Instructor Trainer Credentials

Holly Macleod — 13x Platinum PADI Course Director: The Track Record Behind the IDC

Q: What is the PADI Platinum Course Director Award?

The PADI Platinum Course Director Award is issued annually by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) to Course Directors who demonstrate consistently high candidate performance, pass rates, and instructor quality over multiple years. Receiving it 13 times is recognition of sustained training excellence rather than a single result.

Q: How many PADI instructors has Holly Macleod certified?

Holly Macleod has personally certified approximately 3,500 PADI instructors across more than 25 years working in the global diving industry, including training programs delivered in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Honduras, Singapore, and the UK.

Q: What is a PADI 5 Star IDC Career Development Center?

A PADI 5 Star IDC Career Development Center is the highest dive center rating issued by PADI. It indicates the facility meets PADI's top standards for instructor training infrastructure, course delivery, and candidate support. Blue Marlin Dive on Gili Trawangan holds this rating.

Before committing to an IDC, most serious candidates want to know exactly who is running the course, what their pass rate looks like, and where their graduates end up. Here's that answer.

Over 25 years and approximately 3,500 instructor certifications later, the single most consistent thing graduates mention is how prepared they felt on day one of their first teaching contract — not just exam-ready, but actually confident in the water with students.

13xPADI Platinum Award

~3,500Instructors Certified

25+Years in Diving

30+ YearsBlue Marlin Dive Legacy

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Why the Course Director's Track Record Changes Your IDC Experience

The PADI IDC curriculum is standardized — the same skills, the same knowledge areas, the same teaching presentations whether you train in Bali, the Maldives, or Gili Trawangan. What isn't standardized is how much individual attention you get, how closely your teaching is reviewed between sessions, and how much real situational pressure your training includes before you walk into the Instructor Examination.

These are things that vary enormously between Course Directors, and they show up in pass rates and in how confident new instructors feel in their first weeks teaching real students.

For the practical breakdown of what the course covers day to day, the dive instructor course Gili Islands career guide has the full detail. If you're still deciding on a location, the PADI IDC Gili Trawangan enrollment overview covers dates, pricing, and what to prepare.

The Numbers That Back Up the Claim

13x PADI Platinum Course Director Award

Issued annually by PADI to Course Directors demonstrating sustained high candidate performance. 13 consecutive awards means consistent results over more than a decade, not a single strong year.

~3,500 Instructors Certified Personally

Across more than 25 years, Holly Macleod has personally run and certified every candidate — not delegated to assistants. Each certification represents a candidate she reviewed individually throughout training.

8 Countries Where Graduates Work

Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Honduras, Singapore, and the UK. Graduates from this IDC are working across the full range of international dive markets.

5 Star PADI IDC Career Development Center

Blue Marlin Dive holds the highest PADI facility rating — the first dedicated IDC center established in the Gili Islands, operating for over 30 years across 6 Indonesia locations.

Full Credentials at a Glance

Newly certified PADI instructors holding certificates at Gili Trawangan after completing the IDC with Holly Macleod

PADI Course Director — Active Status

The highest teaching certification within the PADI system, allowing Holly to independently deliver the full IDC program and present candidates for the Instructor Examination.

13x PADI Platinum and Elite Course Director Award

Awarded annually by PADI for consistently superior candidate pass rates and instructor training quality. Per PADI's recognition program, the Platinum award reflects performance maintained year on year, not a single course cycle result.

25+ Years of Active Industry Experience

Holly has worked in diving across 8 countries, giving her a practical understanding of the job market new instructors enter — which informs how the career guidance component of the IDC is delivered.

Blue Marlin Dive — PADI 5 Star IDC Career Development Center

The facility itself carries the top PADI rating for IDC infrastructure. Operating since the early 1990s, Blue Marlin Dive is the most established dive training center in the Gili Islands.

Questions About the Credentials

What is the PADI Platinum Course Director Award?

An annual award issued by PADI to Course Directors with consistently high candidate performance and pass rates over multiple years. Receiving it 13 times reflects sustained excellence rather than a single result.

How many PADI instructors has Holly Macleod certified?

Approximately 3,500 over more than 25 years, across programs delivered in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Honduras, Singapore, and the UK.

What is a PADI 5 Star IDC Career Development Center?

The highest facility rating issued by PADI, indicating the center meets top standards for instructor training infrastructure and candidate support. Blue Marlin Dive on Gili Trawangan holds this rating.

Where the IDC Takes Place

All credentials above were earned training instructors at Blue Marlin Dive, Gili Trawangan — the location map below shows the dive center and training sites referenced in this course.

Satisfied with the Track Record? Here's How to Move Forward

Message Holly directly to confirm the next available intake, check prerequisites, and ask any questions before you commit to anything.

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