Roatan Diver Scholarship Program

Roatan Divers Scholarship Program - Pro Training Center

Turn your passion for the ocean into a career!

Roatan Divers is proud to launch our Scholarship Instructor Training Program, a unique opportunity designed to empower local passionate divers to become leaders in the dive industry while promoting ocean conservation and community.

This scholarship applies to our Instructor Development Course (IDC) candidates.

Do you want to be part of this? The prerequisites are:

Minimum 18 years old
Local candidates from any country from Central America
Certified PADI Divemaster
Be envolved with conservation projects

SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS:

PADI eLearning Materials with discount: approved under the PADI Scholarship Program. Only PADI determines the final discount, but Roatan Divers will fully support your application.
IDC + EFRi Program with 30% discount: To receive this benefit the candidate must score 75% or higher in all Dive Theory Exam: Physics, Physiology, RDP, Skills & Environment, and Dive Equipment.

NGOs SUPPORT:

Are part of any Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)? We will assist you in finding grants and funding opportunities to help make the Instructor journey possible for your volunteers and/or staff.

Next PADI IDC in Spanish for the Scholarship Program: August 2026 with our Course Director Fabio Buitrago

Why we create the Roatan Diver’s Scholarship Program?

Involve local community in the Dive Industry

By involving the local community in the dive industry, we hope to create lasting impact and inclusivity, empowering Central American divers to build sustainable careers connected to the sea

Change lives through diving

Through this initiative, we aim to change lives through diving, providing opportunities for individuals to grow personally and professionally

Open new career opportunities

This program helps the local community access real job opportunities, giving them not just work, but a profession, a career, and the chance to increase their income.

Share your love for the ocean with others

Most importantly, this program encourages you to share our love for the ocean with others, inspiring future generations to protect and cherish our underwater world.

Meet Fabio Buitrago

Marine Ecologist | PADI Course Director | Conservation Leader

Fabio Buitrago holds a degree in Ecology and Natural Resources from the Central American University of Nicaragua, with postgraduate studies in Wildlife Management, Project Management, and Marine Mammal Ecology at institutions in Costa Rica and the University of Florida.

With over 29 years of experience in natural resource conservation, he has led and implemented numerous programs and projects focused on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. His research includes work with marine animals and endemic fish species in crater lagoons, and he has coordinated the creation and execution of management plans for protected areas, environmental education initiatives, and large-scale underwater cleanup campaigns.

As a PADI Course Director and TEC 50 Trimix Instructor Trainer, Fabio is qualified to certify instructors across a wide range of specialties within the PADI system, including all Technical Diving courses under the TEC REC program. He has completed more than 12,000 dives, including over 1,000 scientific dives and 1,000 technical dives using advanced gas mixtures such as Nitrox and Trimix.

Fabio’s excellence as an instructor has earned him multiple recognitions, including eight Elite Instructor Awards and six PADI Frequent Trainer Silver/Gold Course Director Awards. In 2024, he received the prestigious PADI Global Torchbearer Award for his leadership in training local divers across Central America and his outstanding marine conservation work.

He is currently a PhD candidate at Boston University, continuing to advance research and education in marine conservation and diving science.