Divemaster course around May/June - Thailand vs. Philippines

[ScubaDaniel]

Hey there,

My girlfriend and I are travelling through SE-Asia and are seriously considering doing our Divemaster course from mid-May to end of June.

As many we have a really hard time trying to decide on where to go.
Whats most important to us is the quality of the the diving while we are on a tight budget as well.

We heard about the island Koh Tao in Thailand that offers great deals for DMC's. On the flipside we heard that divemaster from those budget DMC-industry islands are not taken seriously and applications are often not even looked at. We also heard about he Malapascua island in the Philippines that its supposed to be great diving while some say its only good to see Thresher sharks.

Any other suggestions?

There are so many choices which makes it really hard to decide. Where is it going to be a good season in May/June to begin with? Maybe some of you can help us with our decision by sharing your knowledge and experiences. Would be much appreciated

Thanks,
Daniel

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.


There are an overwhelming number of choices for courses in SE Asia, so you're right, you do have a tough decision to make! You are around at a good time of year though. May/June is generally good diving both in Thailand (but only the gulf - its getting into monsoon season at that time of year in the west coast) and the Philippines (monsoon there is around October I believe).


Money wise, yes, you will get the course cheaper in Koh Tao (we are based on Koh Tao in case you hadn't noticed!). The respect issue towards the calibre of DM's that are produced here is a difficult one. Personally I'm a defender of Koh Tao, and it really irritates me when people say your qualification is worthless if you trained here - but I know there plenty people out there who would disagree with me. So for what it’s worth, here's my input....


We certify a lot of divers here - more than anywhere else in the world, including Cairns. Think its somewhere around 80,000 a year island wide across all levels (recreational and pro) and agencies (mainly PADI & SSI). However I personally feel the quality of training is just as good - and in many instances better - than you'd get elsewhere. Yes, there are some factory style centres that are more concerned about churning out quantity over quality, and it is these few centres that give us the bad reputation in general. But the vast majority of centres here do things by the book and produce safe, knowledgeable and employable dive professionals. Its not really possible to certify as many divers as we do a year without doing it properly, and as an island we have a remarkably low incident rate to prove that fact.


Having lived, worked & dived in many different countries in Asia, Australasia and Europe I have been appalled on many occasions by the low quality of dive briefings and safety standards in general in comparison to dive masters and instructors here. It all comes down to selecting the right centre to ensure you get the best possible training, experience and start in the pro world. Generally the smaller centres that offer small group courses and internship options after completion to give you additional experience and feedback are the best choices. What your qualification is worth is ultimately decided by any bias on behalf of your prospective employers, and there's not a lot you can do to change that. However I don't think this 'anti Koh Tao' bias is global. I have personally certified divemasters and taught on instructor courses for countless dive pros who have gone on to be very successful in working all over the world. Right, Koh Tao rant over!


I have also dived in Malapasqua, and it’s awesome. You will definitely get to see a greater variety of marine life there than Koh Tao. Our diving is good, but Malapasqua has more on every level - from macro critters right up to the bigger attractions - turtles, rays and sharks. So if you have the extra money in your budget, I'd do it there if you can. That way you're assured of great diving, and don't need to worry about any negative connotations your future employers may have towards Koh Tao. The Philippines in general is a fantastic country to explore, with lots of awesome diving potential. It’s a bit like Thailand before it became as touristy, so is generally cleaner and quieter all round - both above and below water! If you make it to Malapasqua you’ll obviously do the Monad Shoal dive to see the Threshers, but try to get out to Gato island too - amazing.


Good luck in your research and decisions, and have fun doing your DM course. Happy bubbles