Becoming a Dive Master and beyond...

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Cheers Carcharodon

You are welcome. Curious to what are you doing in PH. I were to live in Indonesia, I don't think I'd go diving anywhere else in the world.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Thank you for your honesty and realistic approach. I am glad to hear that it will not be an easy ride, but i hope that will make it all the more rewarding as an experience. I can really see now that it will be a train financially and maybe i could look to continuing teaching English while i get qualified (hopefully some dive resorts will have fast wi fi so i can get some extra cash tutoring English on the side). Thanks Again, and if anyone has any further thoughts on how and where to make this journey a little smoother please let me know.

You are welcome and good luck to you. This forum is a great resource for you to utilize and get info. There are tons of experienced divers here that are way more qualified than I am to answer all sort of questions. Be humble and make a good use of it. At the end of the day, everyone here might have a difference in opinion, but we are all trying to help with good intentions.

 

[boulderjohn]

Show of hands... how many of you have the same job you had in your 20's? Not me. Planning on a 20 or 30 year career as a DM or Instructor may not be realistic for most people but most people don't have a career like that in any field these days.

I had a discussion not too long ago with someone who worked in a field related to this issue. I thought I would pass along some thoughts.

When I got out of college, for some lucky reason I became very interested in making sure I had a secure retirement. I enjoyed my life, took vacations (etc.), but I always had my eye on that secure retirement. I retired for the first time at age 53, and I was then lured back into working for a few years. I have now been fully retired with a secure income (which does not depend upon social security) for a number of years. I do a little part time scuba instruction, but mostly I am enjoying myself while I am still young enough and fit enough to do it.

In my discussion with the aforementioned expert, she talked about the fact that there is currently a HUGE percentage of people approaching old age with nothing remotely close to the financial resources for it. It is a looming disaster for them--they will never be able to retire. So, yes, live the life you want when you are young, but always remember that you will not be young forever.

 

[chris35]

Have a look at www.idc.aussiediversphuket.com, Darren the owner is from Australia, her is also PADI Course Director. He offers different Divemaster programs, IDC...

Send an email to him....

 

[TMHeimer]

I had a discussion not too long ago with someone who worked in a field related to this issue. I thought I would pass along some thoughts.

When I got out of college, for some lucky reason I became very interested in making sure I had a secure retirement. I enjoyed my life, took vacations (etc.), but I always had my eye on that secure retirement. I retired for the first time at age 53, and I was then lured back into working for a few years. I have now been fully retired with a secure income (which does not depend upon social security) for a number of years. I do a little part time scuba instruction, but mostly I am enjoying myself while I am still young enough and fit enough to do it.

In my discussion with the aforementioned expert, she talked about the fact that there is currently a HUGE percentage of people approaching old age with nothing remotely close to the financial resources for it. It is a looming disaster for them--they will never be able to retire. So, yes, live the life you want when you are young, but always remember that you will not be young forever.

Yes. Not to stray too far, but when young, try to save as much as possible and invest, possibly with borrowed money. The younger you are the more time you have for it to grow. Staying single helps immensely. I've enjoyed 20 years of retirement so far, though we have to be very careful on what we spend at this point. Too bad I was only diving 11 of those years.

 

[scubawithmike]

The general consensus here in the region is that DM and instructor coming out of Koh Tao are poorly trained and inadequately equipped to handle the job functions. Because it is a DM and instructor factory and they will pump out as many DM and instructors as long as money is flowing in.

It is an unfair generalization and I am sure there are plenty of qualified diving professionals coming out of Koh Tao.

But the word on the street in the region is that they will think twice before hiring someone certified from Koh Tao. Again, I am just the telling it as it is.

I am curious as to what is wrong with a factory type setting as you call it? You drive a car I suppose. Was that built in a factory? What about you’re TV, cell phone, fridge, stove, etc...need I go on.

This so called on the street talk is just that, talk.

Just curious, have you ever worked there? Have any of the people that talk this word on the street ever worked there? If not then I think all we have is a lack of knowledge speaking out on something they know nothing about.

Why would anyone think that because you have large classes, within the standards of training organizations, mean that the training is not good? There are good and bad instructors all over the world. Would it be correct to say that training in Egypt, UK, USA or any other place is no good if I see a student that came from there is not a great diver? I think not even though as a CD I see big problems coming out of certain regions as far as bad or missing training and it’s not from Koh Tao. Sorry but I value my life so I dare not say where the area is

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

I am curious as to what is wrong with a factory type setting as you call it? You drive a car I suppose. Was that built in a factory? What about you’re TV, cell phone, fridge, stove, etc...need I go on.

This so called on the street talk is just that, talk.

Just curious, have you ever worked there? Have any of the people that talk this word on the street ever worked there? If not then I think all we have is a lack of knowledge speaking out on something they know nothing about.

Why would anyone think that because you have large classes, within the standards of training organizations, mean that the training is not good? There are good and bad instructors all over the world. Would it be correct to say that training in Egypt, UK, USA or any other place is no good if I see a student that came from there is not a great diver? I think not even though as a CD I see big problems coming out of certain regions as far as bad or missing training and it’s not from Koh Tao. Sorry but I value my life so I dare not say where the area is

Maybe you should go to SE Asia again and check out the "word on the street" for yourself?

Just curious, have you ever worked there? Have any of the people that talk this word on the street ever worked there? If not then I think all we have is a lack of knowledge speaking out on something they know nothing about.

Guess what? I just might.....


Why would anyone think that because you have large classes, within the standards of training organizations, mean that the training is not good? There are good and bad instructors all over the world.


I think I've got that covered by mentioning it that is an unfair generalization on the second paragraph of post #23.

This will be my last reply on this thread. Does not seem like you can agree that we disagree. I don't see how this discussion is relevant that the OP was asking.

 

[Pengelam]

You are welcome. Curious to what are you doing in PH. I were to live in Indonesia, I don't think I'd go diving anywhere else in the world.

Ha ... Good question! I ask myself that question every now and then. I think the highlight of my diving career in Indonesia was when I was involved in developing the Park Management Plan for Bunaken National Park in the early 90s.

In the PH working for my next bowl of rice ;-)

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Ha ... Good question! I ask myself that question every now and then. I think the highlight of my diving career in Indonesia was when I was involved in developing the Park Management Plan for Bunaken National Park in the early 90s.

In the PH working for my next bowl of rice ;-)

Nice! Bunaken is an awesome place to dive. I am not a big fan of muck diving so Lembeh does not do much for me. But I would not mind taking a trip every year to dive at Bunaken.

 

[LariatAdvance]

Go to your local community college and take a convenient store clerk course. You'll make more money than a dive instructor.