Assistant Instructor
Roles and Duties
Objectives
• Discuss the roles of the NAUI Assistant
Instructor
• Describe the roles of the NAUI Assistant
Instructor
• Compare the qualifications of the NAUI Assistant
to that of the NAUI divemaster.
• State the primary difference between acting as a
NAUI Divemaster and acting as an Assistant
Instructor while working with a NAUI instructor.
Roles of an AI
• Naui Leader Role Model
– You represent NAUI and the Instructor
• Training Assistant
– Take what you are doing seriously without
taking yourself too seriously
– Be an asset to the instructor
• Proficient Skill Demonstrator
– Do it right the first time
– Accept criticism and correction
Roles of an AI
• Logistics Manager
– Allow the instructor to concentrate on the
class
– Not necessarily how we do it here
• Tutor
– Know your stuff
– Able to answer questions without taking away
from water time
Roles of an AI
• Clerical assistant
– Know the system and be prepared to help
• Communications assistant
– Get it right and help avoid confusion
– Students may be more willing to talk with you
• Active Enthusiastic Diver
– Help give the class a lift without distracting form the
instructor
– Good for the class to know you dive outside class
– Always be positive about diving
Roles of an AI
• Safety-Conscious Diver
– Set the example
– Careful of war stories
• Accident management team leader
– Know your role
– Help don’t hinder
• Temporary Emergency Leader
– Keep skills and knowledge current
– Be willing to relinquish control
– Don’t let ego get in the way
Duties of an AI
• Assisting with instructional planning and
organization
• Equipment logistics
• Demonstrating skills
• Assisting with student skill and knowledge
development
• Assisting with record keeping
Duties of an AI
• Assessing student progress and
development
• Provide feedback but remember the
instructor has the final word
• Providing feedback to the instructor
– Be objective about
• Students
• Instructor
• Helping make student learning enjoyable
Duties of an AI
• Helping maximize student safety/minimize
student risk
• Grading student exams
– You can learn a lot from this
• Conducting pre-dive equipment checks
– Transfer responsibility to student
• In class setting we are ultimately responsible
– Be familiar with gear from shop/dive locker
– Be careful what you say about the gear
Duties of an AI
• Conducting buoyancy checks
– Be familiar and comfortable with instructor’s
method
• Escorting students
– On the surface
– Underwater
• Assisting with emergencies
– Be calm and do your job
Duties of an AI
• Monitoring and helping control students
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–
–
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Fair
Firm
Courteous
Consistent and objective
• Helping prevent, recognize and resolve
problems
– Be constructive and focus on providing solutions
– Assist the student to work out a solution
Qualifications of the NAUI AI
• Certification as a NAUI Assistant Instructor
authorizes individuals to assist active status
NAUI instructors in the conduct of dive training.
• An active status NAUI AI may be counted toward
ratios.
• After assisting an active status NAUI instructor
with at least one complete NAUI scuba diver
course, a current NAUI AI is qualified, if all other
prerequisites are met, to enter a NAUI ITC>
Acting as a Dm vs. Acting as an AI
• When acting as a NAUI Divemaster you
are in charge of the diving operations and
activities for certified divers .
– May be subordinate to the boat captain
– Can’t physically force divers to comply
– Publically transfer responsibility and risk
• When acting as an Assistant Instructor to a
NAUI instructor you are subordinate to that
instructor.
Summary
• There is significant overlap between the
roles and responsibilities of the NAUI
Assistant Instructor.
• Ultimately the goal is to assist the
instructor in providing high quality
enjoyable training to the students, while
minimizing risk to the students.