Instructor Development Course Photos
Our Instructor Development Courses (IDC) conducted at our award winning PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre in Kota Kinabalu, propel recreational divers into the realm of professional divers. Professional divers belong to that special breed of person who loves scuba diving so much they do it for a living.
Under full time resident PADI Platinum Course Director Richard Swann and his GoPro Team of Master Instructors and Staff Instructors we conduct five IDC’s Instructor Development Courses in Sabah, Malaysia every year. If you are interested to join our future IDCs, consult our Next IDC Page.
In the meantime, in the photos below you can see what IDC candidates who came before got up to during their IDCs and internships and how much fun they had during their Downbelow’s PADI IDCs in Sabah Malaysia.
*COMING SOON*
Not Too Late to Join The November IDC!Be a certified Professional Dive Instructor! Join our PADI IDC November 2019 intake!
September 2019 IDC
All Set for IDC!Check out the Go Pro journey of our September 2019 PADI IDC candidates!
June 2019 IDC
The Journey Begins!Journey of our Go Pro candidates in the PADI IDC June 2019!
April 2019 IDC
PADI Pros at Downbelow!Check out our PADI IDC April 2019 photo album!
January 2019 IDC
Ready for IDC!Check out the Go Pro journey of our January 2019 PADI IDC candidates!
November 2018 IDC
Living The Dream!Journey of our Go Pro candidates in the PADI IDC November 2018!
September 2018 IDC
Go Pro Journey Begins!Welcome candidates Will Styles and Hamza Saya to our Downbelow PADI 5 Star Career Development Centre!
July 2018 IDC
Transform Your Life!Best of luck to our January 2018 Go Pro Candidates Ei Leen, Kevin, Shukree, Ross & Martin!
June 2018 IDC
Training To Become A PADI Pro!Bridget, Nathan, James, Samuel and our very own Zul are our candidates for June 2018!
April 2018 IDC
Live The Diving Dream!Welcome candidates John, Matt, Craig, Michael and Szabolcs to our Downbelow PADI 5 Star Career Development Centre!
January 2018 IDC
PADI PROs at Downbelow!Best of luck to our January 2018 Go Pro Candidates Ei Leen, Kevin, Shukree, Ross & Martin!
November 2017 IDC
Success in IE!Bart, Yoke, Matt, Kevin, Akiko, Michael, Tabby, Evan, Ashok & Alex are our candidates for November 2017!
September 2017 IDC
IDC with Resident PADI Platinum Course Director!Ben, Zach, Noel and Tom are our Go PRO Candidates for the September 2017 PADI IDC!
June 2017 IDC
Transform Your Life!A big welcome to our June 2017 PADI IDC candidates Rebecca, Fiona, Stuart and Brenon!
April 2017 IDC
Journey to Becoming Pro!Alexander, Jason, Christopher, Rico, Liz and Jack are our candidates for April 2017!
February 2017 IDC
Ready to Live The Dream!Graham, Jonathan & Sanjay trains to become a PADI instructor at Dive Downbelow PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre!
November 2016 IDC
The Journey Begins!Good luck to our awesome candidates Simon, Maddy, Wayne, Alex, Victor and Lulu!
September 2016 IDC
Go PRO at Downbelow!Matt, Kalani, Sabrina, Beini, Jin, Zhang, Megan & Sam are our interns for the PADI IDC September 2016!
May 2016 IDC
IDC Fun at Downbelow !Adam, Taz, Zach and Clarence strive to become Pro divers as they enrolled in our May 2016 IDC!
March 2016 IDC
The Journey Begins!Images of Downbelow’s award winning PADI Instructor Development Course.
February 2016 IDC
Ready for IDC!An exciting time again as the PADI IDC for February 2016 makes it way here at Downbelow! Watch their journey as they live the dream here in this album!
November 2015 IDC
Another 100% Success Story at Downbelow!Preparing for the 25th – 26th November Kota Kinabalu PADI Instructor Examination (IE) are our PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) candidates: Jed, Imane, Sarah, Ian, Circus and Michael!
September 2015 IDC
New Instructors, Courtesy of Downbelow!Our Downbelow’s award winning PADI Instructor Development Course this September 2015 is experienced by Akmal, Oliver, Chris, Leanne, Alex and Kelvin! From Hong Kong to New York, the group are from a variety of different countries, cultures and lifestyles.
June 2015 IDC
Living The Dream!IDC Candidates Steph, Melanie, Tatiana, Julia, Robert, Bob, Jason and Janine prepare themselves for the PADI Instructor Examination!
February 2015 IDC
On to becoming PROs!Our candidates developing in the IDC to prepare for the PADI IE. Francisco from Portugal, Hutch from Canada, Sam from Switzerland, Wong Si Peng and Aisyah from Malaysia, Patrik from Sweden, Abdullah from Libya, and our two local Sabahan ‘Work For a Career’ Trainees Azhar and Kerry!
November 2014 IDC
All set for IDC!The Go PRO team wish a warm welcome to: Maria Skoura from Greece, August Wagner from Sweden, Pavel Kopun from Czech Republic, Carl Charter from Australia, Dominik Hellweg from Germany, Raymond Fleetwood from Switzerland and Amy Nixon from the UK!
September 2014 IDC
From Zero to HERO!The Downbelow September 2014 PADI IDC with Platinum PADI Course Director Richard Swann & our awesome GoPro IDC Staff team is underway. The best of success to participants Andy, John & our very own Cindy.
May 2014 IDC
New Instructors Courtesy of Downbelow!We wish the best of success to our crazy participants Missy, Ian, Andy, Carlos, Catherine, Polly, Herman, Outi & Sandra. We are also delighted to be joined again by Mr. How who is taking the PADI IDC Staff Instructor Course in conjunction with this IDC.
January 2014 IDC
IDC with Resident Platinum PADI Course Director!Enjoy the photos of the first PADI Instructor Development Course for the year 2014 with Platinum PADI Course Director Richard Swann leading his team of IDC Staff Instructors as they guide and mentor the new batch of IDC candidates.
November 2013 IDC
Live The Diving Dream!This is our 5th IDC program of the year & the last one scheduled for 2013.
Best wishes to Jen, Along, Ruslan & Thibaut. Do enjoy your course guys its gonna be special!
September 2013 IDC
It is September and Downbelow is conducting another PADI IDC headed by Platinum PADI Course Director Richard Swann assisted by IDC Staff Instructors Paul, Liz, Tim & Strike. So all of our best wishes to all our IDC candidates Sam, Hannah, Roberto & Kaman.
July 2013 IDC
Due to popular demand, we scheduled an additional PADI Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam to this years schedule!
The candidates for July 2013 are Karen, Chris, Martin, Debra, Linda, Andy & Liz. Live the dream guys & girls – enjoy your IDC!
May 2013 IDC
Its PADI IDC time again and this months candidates are Holly, Beth, Frances, Mike, Charlie, Vui How and Mel. Mel is part of the Downbelow family. Vui How owns a dive centre in Semporna and Holly, Beth, Frances, Mike Charlie are all Brits !
February 2013 IDC
On board for the course this time are Nadine, Nordin, Stefan, Sam & our own Pablo to the program. We also have Jonny & Rene taking their IDC Staff courses. The program was completed on Valentine’s Day and everyone completed the program happily.
November 2012 IDC
Richard Swann, Downbelow’s resident PADI Course Director welcomed candidates Alex from Italy, Meredith USA, Bernard Belgium, Pablo & Luke Germany & Lok from Hong Kong. We also had Sam from UK, Oliver from Holland & Wellson from Malaysia taking their IDC Staff Instructor Program.
September 2012 IDC
Resident PADI Course Director Richard Swann presented the course orientation backed up by veteran Downbelow Instructors Alvin ‘Bob’ Young and Paul Jones who gave supporting presentations. The September PADI IDC went off without a hitch here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
May 2012 IDC
The May 2012 Instructor Development Course was very successful, with our candidates working hard. The Downbelow Go PRO Team focused on preparing our participants for the Instructor Exam that took place immediately after the IDC.
February 2012 IDC
Whilst in the water, all our Instructor Development Course candidates got to dive with whale sharks that visited Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The whale sharks were around all day that day and all our professional interns, the 16 guests on the island that and our staff got diving with the while sharks.
January 2012 IDC
The Downbelow Go Pro Team kick off the year with a personalized Instructor Development Course for Matt & Kyla from Adelaide. They have worked very hard this month managing to complete the Divemaster program and gain valuable experience of the dive industry.
November 2011 IDC
Pictures from our November 2011 Instructor Development Course IDC that took place on Gaya Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.
September 2011 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course September 2011.
June 2011 IDC
Pictures of the Instructor Development Course June 2011
March 2011 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course March 2011.
October 2010 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course October 2010.
September 2010 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course September 2010.
November 2009 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course November 2009.
March 2009 IDC
Pictures from the Instructor Development Course March 2009.
September 2007 IDC
Pictures of the Instructor Development Course September 2007.
March 2006 IDC
Pictures of the Instructor Development Course March 2006.
November 2005 IDC
Pictures of the Instructor Development Course November 2005.
Choosing where to complete your professional scuba diving internship is the most important decision of your professional diving career.
PADI Diving Courses (9)
We offer the full range of PADI Scuba Diving Courses at our PADI 5 Star Instructor Development, Career Development Centre on Gaya Island.
Testimonials
It doesn’t get any better than Downbelow!
They planned our entire 2 week stay in Borneo, we didn’t have to lift a finger. We saw everything you can imagine; Pygmy Elephants, Orang Utans, Proboscis Monkeys, Crocodiles, Horn bills!They know all the best local spots and really take care of you which is so important when traveling somewhere new!
Tamsin & Phil, Independent TravellersOne stop shop for marine and wildlife adventure
I spent a month with Dive DownBelow studying to be a PADI Open Water Instructor. Great location (near markets, shops and cafes), professional staff and a fun experience all round.
Carl Charter, GoPro InternA very memorable holiday!
The whole Dive Downbelow team is great and this was a huge contributor to us having a very memorable holiday with you. Thank you for your help all through the trip, and also thank you to Tim who was very professional, patient and made our diving course so enjoyable and successful.
Dmitry & Helen, Independent TravellersOur Commitment to Conservation!
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 
During the past 15 years the company has established itself as a leading conservation and education provider locally and on the international platform. At Downbelow we are committed to responsible tourism. We design experiences and provide courses that foster appreciation, awareness and conservation of our environment and development of local people. In the course of this labour of love, our effort has been acknowledged by various publications and awards. To date, Ghost Net Removals, Underwater and Beach Clean Ups, Coral for Life, Tree for Life & Project Aware remain a large focus of our day to day life Downbelow!