their interest—or worse, create a diver who is ill-prepared and unsafe.

This is why one could argue that Open Water is not just the hardest course to teach—it is also the most important. It requires instructors to be at their most aware, empathetic, and energetic. The responsibility is enormous: to lay the foundation for a diver’s safety, confidence, and enjoyment in just a few sessions.

The Data Does Not Lie

Incident and fatality reports consistently show that divers with limited experience—especially those with fewer than 20 to 50 dives—are disproportionately represented in accident statistics. These divers are more likely to panic, ascend too quickly, or make basic equipment mistakes. While technical diving carries a higher per-dive risk, fatalities among technical divers form a much smaller percentage of total diving deaths globally.

This points to a sobering truth: inexperience, not dive complexity, is the greater threat. And who is responsible for turning those inexperienced students into competent divers? The Open Water Instructor.

Burnout Is a Risk—To You and Your Students

No matter how skilled, instructors are not immune to fatigue. Teaching the same course repeatedly without variety can lead to burnout—a dangerous condition in any teaching role. When an instructor becomes emotionally checked out, their ability to lead and inspire suffers. And when empathy fades, so does safety.

Burnout compromises attention to detail, patience, and the human connection needed to support anxious beginners. Instructors, If you feel drained, step back. Vary your teaching. Mix in advanced courses or guided dives. But never walk into an Open Water session on autopilot. Your students—and the dive industry—deserve better.

The Highest Responsibility in Dive Education

The Open Water course is not beneath your level—it may very well be above it. It demands more than knowledge; it requires heart, awareness, and commitment. It is where you can make the biggest impact on someone’s diving future. And that is something to take pride in.

So the next time you clip your BCD and wade into the shallows with a nervous first-timer at your side, remember: this is not a “basic” course. This is the moment a complete beginner begins their transformation into a scuba diver. If done right, it sets them on a path of lifelong underwater exploration—carrying with them not just the skills, but the memory of the instructor who made them feel safe, capable, and inspired from the very beginning.

Give it your best. Because it matters.