I was trying to get my IDC with Mark for the last 8 years. But now it's done. Worth every penny and each minute. After so many hours of practice, we were really prepared for the IE.

So after much debate and procrastination I met with Mark Soworka from dive-careers.com at Buddha View and decided to take the plunge so to speak
It’s true an IDC is 3 weeks intense training to become a professional Padi Instructor but it’s a necessity by standards and I’m overjoyed that I did it with this caring professional Course Director
My fellow IDC candidates and myself were all trained to highest degree and as we all passed with flying colours is a credit to Mark Soworka Julian Pirie , Aaron Puttawong
Thank you

The IDC was a really intense but also a really good experience.
Special thanks to our Course Director Ben Meerhaeghe and Staff Instructor Erika Sullivan who did a great Job und prepared us perfectly for the IE.

I had such a great time during the IDC with a great bunch of candidates. I am really pleased that did it through Dive careers a brilliant team and a really good course director Ben Meerhaeghe.

I have been wanting to do my IDC since 2015. I have been looking around, asking around, talk to lots of instructor friends, msg lots of course directors and contacted lots of dive centre. Finally, this year i have come across the right time, place, style & of course the CD - Mark, for me to do it. I have been looking for something where i don't just learn to be an instructor, but allow me to have work experience as one.
I really like liveaboard, and come across dive-careers partner with Khao Lak Scuba Adventures (KSA), have liveaboard internship right after the course. Most of all, i also want to be taught by an experience course director that don't look at me as a "product"/"number". I want a mentor/friend where someone that still have great passion in diving and can teach/share lots about this industry. And I am so please come across Mark where he is such a chill/easy-going, experienced, friendly, informative, fun and respectful course director in the diving industry.
I m glad to be in a small class (only 3 of us), where we have plenty of time to ask questions and do lots of training. Mark and his assistant /son - Aaron, have been the 'perfect combo'(father & son team) helped me so much in class. ;)

I personally do IDC not just to become an instructor, but is a personal development course that i would like to take, to challenge myself and overcome some fears that i had experienced in life. I definitely achieved that by the end of the course, where it develops my confidence, i able to stand up to teach/ speak in public, i able to share my passions and overcome some past condemnation/negatives that ppl used to title me.

I really like the creative, gentle, independent yet informative approach that Mark used/taught us in the class. He makes it stress-free and we able to learn it in a comfortable plus creative (own way), where helps me to complete my IDC. By the time my IE arrived, i managed to face/do it confidently or easily. Not only that, when i got the chance to teach during my internship on the liveabord, i realise how well i can teach and shared my passion/experience with my students. I really thankful to my course director- Mark, his son/assistant - Aaron, my 2 amazing yet annoying classmates - Jelmer & Kris and some instructors at KSA that have helped me throughout the whole IDC journey.

Thanks for all the support, encouragements, the believe/trust/confidences that i do not have :) and the patience towards me. Really feel the amazing team spirits and how much ppl cares for your success!
This IDC experience definitely have been one of the most remarkable event of my life! I met so many amazing ppl and make great friendship as well.

Really great IDC! The theorical and the practical part were very well prepared, I learned a lot into a very nice context, having fun at the same time. I felt ready when we went to take the exam!

Lovely time March IDC Sri Lanka with Poseidon Diver center family Best course Director Ben Meerhaeghe

A great team, dive staff and centre, and country to learn to become a dive professional! Ben was a great course director.

On March 21st myself and two other candidates started our Instructor Development Course here in Khao Lak, Thailand. I choose to do my IDC with Dive Careers here at Khao Lak Scuba Adventures because some of my friends recommended me to do the course with Mark. I’m glad I made this choice, Mark is a great guy with an unbelievable knowledge and experience in scuba diving. Mark added a lot of extras in the course and prepared us way beyond what we needed to know for the exams. Plus we got access to loads of materials that he put together over the years which helped me a lot with the preparation. I guess I was also lucky to be in such a small group, just three candidates. Therefore the atmosphere was very relaxed and there was always a lot of time to discuss things. Any questions we had during the course, we could always reach out to him. I had a really good few weeks here in Khao Lak, I’m now working on the liveaboards here for a month (which was also part of the IDC package) and I can finally call myself Open Water Scuba Instructor!

Every instructors and course directors from dive careers were always ready to help and humble. Even when I had troubles which has nothing to do with my course my course director Shayne was there to help me. I decided to do my IDC with dive careers under Shayne when I was doing my divemaster course with dive careers. The way dive careers operate is world class. I knew it is the best option and my decision was right. Shayne made the IDC really easy and fun. She is the best course director and best friend and best person and so on. The list goes on !!!!!!!!!!! :)

I was looking for somewhere in Khao Lak to do my IDC and with out any real preference with an uneducated decision and I happened to get the worlds leading course director and boy did it show.

Mark is a platinum course director and had certified more dive instructors than anyone else

Mark had some amazing teaching techniques and always let your strengths shine through and helped you out where it was needed, it was 7 years ago when I completed my dive master so I needed to really sharpen up my theory side of things and from scoring very low on my exam on the first day of the IDC (which Mark gets you to do to show him your current knowledge so he knows what to work with) and then to me scoring a 100% on one exam and 89% on another and high scores in the presentations in the IE 12 days later truely shows that he really knows what his doing and can teach you the way you absorb it most

Our presentations were spot on and we could really tell when we stood up with the other participants that the little extras that mark had shown us really came through and were truely noticeable

His not all business business and there were laughs everyday and his truely a genuinely nice guy that has a passion for what he does and wants to see the best in everyone, to Mark your not just a customer which really made me feel at home and comfortable

I highly recommend Mark to any future DMs looking to becoming an Instructor and thanks again Mark for helping me achieve my dream

This was a fantastic program in a beautiful place with an awesome instructor. Definitely encourage those looking to continue with their dive education to experience the instructor course in Bohol with Bas.

I just finished my IDC with Dive Careers and Legend Diving.

With the help of our course director Shayne from Dive Careers and Frank our Staff Instructor our whole Class completed the IDC with amazing scores.

So thank you very much Shayne and Frank for everything.

I would really recommend to start your IDC with Dive Careers.

A very professional and fun course, dive careers gave us all the skills we needed to pass the instructor exam with lots of laughs along the way. I would highly recommend doing your IDC with these guys the IE was easy after training with Carmelo. He taught us everything we needed to pass and a whole lot more he absolutely loves diving and is a great teacher. 10/10!!!

After multiple weeks of research, comparison and thinking about where to go, we followed the recommendations of several friends. The decision to do our IDC with dive-careers.com at Sierra Madre Divers in Bohol, Philippines, turned out to be a great choice.
Our Course Director was Bas Van Riemsdijk – he is a very likeable, handsome and very knowledgeable guy with great teaching and motivation skills. Throughout his professional and natural style, he also provided us with lots of fun and laughter. His English is clear and easy to understand, which is very important for non-native-speakers like we are!
Despite all hard work he made the IDC feel like fun! And after all the thorough preparation, in the end the IE was a walk in the park!
And last but not least he also granted enough breaks for the smokers among us… :)
Sierra Madre Divers catched us from the first moment with their big heart and their commitment for the cats and dogs of Alona Beach! When we arrived there, we were welcomed in a very familiar atmosphere, they supported us in our search for a suitable accommodation, and were very helpful with really everything before, throughout and even after the IDC!
The classrooms have air condition, and coffee, tea, water and cookies are available for free – for lunch we had e.g. very tasty noodles or dumplings.
Furthermore there is a very big and deep swimming pool right next to the classrooms, which is ideal for training/polishing your demonstration skills.
And the sandy shallow bottoms of paradisiac Alona Beach offer perfect conditions for teaching/demonstrating as well.

I had a great two weeks with Carmelo and our group for the IDC. There was a lot of work but we were definitely thoroughly prepared for the day of the IE. We had lots of laughter during the course and I learned a lot, especially brushing up on my theory for the exam with the help from Carmelo, Cilla, Julian and of course the others in my group too.

It can be very stressful to choose a place and an organization to do your IDC, so many things are involved (future jobs, lot of money, course in a different language than mother tongue...). All this stress was removed with Mark and the KSA's staff taking care of me and the 7 other IDC students! Wonderful experience, I think I can speak for the other guys when I say that we felt ready and relaxed when came the IE thanks to all the training we had (for the theory and the in-water exams).
Everything is under control and all we have to do is work hard and stay motivated!
Speaking just for my case, coming from a different dive organization than PADI was a challenge, but I received the help I needed to pass everything with success.
Thanks to Mark and all the staff

Choosing to do my IDC with Dive-Careers was a great decision that I will remember for the rest of my life. I came all the way from South Africa because it's was an amazing packing that I just couldn't resist. Tropical waters, Payed work on a liveaboard and being taught by Mark Soworka.
The IDC Was a 2 week program. After the first week I was already confident that would ace the IE examination. And I did

i did my DM and IDC with this company. it totally worth it. all package include livaboard trips . that
s amazing. training is good, trip also good. especially the course director, awesome. knowledgeable, friendly, professional, positive. learn a lot from him. it is a nice experience in my life .

Was a great learning experience from start to finish. I can see why Mark is known so well worldwide, he has a very good program that you get the most for your money. Had lots of fun on the course and made good friends too. Enjoying the liveaboard internship alot!!

Great program! I am very much enjoying the live-aboard internship. Mark knows his stuff! The training he offered went well beyond the IDC. Looking forward very much to this budding career and to taking advantage of the vast Dive Careers network!

Thank you Mark! Thank you Dive Careers! Thank you Khao Lak Scuba Adventures!

Thanks to dive-careers and CD Carmelo Sgroi the IE went smooth as silk. I felt really prepared for the exams and the in-water presentations. I can't recommend enough the IDC with dive-careers, their huge experience is a real asset for your development as instructor, before and after the IE.

This course was awesome! It was filled with laughter, awesome company and some great teaching. Carmelo was a thorough instructor who was super helpful at all times and made sure that we were doing everything to the best standard, which meant that passing the IE felt easy! Everyone involved in the course was good fun, professional and made it an amazing course to be on.

The Dive-careers IDC went like a dream and by the end all six applicants passed with relative ease. We were incredibly fortunate to be taught by Mark, his name is widely known world wide and it was clear to see why.
The layout was planned brilliantly and the resources available made the eventual IE somewhat easier than expected. Mark is a personable and charismatic guy, that teaches in a way it doesn't feel like a class or learning. The support throughout from him and the other IDC staff was great and it's a support I feel I will continue to have throughout my dive career.

My IDC was a mix of hard work, fun, diving and good relationships, with I believe are the core of the diving industry. Apart from a great course director, he is also friend who always helps (even after the IDC/IE) and very professional to work with.I would highly recommend doing your IDC with Mark Soworka, extremely knowledgeable and the best at transferring it, wealth of experience and leadership inside this person guarantees the development of real professionals.
Professionalism + Fun = Mark Soworka