CFK Diving students and newly dubbed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors pose by the College’s Dive Training Lagoon on the Key West Campus. L to R: PADI Regional Manager and Instructor Examiner Kyle Ingram, community exam taker Ty Paget, CFK students Mark Tobin, Zane Travis, Nathan Rybicki, and Eden Noel, CFK Vice President of Advancement Dr. Lana Gaspari, and CFK Diving Business and Technology Faculty Lucja Rice.

KEY WEST, FL, June 30, 2025— Four diving students at The College of the Florida Keys have advanced from the role of student to instructor. Each successfully passed the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) Instructor Examination (IE) on June 25, certifying them as open water scuba instructors. The PADI IE is a two-day evaluative program conducted by a visiting PADI employee who tests an instructor candidate’s teaching ability, dive theory knowledge, skill level, understanding of the PADI System, and attitude and professionalism. With PADI certification, widely considered the gold standard in the diving industry, these diving instructors will be qualified for attractive diving professional jobs around the world—teaching individuals how to scuba dive.

In addition to earning the respected industry certification, the students are also earning an Associate in Applied Science in Diving Business and Technology and/or certificates in the field of diving at CFK.

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