When I started my IDC, I knew absolutely nothing about dive theory—seriously, I was a blank slate. Matt took the time (and I mean all the time) to explain every single thing I didn’t understand, no matter how many questions I threw at him. He’s super professional and organized, but don’t let that fool you—he can also be tough when he needs to be. Think of him as your dive dad: a mix of stern lectures and “you’ll thank me later” moments.

The IDC itself? Total rollercoaster. One minute you’re convinced you’ve got this, the next you’re wondering if you even know what a regulator is. But by the end, you’re laughing at how much fun you actually had and how much you’ve learned. If you’re ready for a wild ride and an instructor who genuinely wants you to succeed, Matt’s your guy.

I am incredibly honored to have completed the PADI IDC and instructor specialties with Matt in Gili Trawangan. Learning from Matt is an experience like no other. It is clear that both his vast knowledge and unrivalled professionalism, drive his approach to teaching and mentoring.

To anyone who is considering an IDC or any other course with Matt, do not hesitate. I can now happily say that I am a PADI instructor, but even more importantly, I can proudly say that I am a PADI instructor who was trained by the best.

Where to start…? First, the lifestyle and diving of Gili T is world class. Second, TDC is an astounding shop full of high caliber staff that also treat you like family.

As for the IDC and Matt… I’ve seen very few, if anyone, as organized as Matt. His timeliness and attention to detail are unmatched. There were no surprises, and I knew what to expect every day. His method for delivering the course left everyone in the classroom more than prepared to say the IE was a breeze. We had a ton of fun (for the most part 😂) while completing this course. Thank you Matt and the others who joined the October/November IDC.

What I can say expect it was amazing !!!Matt he is a genius,he do all with love and passion.He create all for make the course easier and if you follow all he say you’ll become the best dive instructor.He is full of knowledge and love share it !!!Me I don’t like studying but with him it was a pleasure and the final exam was so easy because he prepared the students to the excellence.Thank you again the best course director of the world .Love you 😘❤️

I took the IDC in August-September 2024. It was a truly incredible experience. I can’t say it was easy, despite the fact that I have been working as an instructor for several years (within another certification organization). The program is very intensive and high-quality. We practiced and honed every skill, presentations in confined and open water. Matt tried to bring us to the highest level. The program and teaching method are very clear, detailed and with high requirements. Anyone after such a course will be an excellent instructor and a confident professional. I truly apprichiate Matt for his patience, I can’t count how many times he explained the same information to us to make sure that we understood everything and we could teach future students well. Matt is like a strict father who wants to raise the best of the best. I can confidently say that I improved my level as an instructor, as well as my language skills thanks to this course, and now I feel much more educated and confident in the field of diving and my profession. Special thanks to the Travangan Dive team. This place definitely has an individual, very positive and friendly vibe, everyone is ready to support and help, which creates an incredible family atmosphere.

A separate point is classmates, those with whom you went through IDC will forever remain your friends and will take a place in your heart. We went through many fun, stressful, interesting, unforgettable moments together.

These three weeks seemed like an eternity and at the same time flew by unnoticed, and in the end it was very sad that it was all over, because such an experience is possible only once in a lifetime.

But I found another place on earth, where I can and will come with pleasure to visit a wonderful team, the best course director and, by the way, the incredibly atmospheric island Gili T, where there are no cars and motorcycles, but only bicycles, horses, cats and, as a result, very clean air and incredibly beautiful living reefs.

I remember telling my friend during the DMT that i would never want to do IDC, but after couple of months into it, I got to meet Matt and talk and against all odds, he pulled me into this crazy adventure of Matt’s IDC. In all aspects of the course, he goes beyond making sure you get the knowledge to teach and understand the theory behind diving. The course is very well brought together giving you a good mix between pratice and theory. Matt is a present, knowledgeable, cool af, and a handsome man. I would strongly recommend choosing Matt to bring you to the next level.

Thanks again for everything my man

Much love Andrew

Had a very nice idc and passed ie eventually. Very happy to do it with Matt. Learnt a lot and helped me to become a better instructor

I did my IDC with Matt in 7/24.

Before I even signed up for the IDC with him, Matt was honest, helpful and present. I could ask as many questions as I had and he was there for me 24 hours.

As soon as I signed up, I had a proper checklist and a welcome letter with every single information I could need.

He welcomed me on the Gilis and made sure that I am well prepared, that I got a place to stay and that I know what’s gonna happen the next couple of weeks. I really appreciate his preparation and the (scary) schedule.

During IDC he prepared me and my group so well for our IE. He was very patient with us, was strikt in the right situations and made the course so much fun. We had an amazing time together.

IDC is a rollercoaster and I lost definitely some nerves but Matt was there – all the time and looking back it was such an amazing time.

Matt is such a lovely, carrying and amazing course director and shared so much knowledge, not only about becoming an instructor, with us.

He is demanding a lot, but at the end he does it for yourself. You will be prepared for every case during IE and of course for teaching later.

Matt asked once if i trust him, because I was asking myself and had a ‘little’ breakdown and yes, I do trust him. I’m an Instructor now!

Thank you Matt for everything. You are not only a course director, you are a mentor and a friend.

I was very worried at the beginning of the course but Matt has make sure that I was up to the mark before the IE.

Matt is a highly skilled course director. He is very down to earth person and he makes the course fun and engaging for us. I feel very lucky to do my IDC with such an amazing person.

Thank you so much ❤️

The IDC is definitely a Rollercoaster ride ( yes I didn’t believe it at first too ) throughout the IDC with Matt you go trough lots of happy, funny unforgettable times but also trough sad and frustrating moments but nevertheless he is there to guide you trough it all and makes you more than ready for the IE! 🙂

Thank you for two very challenging weeks of my life Matt!

Matt provides a fun and structured course that will prepare you for the IE. He is diligent and has an overwhelming amount of knowledge. He will keep you on the ball but is also a lot of fun to be around. He genuinely cares about his students and wants the best for them. He runs a very tough course and you should prepare as much as you can beforehand to make your time easier. He will absolutely make sure you are prepared for the IE and there is a reason he has a 100% pass rate. I highly recommend Matt!!

I‘ve done my IDC with Matt April/May 2024 at Gili Trawangan. He made sure that I understand every single detail and took his time to make sure I really got it. I am swiss-german speaking and he always helped me translate difficult English words to german. He prepared me so well for the Instructor Examination so that I felt perfectly prepared and confident at the examination days! If there was anything at anytime, Matt was there for me and made sure he’s available at anytime for a call or on WhatsApp, which is not for granted at all!

He has high standards which he trains hes students and this is for me a very important basis for being a very good Dive Instructor now aswell. The course was very intense but we always had a big laugh left and we’ve had such a wonderful time! So thankful for everything and would ALWAYS do it with you Matt again! Thanks for everything!

Doing my IDC with Matt was a great experience – one that I will never forget. Matt is highly dedicated to make his candidates into great instructors and not just instructors.

The program is very well designed, planned and executed, you know exactly what you will be doing each day and what are the expectations. The program is very demanding, busy and highly educational, however, the best part is a lot of fun, pranks and laughs a long the way.

I can highly recommend to do your IDC with Matt.

The IDC was much tougher than I expected, with long days in the classroom, followed by pool sessions, just to end with a late night homework. For 2 weeks, I lived, breathed and did everything SCUBA. It was an awesome totally immersive experience which made me feel prepared and gave me confidence to start teaching. This was the best possible preparation not only for the IE but also for the real life of a scuba instructor.

Matt put his whole heart, soul and pretty much all his time into this course, supporting us with materials, feedback, suggestions and some much needed encouragement.

Definitely, a great place to do your IDC!

Matt tells you at the beginning of the course that your IDC will be a rollercoaster…. he isn’t lying. There will be ups and downs but he is there guiding you the whole way through. In your down moments he is very supportive and during the ups he expects nothing less then being the best you can be. He has high standards and pushes you meet them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my IDC with Matt and he fully prepares you for your Instructor Exams. So much so that you are left wondering why you were so worried about it all!

Luego de completar este curso, puedo decir que superó todas mis expectativas y más. El curso y toda la información proporcionada te ayudarán a convertirte en un instructor altamente capacitado. Además, el aprendizaje es progresivo, lo que facilita todo el proceso y reduce el estrés. Por otro lado, Matt es un excelente Course Director; siempre está disponible para ayudar con cualquier pregunta o problema que puedas tener durante el curso, y ofrece información y consejos valiosos para tu desarrollo como instructor. Realmente recomiendo este curso y estoy encantado de haber podido vivir esta experiencia.

*****

Translation by Google:

After completing this course, I can say that it exceeded all my expectations and more. The course and all the information provided will help you become a highly trained instructor. In addition, learning is progressive, which makes the entire process easier and reduces stress. On the other hand, Matt is an excellent Course Director; He is always available to help with any questions or problems you may have during the course, and he offers valuable information and advice for your development as an instructor. I really recommend this course and I am delighted to have been able to have this experience.

This is a structured, comprehensive IDC that goes beyond just passing the IE. A few things I really loved about this IDC was mainly how much the course director cared about helping you be prepared for an instructor role, giving insight and reasoning into why and how to run your courses and help your students. The course is run to a schedule you get at the start, helping alleviate any anxiety. I had a fantastic group of candidates who you’re encouraged to get to know and work together, another thing I loved. The additional freediving taster course is also a brilliant idea to include. Be prepared, it’s a lot of work, especially in the first few days to absorb everything but gets easier as you learn more and more. Overall, I’d recommend this course for it’s structured approach and well thought out content, a course director that really cares and the opportunity to meet and work with other great candidates.

I’ve just finished my OWSI course and it’s has been one the most interesting, testing and fulfilling experiences of my life. Some of that is down to the amazing stuff I have learnt, but most of it was from the amazing mentor who helped me through it! So once again i want to say a massive thank you to Matt, without you I wouldn’t be half the Instructor I have become. I cannot recommend enough doing this course with Matt, he will help you and push you to be the best you can be. If I could rate this course above 5 stars i would in a heartbeat.

It was a dream come true to become an instructor! Matt was hard at first but it was worth it! Matt has so many techniques to help you navigate all the information in the IDC and in the end everything will be easy!

I loved the small group we were doing at the IDC and Gili is the perfect place to learn surrounded by turtles while practicing the skills!

Are you ready to become a good instructor? Then choose Matt! He’s really demanding but he’s training the future of the diving industry! Even coming for a crossover I learned a lot during those two weeks!!

If you follow the Idc plan and dive the plan, you’ll feel really confident for the IE and to start your journey as a new dive instructor 🙂

Without a doubt I consider myself an extremely lucky person.

Since my beginnings in underwater activities I have been surrounded by ethical, responsible, professional and passionate people who, with their example, dedication and professionalism, have generously nourished me throughout my training.

And among them @Matt Dive Education has a very prominent place.

As you have probably read in other reviews, Matt’s work ethic far exceeds standards. During the training for the IDC, we were encouraged to consolidate our skills and achieve mastery of the performance requirements, with a level of dedication, depth and professionalism that sets a standard for me to follow; Especially because in addition to his professionalism and breadth of knowledge and experiences, he displays a set of human qualities (empathy, respect, humor, honesty, solidarity…) that generate a very fertile, light and fun training environment.

So if you are evaluating possibilities to start your path as an open water instructor and you came across these reviews, you can also consider yourself a lucky person: you have found a great trainer! You will see in the IDC

Thank you Matt, Now that some time has passed and I have started training new divers, I value your teachings and example even more.

Enjoy

Matt was the best fit for me and I’m sure he will be the best fit for you, he is very kind, understanding and strict, he had an incredible way of figuring out what each student needed in order to understand a subject, getting everyone to understand and meet the requiere criteria.

His classes where serious but never boring, he has everything well organized and structure, you can tell he puts a lot of effort and love into his classes, we had a lot of fun doing the IDC with him.

The mock IE was a great way of practicing and getting you more relaxed before the real thing.

Muchas gracias!

People with brain, talent and passion are diamonds and Matt is one of them. He will put all his effort and experience for you not only to pass IE, but to become one of the best in the profession. His IDC program is perfectly structured and thought through, everything is put on the plate for you just to consume in the right time, so just follow the schedule and for a start READ welcome letter and all what is inside. It contains a lot of examples, tips, summaries etc. which will all be very helpful on the way, so do not waste someone’s effort to make your life easier.

The IDC was a lot of work and a lot of fun, with some healthy dose of stress (oh, Italian temper and Swiss precision is a mix!) but IE after all this drill was unbelievably easy. Mock IE is really great to understand where you stand, calm down and concentrate.

And last but not the least – if you want, you will find not only a course director, you will find a friend.

Matt applied the right amount absolute pressure and he really help you understand why you were experiencing this pressure both in and out of water. The IE was a breeze with his training and he REALLY cares.

If you read the welcome folder and complete the tasks Matt will probably pass you before you start!

I initially did my IDC with Matt in Komodo 4 years ago . It was a great challenge and we worked hard and all did great. Now, we moved heavens and earth’s to be reconnected by chance and travelled to Gili t last minute to do my staff instructor course with him. Really enjoyed the experience, was fun to see how he had initially scored presentations and guided students learning in the IDC. I felt confident after that I could be quite useful in another IDC as staff. THANKS AGAIN MATT. Recommend to anyone interested in becoming a staff instructor. Additional chance to get some good hands on experience as staff instructor candidates are given the opportunity to run the MOCK IE independently.

Matt is very patient, kind and strict where needed. He will explain the same thing over and over again, to make sure you understand everything. Even though we sometimes pushed his limits and tested his patients a little bit, he would stay calm -or just yells at us in the form of an Italian handgesture, which we could all laugh about-.

Matt makes sure you’re the best instructor you can be before flying the nest. He provides a mock IE, which takes the nerves away for the real one. His standards are way higher than the IE which is great. If you can pass the IDC then you can definitely pass the IE.

Thanks Matt! It’s all SORTED

Great course, matt was really helpful and insightful! And the course standards and requirements was well explained as well.

Matt once told us he could teach us how to pass the IE in two hours, and that it was his standards we should worry about – and then proceeded to rip us apart on the IDC doing endless presentations and exercise after exercise, while always making it clear that his standards were much higher.

But he’s a smart dude, and he knows he needs to form us into the best instructors he can. I understand that his career and the industry depend on that, and I respect that a lot, even if I don’t always agree with his methods.

That said, I can definitely say that we are all much better instructors now than we need to be, and much, much better than when we first stepped into his classroom, so I do definitely recommend this program to everyone!!

IDC at Trawangan Dive was definitely a 5-star experience. Everyone in this school is legitimately great! From the restaurant staff, boat kings, hotel staff, shop staff, DMTs… It would be impossible to mention everyone by name.

The instructors and Divemasters in TDC are so great that I’ve been home just a couple days, and I’m already selling all my shit and junking my cars so I can go back and learn more from all of them!

All in all, TDC is highly recommended not just for the IDC, but for every course you can imagine—from Discover to Tech Diving. Stay at the hotel! You’ll leave this place and the island with a more fascinating new family than you could ever expect.

And, finally, to my friends and new instructors, let’s be the best new instructors out there—and maybe meet up to work together for a season or something! This ****show wasn’t easy, but it didn’t kill us, and we are so much stronger for it!

Matt is a great course director, I found the IDC a challenge at times but when it came to the IE it was apparent that Matt had prepared us well which took some of the stress of the IE away. Although challenging at times everything Matt said and done had an obvious purpose into sculpting us into good well rounded instructors, Matt’s experience is amazing and it really shows in his teaching and passion for diving.

Matt communicated everything very well right from first contact a number of months before starting the IDC and made the whole experience as stress free as possible, can’t recommend Matt highly enough.

All I can say is everything Matt had done during the IDC was for our benefit. He was strict, but for a good reason — he saw the potential and had high standards for each one of us from the moment we met. He was very understanding and patient (even when there were times we pushed him to his limit). There were several moments during the course when I wanted to give up because of my inner demons, but Matt kindly provided his reassurance and made sure that I pushed through. Looking back, I’ve learnt a lot from Matt, not just as a new instructor, but also as an individual. Thank you.

Trawangan Dive is a well organized Diving Center with amazing pools and classroom.

Matt is a very kind person, sometimes a little bit strict in the classroom as a good teacher should be. At the end of his course the IE was easier than expected, we were very well prepared!

Highly suggested!

Matt is the guy to get your specialty instructor courses from!! Super in depth instruction and very knowledgeable. We love Matt!

My Nitrox instructor course with Matt was great fun! Very informative and efficient. I feel very well equipped to continue my dive career now introducing people to Nitrox

I was doing IDC with Matt in May 2023. It was a great experience, Matt is very dedicated teacher who will always make sure the student truly understands the topic and master the skill or subject to perfection. I had a lot of fun 🤩

I recommend Matt Dive Education to anyone, who is planning not only pass the IE, but to become a well trained prudent instructor.

I passed my padi rescue with Matt. This course allowed me to evolve a lot in diving. It also gave me even more confidence underwater. In conclusion, I loved this course. the best since I started diving. Matt is one of the best instructors I’ve had so far, very educational, patient, motivated. I was very lucky to be able to spend my rescue with him. he is passionate and you can feel it. we had a great time together.

Thank you very much Matt for the time you took to train us 🙂

I’ve chosen Matt to do my deep instructor speciality. It has been such a great training. We took the time to cover all our questions. I really appreciated how accommodating he was with us. We organized the course according to our schedule and we were able to adapt the course to the diving conditions, while studying all the different scenarios that we could find in our future career. Matt knows how to pay attention to detail while making education fun and playful. Thanks again and see you soon 🙏

J’ai passé l’Efr et le rescue avec Matt, des journées enrichissantes avec un encadrement très professionnel. Matt vous donne les infos et les conseils qu’il faut. Expérience superbe avec un instructeur pédagogue et patient. Le cadre était magique !merci Matt !

Ho conseguito il mio brevetto rescue in Tailandia con Matt. Durante il corso sono stati trattati in maniera molto approfondita le importati nozioni di rianimazione cardopolmonari , soccorso primario e secondario, e da medico , posso affermare che Matt oltre a a essere molto preparato ci ha fornito elementi fondamentali per gestire molte situazioni di difficoltà e controllo del panico da soccorritore. Gli esercizi in acqua sono stati ripetuti fino a quando non eravamo tutti in grado di raggiungere il livello richiesto . In ultimo , Matt ha tenuto il corso contestualmente in italiano, francese e inglese per venire in contro a ognuno di noi. Non sono mancati i momenti di risate e allegria e nascita di nuove amicizie ! Grazie Matt spero di ritrovarti per il mio IDC

I had the pleasure of completing my IDC with Matt in Tenerife in September 2022, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. It was a demanding, but amazing time I will never forget.

One of the things I appreciate the most is the high standard Matt sets for himself and his students. He literally goes out of his way to help and connect with his candidates in the best way possible. To be honest, I felt very confident at the beginning of the IDC and quickly realized there is a lot more to learn than I thought. 🙂 But Matt was there at all times and guided me every step of the way. He took his time to explain dive theory and always gave personal insights and stories to remember the theory and practical application even better.

When it came to the pool practice, I was a little bit nervous at the beginning since I did not prepare the way I would have liked to and didn’t have the opportunity during my time as DM to practice demonstrations. But from the beginning, Matt gave me a feeling of security and his calm and reassuring presence quickly helped me to become much more confident.

Thanks to Matt’s high standards of teaching, I passed the IE without any difficulties. I felt confident and prepared, and I credit much of my success to his professionalism and care as a Course Director. Overall, Matt is a very professional but also caring CD and I am thrilled to have learned from and with him and am eager to share my knowledge with others. I am now more than ready to teach and witness the first breath of people underwater and see their happy faces after coming out of their first-ever dive.

If you’re looking for a laid-back course, this one is not for you. But if you’re ready to become a skilled, confident, and outstanding dive instructor, I highly recommend taking the course with Matt at OneTwoDive Tenerife.

Thank you, Matt, for an unforgettable experience and for helping me become the best instructor I can be!

I took my IDC Staff Instructor course the last spring with Matt at Go Dive Malta and it has been a great experience! Good fun combined with quality training is the perfect receipt for the success. I’m very happy about my choice of choosing Matt as instructor and I it will be great to help him in the future instructor courses. Great value! Thanks again Matt for sharing with me your knowledge and passion for teaching to new instructors.

Matt was my instructor for PADI Basic Freediving course, and I must say luck was on my side when I met him in Malta. As an Advanced OW scuba diver, I had been curious about freediving for a while, but doubted my abilities. But with a good instructor, anything is possible. In the theory session, Matt was clear, concise and good to communicate with (our chosen language was English, but he’s multilingual). In the water, he was very patient and attentive to my needs, which is essential when you are learning to Freedive. He was with me through every step of the way, showed me the best technique and helped me overcome my inhibitions until I was able to freedive down to 15 metres. What a great feeling! It’s easy to tell that Matt is passionate about what he’s doing and very knowledgeable. Last but not least, he’s a fun guy to be around, so you’re guaranteed to enjoy the experience. I give him my top recommendations.

Ho fatto il mio IDC in maggio 2021. È stato un corso molto intenso e ha richiesto un notevole sforzo fisico e mentale. Sono state due settimane ricche di emozioni. Consiglio vivamente a tutti coloro che volessero intraprendere questa strada di rivolgersi a Matt perchè svolge il suo lavoro davvero con impegno e dedizione. Grazie graziella

Matt just recently introduced me to amazing world of freediving, in Malta.

It’s been a great and structured course with an amazing location. I like how calm and professional Matt is teaching. I definitely can recommend Matt to anyone who wants to join the freediving (and scuba diving) world.

A very good And professional exprience. I learned a lot and in a very fun, yet correct, way.

Matt is very good at explaining what you need to do and how and helps you a lot during your course. I couldn’t have chosen a better place to do my IDC Staff, I am 100% satisfied and happy.

Thank you Matt for everything !

The course is well structured and organized. Matt is demanding and candidates thrive in their instructor examination because of that. Personally, I found Matt’s IDC relaxing with a leisurely schedule. I would recommend anyone to Matt for their IDC!

Gili Air is something else – people are warm, the weather is amazing and diving is a joy. Hoping to work there in the near future.

From the moment I signed up to do my IDC I was given some things do prep for when the IDC started and was also helped with getting transport to and from the island as well as accommodation sorted for my time on the island. I was quite nervous when the idc started but that all soon went away when Matt made everything so straight forward and although there was lots to learn it was never too stressful. By the time I went to the IE I was so well prepared that it was a breeze! I really would recommend Matt to anyone

I did my IDC on Gili Air with Blue Marlin and Course director Mattia Fieschi.

It was awesome, the pool and facility’s at Blue Marlin are sweet and the staff super friendly.

Matt raised the bar very high during the IDC and at times it was full on but he knew exactly what he was doing and turned us into very good instructors, we all had near perfect scores on our Instructor Exam!!!

I had the time of my life on a beautiful little island surrounded by the sweetest people 🙂

Matt’s IDC is thoroughly thought out to maximise practical application and emphasises consolidation through repetition. It’s an intense 3 weeks (incl. prep to IE) but at least you know you’ll be prepared for the IE.

Matt’s care and passion for teaching is motivating and infectious. He not only teaches you to pass the IE but provides real life context too. Matt brings out the instructor in everyone and it was cool to see everyone develop throughout the course.

To Matt, thank you for sharing your knowledge and preparing me for what’s to come.

To future IDC candidates, I couldn’t recommend Matt enough. Good luck, and do as the Welcome Letter says!

The IDC was well structured and put us into perfect preparation for the IE. I found the Course Director to be full of energy, extremely caring, and motivated to guide us candidates into becoming potentially outstanding instructors. I couldn’t recommend highly enough.

Can’t say enough good things about my IDC at Blue Marlin Air.

The facilities are wonderful, with a beautiful pool right next to the ocean to train in. The staff are all wonderful. The island atmosphere is something i will be dreaming about for years to come… unless i make my way back to live here which I am really thinking I will do.

It was a blessing to have Matt as our course director. He pushed us hard, but always kept things light and fun along the way. He brought energy and enthusiasm every day, and used his years of experience to turn everyone in the group into capable PADI instructors.

If you take the course with him, just remember to actually do the prep work he assigns and bring all the required materials and you will have an unforgettable time.

IDC with Matt in blue Marlin Komodo! There were a lot of things Ii found difficult during IDC but Matt made sure we were all prepared and ready for out exams. MSDT on the live aboard with BM was nothing but amazing! The food, the diving and the company was great. Having found work straight after IDC and meeting a lot of dive instructors that rate Matt extremely highly, I couldn’t recommend Blue Marlin and Matt enough.

I did my IDC with Matt in Blue Marlin in Komodo and I’m really satisfied.. The course was intense but Matt prepare us in a great way and teach us not only the rules to follow but how to behave in front of real life situations..the atmosphere in the diving center was really friendly all the staff so kind. The best part of my experience was the liveabord for the Instructor specialties course on Ikan Biru. One of the best experiences I ever had. Diving in wonderful dive sites, a lot of great food all surrounded by a relaxing atmosphere.. If I had the chance to go back, I would choose that every time. Than you Matt & Blue Marlin!

Great IDC course! Matt is extremely organised and structured, which really helped me knowing at anytime during the course where we were and where we were heading to. Always available at anytime for questions or doubts (and believe me, I like to ask loaaaaaads of questions). Go go go IDC Course with Matt at Blue Marlin!

If you want to have some proffesional guiding in diving, go Blue Marlin. The course director is Matt Fieschi and he is very dedicated to make everybody succeed. Dynamic teacher, nice facilities and awesome crew are everything you need to become an instructor. Had an amazing time and learned a lot. To finish with a bang, do the liveaboard. Diving in Komodo parc is an experience of a lifetime.

I highly recommend Matt to everyone who is thinking of becoming a highly qualified instructor of diving. Everything is perfectly scheduled, planned and organized. The rhythm is really intense but he makes it really enjoyable, fun and full of information. I was surprised for not being only trained about how to be a good instructor, also about how to be a better professional and person. I really appreciate his patience, kindness, availability and best of the attitudes in every single moment. It was a great pleasure for me, Thank you very much!! 🙂

MATT is short for Master of Aquatic Teaching Techniques. I loved his IDC and really felt prepared to teach afterwards! This experience honestly changed my life.

I’ve always dreamt about becoming a dive Instructor since I was a kid. And I start working tomorrow, one week after finishing the Instructor Examination.

These two weeks with Matt were full of knowledges, patience, share, laughs, exams ( a lot Hahaha) but that was totally worth it.

I litteraly felt prepared for the IE like an athlete before the Olympic Games! I wouldn’t say that it was easy (come on guys, we are soon Instructors!) but the fact that we have the Mock IE previously to the actual IE is very helpful.

Matt is always available, ALWAYS, and will never move on until every single person in the classroom understands and masters the topic. And if you have some translation trouble, there’s 99% of chance that he speaks your language!

You are also offered an Introduction to Freedive, which gives you a break and makes you relax all along.

Blue Marlin Dive team is awesome, the Dive Center of Gili Air is well located on the sunset side of the island, perfect to relax after some class presentations.

If you want to become a PADI Instructor, do your IDC. If you want to be a good PADI Instructor, do your IDC with Matt.

When you have a dream, everything you do is try to make it real, usually is hard, but with the correct people can be easier. This is what happen with Matt and his course, it have been an amazing days, a lot of new information easy to understand thanks to his way to teach, of course is not easy deal with a big group, everyone different, different ages, different experiences… but he did. He maked us ready for the instructor life, more than ready! I expend really good time in Blue Marlin Gili Air, this paradise is the best place ever to be, good people around, like a little family where you feel part of it since the first second. Then your buddies, thats your real family for two weeks, wich are going to stay in my heart forever. Thanks everyone who was around, thanks for the time and experiences, laughs and cries. Thanks Matt for your knowledge, patience, jokes, support and thanks for make it easier.

I did an IDC course with Matt at Blue marlin gili air… it was awesome… everyone pass the exam… all the dive shop, manager, divers, divemasters, local staff were supportive. I really felt the familly mood ! Thank you very much !

CD Matt was wonderful during my staff instructors course. He covered the relative information and more. I got ample opportunity to practice my new skills in real life scenarios and got amazing feedback. I’m very happy with the standard of training I’ve received and feel ready to implement it all in my future diving career as a PADI Staff Instructor. Thank you Matt

I did my IDC course with Matt (Blue Marlin) in Labuan Bajo (Komodo) last month. Before to start the course, Matt provides you the material which it’s very useful to study before the course begins. The 2 days preparation were very useful, I really recommand it!!

I really like the detailed schedule which Matt give us at the beginning of the course which it’s helping to see a very clear vision what we are going to do but also for the homework have to be done. He is very patient, kind, available to answer at yours questions anytime, he speaks fews languages so it’s very helpful if there is something you don’t understand well and also he is very supportive. I really felt definitely ready for the IE!!!

Thanks a lot for all your support and your hard work!!

This IDC was amazing in so many ways. Matt is patient, kind, knowledgable, professional, fun, and motivating! To start with, he provides study material before the IDC even begins (if you have the time to do the 2day prep- do it!! Very useful). A detailed schedule is provided so it’s clear what needs to be done by what date. I never felt unprepared or excessively stressed. If there is something you don’t understand, he will find different ways to explain it until you fully grasp the concept. If you do the work he asks of you, you will walk into the IE completely prepared for anything the examiner might throw at you. I chose to participate in the 4day liveaboard on Ikan Biru (Komodo) which I also recommend! Not only was the diving amazing- the staff, facilities, food, and overall experience was unforgettable. After the course, Matt remained a resource for me and the other candidates. He helped/helps us with CVs and job-hunting with no hesitation. I am so thankful for this experience- it was truly worth every penny. Take notes, ask questions, and have fun!

Firstly, Gili Air is an amazing island with nice chill vibes, no cars, no motorbikes and amazing friendly local people. Secondly, Blue Marlin is a really good dive center, staff are very friendly, very good facilities and diving equipment. But most important the IDC with Matt was very rewarding regarding all the aspects of it. Very good preparation, nice classroom, big pool and Matt was excellent at his job, able to communicate in different languages. Thank you Matt mostly for your patience and your support. Keep on training good and responsible instructors! See you soon!

I did my IDC with Matt – Blue Marlin Komodo and to be honest it was a really intense time and you had to work quite hard. But Matt created a realistic schedule that allows you to have an overview of this almost 3 weeks. Also, he covered the course with a lot of fun and he never gave up. Even when you had a hard time with some physic stuff. After the IDC you are more than ready to go to your IE and show to the examiner what you’ve learnt. Also, they offer after your IE to learn how to teach the specialities on their wonderful liveaboard. That was also absolutely fantastic and such a great experience.

I can just say; Thanks Matt – for this amazing time!

Ich habe meinen IDC mit Matt von Blue Marlin Komodo gemacht und um ehrlich zu sein es war eine sehr intensive aber auch sehr lehrreiche Zeit. Matt hat einen realistischen Zeitplan erstellt der einem einen überblick erschafft über die fast 3 Wochen. Inklusive den 2 Vorbereitungstage sowie die Prüfungstage. Er gestaltete den Kurs sehr abwechslungsreich und man konnte viel und oft mit ihm lachen. Er hat auch nie aufgegeben! Auch wenn du eine schwierige Zeit hast mit einigen Physicaufgaben. Nach dem IDC bust du mehr als bereit an deinen IE zu gehen um deinem Examiner zu zeigen was du alles gelernt hast und kannst. Blue Marlin offeriert auch anschliessend die Specialities zu machen auf dem Liveaboard. Das war natürlich auch wunderbar!

Vielen lieben Dank Matt für diese unvergessliche Zeit!

I had an amazing time doing my IDC with Matt at Blue Marlin Komodo.

Matt prepared us from before starting thanks to knowledge reviews and easy theory. I was really happy to be able to catch up on my diving theory before the start. From the pre IDC he instaured a great mood within the team and made sure we could all follow the different steps of the program with our own pace. I saw my weaknesses decreasing as we were moving forward and felt fully ready for the IE. Besides of the work, Matt is easy to talk to and will help you individually when needed. Thanks buddy

This course was full of new information. Everything was explained so detailed, that any kind of person could understand. I really like the way IDC course was structured and every little detail was discussed, every small question was answered. Everything was always in time and ready for us.

Simply THE BEST!

The course was amazing!! as i said it was one of the best experience of my life! the course is intense but Matt managed to make it funny and interesting everey time.. I learnd a lot of things and now i can recommend it!! if somebody want to start a career in scuba diving i really suggest to start with the right foot and the best way to do it is with this guy here! The course director, Matt, is amazing; during the course over that the course director, he beacame a really good friend!

I want to say thank you very much Matt for the great experience and to introduced me in to the diving profesiolan world!

Ho partecipato all’ idc di gennaio a gilli air con Matt , è stata una splendida esperienza , il posto perfetto per studiare e tutto il personale era sempre disponibile e gentilissimo . Il corso è stato strutturato dal course Director in maniera esemplare , ci ha spiegato tutto passo a passo in maniera semplice ma efficace , e ci ha preparati alla perfezione per l’esame . Durante l’idc come extra Matt ci ha omaggiato del corso di free diving , è stata una giornata diversa è rilassante dove abbiamo scoperto nuove tecniche e ci ha aperto le porte ad un nuovo modo di vivere il rapporto col mare . Grazie ancora Matt per l’impegno che ci hai messo e la pazienza che hai avuto

The journey to becoming a PADI instructor started with the IDC prep. In two days we went from “what is a Haldane?” to calculating mutilevel dive profiles in a matter of seconds. Then came the real deal, the IDC. With the diving theory still fresh in our brain, Matt intoduced us to our new best friend: the Instructor Manual. Our days were nicely balanced with classroom and pool sessions with time to decompress during the amazing lunches! Once we were fully saturated with skills and knowledge, we headed to Gili T for our exam.

And guess what?

WE ALL PASSED!

Thanks for an incredible IDC Matt!

Super pack incluyendo un básico en apnea, 5 especialidades, todas las comodidades de Blue Marlin Gili Air (incluyendo la increíble pileta!), dos días de repaso teórico, muchísimos consejos que Matt tiene para hacer todo mucho mas practico (y en el idioma que quieras!), y el mix de felicidad que hemos creado con este hermoso grupo, han hecho de ese casi mes por Gili Air, inolvidables! Gracias Matt y a todo el equipo de Blue Marlin Gili Air por acompañarnos en todo, espero cruzarlos pronto y quien dice también bajo el agua!

We were all there, the stressy days before the IDC starts when your mind is telling you ‘Aaaaaaaaahhhh, can I do this, am I really ready for this?’

Yes you are ready for it! Thanks to Matt who is always there, at any time, to hep you out, answer all your questions, give good advise or just be there as a friend to have a nice chat.

As lucky as I am, I had he opportunity to do my IDC with Matt in the lovely town of Labuan Bajo and go for practice in the beautiful waters of the Komodo National Park. Labuan Bajo is only a small town but gives you a lot of inspiration as you are surrounded by people who share the same passion, Diving! Not only on land you get good vibes, it is even getting better when you go out for practice in the park. Komodo is known for is stunning view with majestic islands and of course.. current. This gives you the opportunity to learn as much as possible and make you able to teach in different conditions!

I not want to tell a fairytale and say the IDC is easy and relaxing.. It is how it is, intense and fun!

As divemaster we already have a lot of knowledge about diving, this time it was to Matt to teach us even more and make the Instructor Manual like your best friend, know it inside out. The only way to do this is by paying attention, sharing and repeating. As we were with a group of 6 people, means 6 different characters and opinions. You can imagine that this is not always easy to deal with, specially during an intensive course from only 2 weeks where you spend a lot of time in the classroom, swimmingpool, ocean and afterwords making homework. It is literally a rollercoaster, how Matt handled whit all our emotions, needs, hights and lows.. I can only say, Woaw, he did a wonderful job!

How you can feel lost at the start of the IDC and feel like a fool, Matt will make u absolutely ready and confident for the IE. You practice, practice and practice and every time you get feedback, even if it is positive or negative, he do it in a way that at the end of the course the IE will be easy.

Matt, thank you for the amazing time! I feel more than ready to share my knowledge and passion for diving and introduce new divers to the beautiful underwater world or even upgrade divers who wants to learn more.

Happy bubbles

It was a tough time, ~2 weeks learning and studying – but it’s totally worth it. The time will pass by soo fast and suddenly everything is over. Then you think back and realize, Matt prepared you perfectly for everything. You will see, the final exams/test are pretty easy if you understand everything during the classroom.

It was a great time, i really enjoyed it. Matt is a great “teacher” and he will explain and repeat everything until everyone understands it.

Thanks for everything Matt, you did a great job 🙂

Diving in Komodo is amazing. This is where i decided to participate in the IDC Padi Instructor course at Blue Marlin Dive Center.

The IDC and IE was tough, you have to put 100 percent effort and I suggest learning the theory before you do the course which will help.

Thanks to Matt for his passion, energy and support to get me through the course and PASS!

A truly life time memory.

I had an amazing time doing my IDC with Matt and with Blue Marlin 🙂 Although I didn’t pass with my fellow candidates due to some equalizing issues Matt was there for me pushing me to continue on the next IE even when I was a little hesitant. He made me believe in my capabilities as a future instructor which was awesome. He is an amazing course director and Im so glad I did it with him and BM, I wouldn’t redo if I got the chance 🙂 It was challenging and definitely a rollercoaster and he definitely kicked our asses but I think we can all agree it was worth the huge smiles and celebration in the end 🙂 Im continuing doing my IE in Gilli Air with him and I know I’ll go above and beyond thanks to his prep work and the IDC itself. If you get the chance to work and study under him you’re career in diving is set, you’ll feel so prepared beyond what you thought!!

Such a good time doing my idc with Matt at Blue Marlin! Highly recommend it for other Divemasters out there !

My IDC with Matt was challenging, interesting and fun. I was fully prepared for the IE afterwards, but more than that I am now practicing as an instructor immediately after the course and feel confident and prepared to do so. I really appreciated Matt’s supportive approach, his high expectations and his organisation which was all underpinned with dedication to all of his students getting the best possible results for themselves. Thanks so much Matt!

I have attended the IDC with Matt.. in August 2018 on Komodo, and can say its been tough for me and him. Compared to other people, who jumped straight from the DMI to the IDC I did my divemaster a year ago in Costa Rica, and there wasnt (much) theory left. But somehow Matt managed to squeeze all the important Informations into my head, which wasnt always easy for both of us. During the IDC, you gonna be busy replying to Matts messaged, if you have compleded your homework exams, studying, or more studying. haha. So basically Matt is your best friend and enemy at the same time. I do not think there is another IDC out there like the one with Blue Marlin Diving in Komodo. This is because the groups are small and the athmosphere in Labuan Bajo is amazing and also ive heard there is good diving in Komodo national park… yeah apparently you can see Mantas there. I also did the speciality Instructor with matt, which involved a 4 day Liveabroad trip on a sick boat with a lot of good food and good banter and a Parrot, which called Gustoo i think. I really can recommand doing the specialty instructor as there is not as much diving involved in the IDC as you expect. I do not want to say too much but if you want to do your IDC somwhere special and not witha tons of people in Mexico, Hunduras, Bali or the Gilis, come to Komdo, its definitely worth it. Baaam Junge !

Hello to you reading this. If you thinking about doing your IDC, I would strongly recommend you MATT, he is a very professional and organized Course Director. You will go trough all the stuff which is really important for the final exam and if you have any problem on some topic Matt will not rest till you have fully understood it (Don´t try to act like you have understood if you haven´t, he will recognize it. :-D).This makes the course with Matt failsafe. For sure you will have a lot of homework and the IDC will be taff but I prefer this way than going to the IE with without the sureness that you will pass the exam.

But besides from all that I see in Matt a friend, a good chess player and somebody who will help me during my diving career.

I also recommend the MSDT, It´s a really good deal. Matt, Paul and Sarah do also a great job on this one. I´ll not explain too much because you should just do it, it´s amazing.

PS: You should not put your mask on your forehead otherwise it´s costs you a Beer.

GRAZIE! CIAO!

Matt is an extremely organized and professional course director who will push you to attain a level of quality that is well above industry standards. It involves a lot of focus, a lot of homework but also a lot of fun! Labuan Bajo is a nice little town with everything you need and a lot of not-so-secret roof tops to eat amazing food and watch even more amazing sunsets.

I will not elaborate too much on the reason why doing the IDC in the KomodoNational Park is an excellent choice of venue for diving as the challenge and awesomeness of the dive sites is common knowledge in the diving industry, but just picture this… You are focused presenting to your “students” how to use a lift bag and suddenly they point at a manta casually passing by right behind you. She probably wanted to watch the skill too 🙂

Come the day of the Instructor Examination, you will be extremely well prepared thanks to all of the homework and advice Matt will give you (I managed to finish the written exams one hour ahead of time). Your presenting skills will be so polished and ready due to Matt’s perfectionism, that you will surely pass with top marks. For all of these reasons, I couldn’t recommend the IDC with Matt enough and will definitely keep very fond memories of the IDC. I would also like to finish with a word on the MSDT on Blue Marlin’s Liveaboard Ikan Biru – this was the cherry at the top of the cake and extremely good value, as you get to become a specialties instructor while diving in the Komodo National Park, all for the price of a liveaboard trip, including wonderful food and incredible diving as part of very small groups. Thank you Matt for an experience I will never forget !

Finally got to make my mind and chose dive education with Matt to do my IDC in komodo!

Getting in contact with Matt was pretty easy, he managed to be clear about all the details I wanted to know before starting the course.

I had done my dive master not so long ago before so I had everything pretty much in mind except a few thing I had to go over again. Matt sent me all the theory I had to know before the course which made it even easier to get prepared.

During the course if there were still things I didn’t get clearly, matt would hop to one of the other many languages he knows to get around the problems and to make sure I got it properly. It is clear that he want’s you to have everything clear in mind and will use all his skills and patience to get you there in time.

The IDC was something intense with “up’s and downs”, it hasn’t been without pressure and sometimes you may wonder if this was a good idea to do.

But once you get to the final IE after matt’s course you realise he had put the level pretty high making the exam almost taste like a piece of cake!

The examinator from padi, who came to give us the exam, was really surprised as well as it was the first time in her career that all the students got 5/5 on the skills to demonstrate!

Clearly, If you have money to spend, and want a good course, this is the man to contact!

And what better location than komodo to get to practise skills in open water? (quote matt: “okay guys, I know there is a Manta turning around us but… Let try to stay focus on the skills hey?!”)

A great experience, thanks Matt!

Matt is a good and professional teacher, he knows exactly what he’s talking about. The course is intense, a lot of informations, a one way to follow but all of this make the course really complete from preparation to examination. If you take your course with Matt, you will maybe be sweating a bit but you gonna be FULLY PREPARE to SUCESS on your IE and to start with your new professional teaching status, It will be a bonus to find a job because of you specialities.

Thanks Matt.

ps: Hey Darkness my old friend, Peanut sauce should disappear from the IDC Lunch

Becoming a scuba diving instructor seems a tough mission, which for many parts it definitely is and can almost seem unreachable.

I had the luck to attend my IDC at Blue Marlin Komodo with Matt, not only Komodo national park is one of the best diving spots in the entire world and Labuan Bajo is full of dive centres and divers (which makes it an exciting place to hang around), on top of that Matt will make sure (in any possible way) his students will go through a really thoroughly preparation.

It starts with a nice two days refresh about all the theories from the DM course, explaining with real life examples all the exercise required, provides you with LOTS of digital material and a nice easy_theory file for quick reference.

The course then develops into constant preparation for the academic and water presentations giving the students lots of opportunities to test and rehearse their verbal and water skills.

Don’t get me wrong, this won’t be a holiday, ALMOST every day will be full with plenty of exams, tests and presentations to perform plus daily homework.

It can be perceived as a tough mission at first but it turns out being a very clever method to absorb the theory and feel way more confident, although a student can easily feel very timid at the beginning, but Matt is very good in understanding individual behaviours and requirements and has a great ability to make a bespoke course for everyone.

On top of the IDC there is the great opportunity to get specialties during a 4 days live-aboard around Komodo national park which has amazing diving spots for almost all available skills.

Be ready to literally and fully submerge yourself into a diving world, it’s gonna be a very tough but satisfactory month and I promise you won’t regret it.

Well done Matt

I did my June IDC at Blue Marlin Gili Air with Matt. Awesome experience! Although since I did my divemaster recently I was super prepared but Matt knows how to make someone an Instructor. With his really intensive and effective schedule you get more than ready to tackle the IE and live your dream of being a Scuba Instructor. Make sure to take use of the specialities offered so you can become MSDT and give your diving CV the right punch.

Its definitely the right choice guys!

Matt is a great instructor! Very patient and able to popularise the explanations, which helps a lot!

The IDC is very hard, but then the IE seemed to be a piece of cake!

Thank you Matt for your time and organisation!

There is no one quite like Matt but I couldn’t imagine my IDC with anyone else. As we were told from the beginning, the Instructor Development Course is a PADI rollercoaster, filled with ups, downs, fives, a few one’s, presentations, late nights and paper eardrum demonstrations – sprinkled with a bit of sarcasm.

Matt brought his great Swiss-Italian enthusiasm to the classroom and pool sessions everyday. Humour to theory, energy to knowledge reviews and lots of “nasty problems” in confined sessions. More than anything however, Matt is professional, patient and big-hearted. He really excelled in PPB! All course material was covered and half-times was explained multiple times with minimal head banging.

In all seriousness though, anytime there was a hint of a problem or a question, Matt was capable of answering and explaining in pretty much any language you could imagine. Except Zulu, despite a South African candidates best attempt to teach it. He lives into each one of his candidates, finding teaching styles best suited for every individual, creating a personable experience and an open and comfortable atmosphere. A safe space where we all could learn, try and experiment with teaching styles… and bad contact stories. The best part, is the transition from tough-love Mr Course Director to father bringing children to their first day of school at the IE, making sure everyone had their lunch boxes for the exams. Touching.

His meticulous and pedantic methods may scare you at first, with theory and GSP exams 1 through to 4, long hours and strict grading but walking into the IE, you are so over prepared you ask yourself what all the fuss was about. You may even catch yourself wanting to try the ride all over again!

I took my IDC with Matt in April in Komodo. He is a super nice person, always in good mood and with positive attitude, very patient and comprehensive, and always there to help his students with any issue (… In PADI language: he offered a solution to every problem, and doing the IDC with Matt was of great value!). Learning gets so much easier in a stress-free and friendly setting, and of course with a lot of laughs!

The 2-day free pre-IDC preparation course was extremely helpful to repeat and consolidate the Diving Theory and the skill circuit. For the IDC itself I found the schedule very well planned – even when we had to work really hard sometimes with homeworks etc. – towards the end of the course I felt really well prepared for the IE, and indeed all candidates passed it well.

The cherry on the cake was the 4-day MSDT preparation course on Blue Marlin Komodo´s liveaboard Ikan Biru. So within 3 weeks I could become an OWSI, EFRI, and Instructor for 7 specialties, AND have some amazing fundives in Komodo National Park!

Matt is a nice guy, patient, funny and helpful. During those fifteen days of training, we learned everything in a good mood and with a lot of laugh. The four days on the liveaboard, Ikan Biru were incredible. It is the perfect way to end an intense training! Thank you again for everything Matt!

I did my IDC with Matt this January in Komodo and it was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever made. After finishing my DM with Blue Marlin in Komodo, I decided to stay in this awesome diving environment and to do my IDC with Matt. A decision that I don’;t regret at all.

The whole course was very very good. The two offered free preparation days helped a lot to refresh the dive theory and to gain a solid knowledge for the IDC. The structure and schedule of the IDC was intense, but prepared us excellently for the IE. The IE itself was in the end super easy (Yes Matt, you were right ;-)) and we all passed with top grades. Even if the IDC was demanding, we had a great group, a very good team spirit and also a lot of fun which made the whole course a great experience. Matt himself was always very motivating and highly patient with us. He helped us to gain teaching confidence and equipped us with the necessary knowledge to start our professional careers as instructors. In addition, we all become good friends and will definitely stay in touch!

To sum up, I highly recommend to do your IDC with Matt. He’s a lovely and funny person, a passionate teacher and a highly professional Course Director. Thank you very much Matt!

Are you looking for a good place to become instructor? Well, I recommend to reach out for a good Course Director, too! I felt in love with Komodo during a trip and accidentally bumped into Matt. After a few Emails and months I decided to do my IDC in Komodo with Matt and it turned out to be a lucky punch! First of all, the two day pre preparation course that is included was very helpful to refresh my 3 years old and rusty DM knowledge. The course itself was very structured and intense, but prepared all off the candidates to pass the IE with ease. Even the Examiner was impressed how well we did! That said, I can more than recommend Matt for your IDC, his natural educational approach makes it really easy to become a good instructor. And besides that, he is just a lovely, positiv and funny dude outside the classroom! Thank you Matt…

I did my IDC with Matt in January 2018. It was a great experienced. He prepared us not only perfect for the IE but also supported us with is expertise and experience. I had an amazing time! If you are thinking to do your IDC do it here!!

Hi everyone,

I’ve just passed my IDC in Komodo with my course director Matt, such a great experience ! The course was complete and he always manage to make it clear and fun. I’ve learned so much during those two weeks, i’m now ready for the dive pro world !

Thanks for your work & and to take on your time to translate some stuff in french.

Want to become a pro? It’s simple: Contact him!

Our IDC class was amazing! I was quite nervous about doing my IDC at the first place but our Course director was very informative and have a heaps of tips and tricks to help us with the IE and more importantly when we teach in real life. And I also leave with new lifelong friends!

I just finished my IDC and IE @BlueMarlinGiliAir with Matt. He is a solid CD thats inspires Instructors to be the best and put them through a thorough preparation with materials/course that he has curated are prepared. His personal involment and motivation is inspirational. I highly recommend this IDC to all aspiring Instructors.

Even if there are many things to learn during an IDC, Matt helped us to understand all these things and to improve our knowledge and our skills.

He is a reallly good course director, patient, and friendly and has been able to answer to all the question we asked.

I would like to thank to Matt and i was so lucky to do my MSDT with him. As a local guy which my language is bahasa would be so difficult to digest the words used in the theory but Matt explained to me so easy were i can understand it very well. I highly recommend him especially for local (indonesian)instructor to take the course with him because i know he is special. Thanks again Matt, i appreciate your hard work in teaching me such in save and fun way.

Jedem der sich überlegt den IDC in Indonesien zu machen, kann ich Matt als Course Director zu 100% empfehlen. Hatte mich sehr kurzfristig für den IDC entschlossen, was für Matt kein Problem war. Von Anfang an hatte ich bei Matt das Gefühl, dass er sich zu 100% auf mich und auf den IDC konzentriert hat. Dabei hatte er nicht vergessen mir eine ordentliche Portion Spaß während der gesamten Zeit zu servieren. Die Vorbereitung zum IE war zum Teil hart aber vor allem erstklassig, so dass der IE selbst fast schon ein Kinderspiel war. Danke dafür Matt!

Da mich der IDC mit Matt völlig überzeugt hat, hatte ich mich zusätzlich für das MSDT-Training mit ihm auf der Ikan Biru entschlossen. Die gemeinsame Zeit auf dem Boot war einfach super – das Training und die damit verbundenen Tauchgänge ebenfalls!

Mit Matt habe ich über die Zeit nicht nur einen kompetenten Course Director kennengelernt, sondern auch einen Freund gewonnen.

I would recommend 100% to do the IDC with Matt. He knows what he do, it is intense and sometimes hard, but after his very good preparation, the IE is very easy. And we had so much fun at the same time!! Matt knows when it is important to be serious, but he knows also, when it’s time for fun!! To resume, choosing Matt is the best way to pass with success your IE, to have fun and to make a good friend!

Matt, i really like the way you teach!!

Blue Marlin Air had an excellent facility and very supportive staff. The Dive Centre was vibrant and staff were always around and willing to help. I completed my IDC with Matt who was an awesome trainer. He was extremely knowledgeable and able to convey this with ease and clarity. Everyday was made fun and exciting without any loss of academic quality and standards. This training experience has set me up well for my continuing dive career, Matt’s style of teaching made the course a pleasure to participate in.

Devo ringraziare Matt per la sua grande disponibilità. Con lui ho fatto 4 specialità e si è dimostrato molto professionale, preparato e paziente. Se siete intenzionati a fare l’IDC o l’ MSDT course in italiano vi suggerisco di mettervi in contatto con lui!!!

Ohne genau zu wissen wo es hingehen soll habe ich kurz vor meinem geplanten IDC eine der großen Tauchfabriken in Thailand verlassen und mich auf den weg nach Gili Air gemacht. Dort angekommen habe ich mir einige Tauchschulen angeschaut und das ohne vorher im Internet nachzulesen. Ich wollte es selber sehen! Blue Marlin in Gili Air war eine meiner letzten und ich habe mich sofort wohlgefühlt. Als ich Matt kennengelernt habe dauerte es nicht lange bis ich mich für ihn als Course Director entschieden habe. Er hat mir direct angeboten ihn bei seinem laufenden IDC im Pool und im open water zu assistieren. Das war super denn ich wollte wissen wie er unter Wasser ist und so hab ich schnell gemerkt hier kannst du was lernen! Sein nächster Kurs war allerdings in Komodo und so musste ich mein geliebtes Gili Air verlassen. Hier in Luban Bajo angekommen musste ich mich erst mal umgewöhnen, da es mir in der Stadt nicht gefällt halte ich es kurz. Die Filiale von Blue Marlin hier ist fast genau so schön wie auf Gili Air und das wichtigste das Klassenzimmer ist super ausgestattet. Der IDC an sich war anspruchsvoll aber wenn du dann in der examination sitzt und dir denkst easy piesi weißt du warum es so war. Endlich war also die IE geschafft und ich war PADI Instructor. Ich habe das angebotene MSDT training auf dem Liverboard von Blue Marlin gebucht der IKAN BIRU… Und das war der Oberhammer! Neben super Training bei meinen schönsten Tauchgängen bisher darf ich jetzt auch Speciaty´s unterrichten und hoffe bald den richtigen Job zu finden.

Danke Matt”

To start with: I wasn’t even sure whether to do my IDC or not. I’ve happily done my Rescue and DMT with Blue Marlin Komodo (BMK) but becoming an Instructor is a life changing and important decision. Matt offered me to meet up on Gili Air and have a thorough chat about the whole program.

Said-done: After meeting with him and having all my questions and concerns erased I signed up. A few days later I found myself back in Komodo and ready to start my IDC.

Straight to the point: Especially the first few days were long and theory packed, it seems overwhelming in the beginning but Matt did his best to make it interesting, understandable and knowledgable classroom sessions. After the first 3-4 days we started doing pool and open water sessions and I was happy to be back in my element. Although I was rather shocked to hear from Matt that I violated the PADI Standards on two occasions 😉 Thinking about it now it was good though because I learned during my IDC what not to do, so during the IE and for my future life as an Instructor, I am sure to not do these mistakes. Matt was always there to make sure I definitely understood all the crucial points. So without even notizing it and before it was time for the Mock IE, I became a Basic Freediver and O2 Provider. On the Mock IE I violated the PADI Standards the second and last time 😉 and was rather unsure what the IE would be like in a few days time.

Matt reasured me though that I would definitely have all the knowledge and skills to pass and only have to RTFQ (properly read the question) . While doing the IE and getting one five after the other (the highest score possible), I realized that the fact that Matt is an excellent but strict CD made the IDC challenging at certain points, but I ended up being spot on prepared for the IE and it was actually easy going. After a wild night in Bali we went back to Komodo and straight on the liveaboard to do my five specialties. Four awesome days diving the unrivaled Komodo National Park and learning how to teach specialties. Thanks to Matt’s 10 year experience as a dive pro, he gave me valuable tips and tricks that you can’t find in any PADI Manual or Guide to Teaching.

All of a sudden I am officially a PADI Specialty Instructor and on one hand actually a little sad that my student times with Matt are over, but on the other hand I am more than ready to plunge into Komodo and show dive novices the beauty that lies beneath the surface.

IN A NUTSHELL: If you want a strict but EXCELLENT Course Director who knows his profession top notch but forgets his thongs when he leaves the classroom Matt is the one!

Btw: He is a pretty funny (especially if he tries to say “Haftpflichtversicherung”) and easygoing person as well, that will for sure make you have a great time becoming an instructor.

Enough from me: It’s simple.. Just do it! You won’t regret it.