PADI 5-Star CDC · Platinum Course Director · 100% IE Pass Rate
Become a PADI Instructor on Malapascua Island, Philippines.
Train with Toni Plaza Baños, one of fewer than 10% of Course Directors worldwide to hold Platinum status. Small classes, daily thresher shark dives, world-class wall diving.
Not yet a Divemaster? See instructor internships →
Photo: Alex Tyrrell
100%
IE Pass Rate
Platinum
Course Director
5★ CDC
Career Development Center
6,000+
Toni’s Logged Dives
Tec
Instructor Trained
Is this you?
Who this IDC is for
Perfect for you if…
- You’re a PADI Divemaster with 60+ logged dives
- You want a small, high-attention group — not a crowd
- You value real, daily teaching practice
- You’re drawn to sharks, walls and proper currents
Better to start with internships if…
- You’re not yet Rescue or Divemaster level
- You’re very new to diving or have low dive numbers
- You want a complete zero-to-pro pathway first
Why here
Why here vs Koh Tao, Bali or Utila
A single Platinum CD mentor, a 5★ CDC, daily threshers and a 100% first-time IE record — an honest comparison.
| Malapascua with TSD | Typical Koh Tao / Bali / Utila | |
|---|---|---|
| Your mentor | One Platinum Course Director, start to finish | Staff rotations between instructors |
| Centre | PADI 5 Star CDC (highest rating) | Often a basic IDC centre |
| Diving | Daily threshers + serious wall diving | Variable, often single-site |
| Group size | Small, high-attention cohorts | Frequently large IDC groups |
| IE record | 100% first-time pass rate | Rarely published |
Comparing PADI and SSI before you pick a centre? Read our honest breakdown → PADI vs SSI Instructor
★ PADI Platinum CD
(photo of Toni. Placeholder)
Your Course Director
Meet Toni Plaza Baños.
Toni has been a PADI professional for over 20 years, ran his own dive school in Barcelona, and now leads the IDC programme at Thresher Shark Divers on Malapascua. He was awarded PADI Platinum Course Director status in March 2026, placing him among fewer than 10% of CDs worldwide, and is the only sole instructor in the Philippines with a 100% IE pass rate.
He teaches using LTT (Limited Teaching Tasks), simulated peer-to-peer scenarios that prepare you for any kind of student you’ll meet in the real world. No two IDCs are the same.
20+
Years teaching
6,000+
Dives logged
100%
Pass rate
Why Malapascua
Train somewhere you’d actually want to dive.
Malapascua is one of the only places on Earth where you can dive with thresher sharks daily. Combined with macro, walls and wrecks, it’s a world-class IDC location.
Thresher sharks. Daily.
Kimud Shoal sits 20 minutes off the island. We dive it at sunrise, before any other dive boat reaches it. Sharks are encountered on virtually every dive.
World-class walls and macro.
Gato Island’s tunnels, Lighthouse Reef’s mandarinfish, Chocolate Island’s reefs. You’ll log around 7–8 dives during your IDC.
No crowds. No noise.
Malapascua is small, walkable, and has a fraction of the dive shops you’ll find on Koh Tao or Bali. You get one-on-one attention from your CD.
The Pathway
From Divemaster to Instructor in 16 days.
A complete pathway from preparation through to your PADI Instructor Examination. Single Course Director throughout.
1
2-3 Days
IDC Prep
Refresh dive theory, skills, and physics. We make sure you’re confident before the IDC starts.
2
7 Days
The IDC
The full Instructor Development Course. Confined water, open water, classroom presentations, standards.
3
1 Day
EFRI
Emergency First Response Instructor. Required, included, and run on-site.
4
2 Days
The PADI IE
Your independent PADI Instructor Examination. We’ve prepared every student to pass first time.
Investment
Three packages. One Course Director.
All packages include training, materials, dive equipment, and IE coordination. Accommodation, meals, and PADI fees (AUD 1,826) paid separately.
Essential
Prep + IDC
PHP 89,500
+ AUD 1,826 PADI fees
2 prep days + full 12-day IDC including EFRI. The standard route to PADI Instructor.
- 12-day IDC including EFRI
- EFR Instructor (1 day, on-site)
- One-on-one with Platinum CD
- All training materials and slates
- Use of dive equipment
- IE coordination and prep
★ MOST POPULAR
IDC + Prep
Recommended
PHP 109,500
+ AUD 1,826 PADI fees
Everything in Essential plus 5 Specialty Instructor courses — the path every Toni candidate has taken to a 100% first-time IE pass.
- Everything in Core, plus:
- 2-3 day IDC Prep (theory, skills, physics)
- Boat dives during practical training
- Personal pacing — Toni signs you off only when ready
- Honest mid-course feedback
- Priority spot in next cohort
Master Plus
IDC + 10 Specs
PHP 149,500
+ AUD 1,826 PADI fees
Essential package plus 10 Specialty Instructor courses — or swap for the 2-week Learn to Teach programme.
- Everything in Recommended, plus:
- 5 PADI Specialty Instructor courses
- Master Instructor-ready immediately after IE pass
- Higher employability worldwide
- Bundled at PHP 40,000 below à-la-carte
- Continued mentoring
Student Stories
From candidate to working instructor.
★★★★★
“Toni’s IDC is the best decision I’ve made in diving. The personal attention is unmatched anywhere else I’d looked at. Koh Tao, Bali, Utila. Worth every peso.”
SK
Sarah K.
United Kingdom · Now teaching in Egypt
★★★★★
“I passed the IE first time, like every other candidate Toni has prepared. The LTT method is genuinely different. You leave knowing how to actually teach.”
DR
Daniel R.
Australia · Now teaching in Indonesia
★★★★★
“The thresher dives during my downtime were a bonus. The IDC itself is rigorous, fair, and Toni gives you honest feedback the whole way through.”
MV
Marie V.
France · Now teaching in the Philippines
FAQ
Common questions.
Ready to teach diving for a living?
IDCs run every two months. Spaces are limited because we keep classes small. Get in touch with Toni directly.