Originally Posted by
the King
You have to be rated in the plane to instruct in it. I think that's where he was going. But if you add the Seaplane, I don't believe you'd magically get your CFI back. Unless, as noted before, you know a Fed who will help you.
Correct, there is no instructor rating for seaplanes. The CFI-Airplane covers all airplanes land or sea, but you obviously have to be rated in seaplanes to teach. Adding a seaplane rating to your pilot ticket will only allow you to fly seaplanes, not teach in them. You would still need the CFI-airplane.
If you need to re-instate your CFI, a CFII checkride is usually the easiest thing to do, and hopefully the DPE will be gentle after he realizes your situation. A CFI-Glider would be more fun though.