DIVE INTERNSHIP!?!? Need advice

[Scuba Soph]

Hi everyone I’m looking into becoming a diver master/instructor and thought a good way to do this would be a dive internship. Currently looking into Peri-Peru divers at Tofo beach in Mozambique. Has anyone got some advice with the best way to go about dive internships and whether it’s even a good idea or whether I should just get qualified at a local dive shop? Mainly wanting the experience and the diversity of doing it in a beautiful place like Africa (most juvenile whale sharks in the world and a LOT of manta rays). But obviously wanting to do it the most efficient way possible.
Any advice would be awesome cheers!

 

[Wookie]

Having seen many "internships" around the world, my advice is to run away, run far away. But if that isn't a good option, find out exactly what the internship entails, in writing. Will this internship cost you out of pocket (will you have to buy your own food, lodging), how many dives will you get, how much instruction will you get, how much work will you have to do?

I have hired diving interns, and I always had an agreement with them, usually to protect them, but also to spell out the terms of the agreement. Since I had a boat, feed and lodging was easy. We told them when they would work, what they were expect to do, and when they could expect through the process which certifications they could expect to receive. It sometimes worked out poorly when the intern discovered that when I said internet isn't available, it really isn't available.

So whatever you do, get it in writing, and if things aren't going your way, make any changes in writing. For instance, if you should get your rescue class after a month of labor, but it isn't coming, get a new arrangement in writing. Make everything in writing.

 

[northernone]

Hi everyone I’m looking into becoming a diver master/instructor and thought a good way to do this would be a dive internship. Currently looking into Peri-Peru divers at Tofo beach in Mozambique. Has anyone got some advice with the best way to go about dive internships and whether it’s even a good idea or whether I should just get qualified at a local dive shop? Mainly wanting the experience and the diversity of doing it in a beautiful place like Africa (most juvenile whale sharks in the world and a LOT of manta rays). But obviously wanting to do it the most efficient way possible.
Any advice would be awesome cheers!

Here's a perspective.

Trading labor for education through a dive internship is often poor value. ~4$ per hour worked. If you have skills it's a better use of one's life to buy the training outright as a paying customer. The quality of the product can be better that way.

(Edit: see @Wookie post for a more in-depth reply)

 

[Scuba Soph]

Thanks for your response and advice. I will add though, I am a VERY anal and organised person so when I travel or look into things, I do exactly that, look very thoroughly and deeply into it haha. So that aside, as I am already weighing up every single option including cost, what is expected of me as a worker in their shop, accommodation included etc etc, what do you think of the concept of doing an internship and gaining experience that way compared to just doing courses back to back? Thanks.

 

[rsingler]

If you are committed to following this road, I would at least get certified locally to make sure that you don't have any issues that will keep you from completing what might otherwise be a rather expensive process. Many programs will take you from Open Water Diver straight up through Instructor, but I think you'll find far more value if you are already certified with a modest number of dives under your belt in order to have the most benefit from further instruction.
Being a newly minted instructor with only the minimum number of dives required doesn't help you in the long run. There is nothing like sheer experience. I can see you're excited and I know this isn't what you want to hear. But there's nothing like total time in the water. It might be cheaper in the long run to acquire that experience while you're doing something else that earns you money.

 

[Scuba Soph]

Well the main I wanted to do an over seas internship was because A; it’s expensive as **** to do courses in Australia, and B; Literally the only place I’ve been able to find that does an actual internship is in Sydney Australia and that’s soooo expensive. So I figured I’d combine my love for travel with doing an internship somewhere cheaper overseas that has great reviews and experience a different lifestyle as well as marine diversity.
ALSO it’s currently winter here in Australia and as much as I want to be diving, I just have no motivation to get in the water because of my fear of the cold, my body runs really cold so I figured a great way to get certified would be doing it in tropical warm water haha.

 

[chrisch]

Why do you want the certification? If it is too cold for you where you live what are you going to do with your new PIC card? You must understand that a DM or OWSI is not a well paid job and that thousands of people around the world have these cards in their wallet gathering dust.

Most people that I know get a DM or OWSI card "to travel" and to subsidise their travel expenses by doing a bit of work as they travel. If that is your motivation then go do the internship somewhere you want to travel to and see it as part of that process. I assume it will be cheaper than travelling there as a paying customer? You will still need a real job to pay for all the planned travel as you will not make any money once you have your DM/OWSI. Do keep your real world skills and employability up to date.

Wherever you go just remember that the shop is there to make money and you are there to make money for the shop as cheap labour. Funny old world where we people in rich countries moan about immigrants working cheap and taking our jobs then want to go work for free in other people's countries.

 

[Olariuas]

You must understand that a DM or OWSI is not a well paid job and that thousands of people around the world have these cards in their wallet gathering dust. Most people that I know get a DM or OWSI card "to travel" and to subsidise their travel expenses by doing a bit of work as they travel.

Do we know how many new certified DM / OWSI PADI do release each year ?
How can you candidate for a position ?

I feel that as soon as you agree to be poorly paid (~4$ hourly) dive centers will have no issue to hire someone. It's like fast food you will always have people in need of work.

 

[luscioman]

This seems to come up on the board often. There also have been posts about people doing an internship that ends up lasting 6 months of free labor for a $1,000 course. Just a quick search in Aus i found a place that does a 17 day course for 2,300 Aus which is not unreasonable. Several places in South Florida do it for about $1,000 US. But this does not include room and board.

PADI Divemaster Course | Pro Dive Cairns | Australia


Dive Master, Key Largo, Florida Keys

 

[Scuba Soph]

Oooo where in Aus? The only place I found in Aus was Sydney and it was much more expensive.