Shops that give a good education vs. a title

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rydog

Contributor
Messages
94
Reaction score
11
Location
Placencia, Belize
# of dives
100 - 199
Hey All,
I am in the process of making the leap to the pro side of diving and was looking for some guidance as to where to complete. I've done plenty of research online regarding different schools to get my DM and IDC from and noticing that they are broken down in different ways depending on the shop. After talking with my LDS and others I know that its more than just the cost of the education and amount of time but the shop as well. Not a new concept but sometimes not an easy lesson to remember.

There are quite a few places that claim to be able to push you through fast, 100% pass rates, etc. but what I am looking for is an instruction program from a respected company that will actually teach the day to day operations of a dive company in addition to the education. I know it sounds as though I am begging to carry gear and fill tanks but I really do want to know the whole business, not just the motions of teaching. Basically, I want to get my instructor license and be able to get a job not just have a title.

Living near the east coast of NC I would prefer for ease, Florida and south through Central America or the Caribbean since that is the type of diving I would more than likely teach in. I have all my own gear and I do have the luxury of taking a month or so to do this so it doesn't all need to be shoehorned into a 7-10 day education. I can spend the time without nearby nightlife/shopping etc. as I can feel just as at home in a shack on the beach over the dive shop. Luxury is not required. Again, like I said, I would prefer a well respected shop to go through than an easy push through. Any suggestions would be more than welcome. Hopefully shop owners and others can chime in with a few suggestions of the companies that they would hire from. If you would prefer, feel free to PM me with any information, all will be kept confidential. Thank you in advance, have a great day!
 
Nice approach, you a definitely going about it the right way, especially with regards to the aspect of learning the everyday operations of the dive shop, and that does not mean lugging tanks non-stop (or certainly not here at least)! There are so many facets to a successful instructor, for me in Costa Rica, equipment maintenance is a biggie as we are in the tropics, humidity etc so we focus a lot of out divemaster and instructor intern training on good maintenance and repair. Also, when I have taken on new instructors, for me , as well as everyday running of the shop, those that can jump online and help with emails, marketing (social media) is a HUGE plus. As a resort area, so many of our clients are first time visitors to the shop who find us online.
Take your month, spend some time before the course and then take time afterwards to teach with other instructors so you can also leave with a cert or 2 under your belt. Will definitely help you get started.
Good luck!
 
When you change from diving as a hobby, to diving as a business, your perspective will change. I met an scuba instructor who took up hot air ballooning as a hobby, because scuba had become a job. That made me reconsider whether to make scuba a job.
 
Hey All,
I am in the process of making the leap to the pro side of diving and was looking for some guidance as to where to complete. I've done plenty of research online regarding different schools to get my DM and IDC from and noticing that they are broken down in different ways depending on the shop. After talking with my LDS and others I know that its more than just the cost of the education and amount of time but the shop as well. Not a new concept but sometimes not an easy lesson to remember.

There are quite a few places that claim to be able to push you through fast, 100% pass rates, etc. but what I am looking for is an instruction program from a respected company that will actually teach the day to day operations of a dive company in addition to the education. I know it sounds as though I am begging to carry gear and fill tanks but I really do want to know the whole business, not just the motions of teaching. Basically, I want to get my instructor license and be able to get a job not just have a title.

Living near the east coast of NC I would prefer for ease, Florida and south through Central America or the Caribbean since that is the type of diving I would more than likely teach in. I have all my own gear and I do have the luxury of taking a month or so to do this so it doesn't all need to be shoehorned into a 7-10 day education. I can spend the time without nearby nightlife/shopping etc. as I can feel just as at home in a shack on the beach over the dive shop. Luxury is not required. Again, like I said, I would prefer a well respected shop to go through than an easy push through. Any suggestions would be more than welcome. Hopefully shop owners and others can chime in with a few suggestions of the companies that they would hire from. If you would prefer, feel free to PM me with any information, all will be kept confidential. Thank you in advance, have a great day!

From what level are you starting this quest? Looking at your profile I see you have listed 50-99 dives "under your belt" yet you say "I have all my own gear and I do have the luxury of taking a month or two to do this so it doesn't need to be shoehorned into a 7-10 day education"....

Frankly, you will need a lot more that a month to evolve into a good Dive Master, let alone progress to the level of Instructor. This process usually takes YEARS not MONTHS.

My advice is much like Jim Lapenta's: experience diving, become proficient, confident & safe in a variety of conditions & environments. Then start your quest to become a DM (and ultimately an Instructor).

FWIW,
 
Like most things, you learn the most by actually DOING something. An IDC can give you the basic understanding of how to put together your teaching and in-water presentations etc, but no matter how hard we try, we can't make it like real life. I would recommend that, when you feel ready, you choose an IDC which can offer you a post-IDC internship. At Pro Dive Mexico PADI Career Development Center and PADI IDC courses in Mexico and Caribbean we offer a 3-week instructor internship as part of our MSDT Prep Program where you get to team-teach your first courses alongside more experienced staff, as well as all the other aspects of working in a busy resort-based dive shop such as pool demos and customer service.

Cheers
 
Opinions from my limited travels: 1)Roatan/Utila seemed like a place with a nice amount of traffic. 2)I dove for a few days in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica. Worth looking into. 3) Bocas del Toro off of Panama was very laid back and had a nice atmoshpere. The dive shops there seemed pretty organized.

Definately get in touch with the shops and get yourself some sort of written agreement. It sounds like you do not mind carrying tanks, but you should definately take care to get your objectives outlined before accepting any of your choices.

Enjoy!
 
I do have the luxury of taking a month or so to do this so it doesn't all need to be shoehorned into a 7-10 day education.

Whew, so glad to hear you're not going to rush through it!

Facepalm.JPG
 
DiveLife.Mx could offer you personalized courses and ton of experience. With 3 different divecenters, in three different areas from the country you could learn and practice in different environment and different kind of operation. In Mexico city Dive Life operate a dive center since 2001 so the staff know how to give you the knowledge on operate a city based center and all its mean, or may be you prefer the peace and calm town of Mahahual/Costa Maya wich turn crazy and busy when the cruiseships arrives or the option is to know how everything is functin in the cosmopolitan city of Playa del Carmen... For sure during DiveLife.Mx´s internships you will experience and learn all the dive industry secrets...
Hope to help you in the near future.
Fran
 
For my two cents we like to have DMT's for 3 months at least and like one of the earlier posters had covered, we like to see people that understand the business of diving from the social media and local marketing to visuals on tanks to cleaning out bilge pumps and scraping hulls.
Anyone can become a good diver but can you sell your passion for diving to someone else? Understanding all of the componets of a dive center with real experience behind you is what is going to get you a job. Take a foreign language or two also helps, for you, Spanish and French might be good choices.
Good Luck!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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