DM Training - Philippines or Indonesia?

[maheinz]

I'm planning to get my dive master certification. Tentative dates are May 24 to July 7 (approximately 4-6 weeks). I am currently advanced certified so I'll need to get my rescue diver + emergency first responder certification before the DM certification.

I'm currently considering the following locations: Indonesia (Bunaken or Bali / Gili Islands) and the Philippines (Puerto Galera or Malapascua). I would like to do the DM certification as an internship to maximize the time spent diving + learning. In other words, I'm interested in a dive operator that will offer more than a 2 week program (note: I have 4-6 weeks to work with, and I'd like to make use of this time).

I have the following additional criteria in making a decision on a DM certification location and dive operator:

- Social. I will be doing the certification on my own so, I would like a location that has a bit of a social scene. I don't care for the party scene. However, grabbing a drink at the end of a long day of diving and chatting with new friends would be great.

- Instruction. I'd like good quality instructors (pretty much goes w/o saying...)

- Equipment. I don't have my own equipment. I will need a shop that has good quality rentals and/or an option to buy my own equipment.

- Cost. I'm not super concerned about cost but, I also don't want to spend a ton of money when I can get the same quality of training elsewhere.

- Diving. I'd like to dive in a location that offers a range of sea critters. Such as... Big stuff: Mantas, sharks, sea turtles. Small stuff: sea horses, nudabranchs. Oh - and lots of coral.

- Weather. I don't want to go to a place where May-July is a nonstop torrential downpour, particularly if it affects the visibility under water. I've heard that, while it's currently wet season in the Philippines, the weather isn't horrible. I also understand that this is dry season in Indonesia so, maybe this is better?

- Hint: My most memorable diving experience is Koh Phi Phi, particularly diving at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. I'd like to find something comparable to this experience, in terms of the laid back atmosphere on land, quality of diving + instruction (my friend got advanced certified here), and diving experience (we saw a manta ray and came very close to seeing a young whale shark, not to mention many other sea critters).

My current request... What dive shops are recommended in these locations (Bunaken, Bali / Gili Islands, Puerto Galera, Malapascua) for the DM certification program? Alternatively, what dive shops are not recommended? For those who have been to both Indonesia and the Philippines, would you recommend one over the other for the DM certification training? If so, why?

Any other tips are welcome.

 

[Tortuga68]

Why don't you go back to Phi Phi then

Other than Manta, PG meets all your criteria

Try Mark Cox or Ethei Robrigado at Capt'n Gregg's Vacation in the Philippines Scuba Diving in the Philippines, Diving in the Philippines

 

[Bubble Junky]

Malapascua has the infamous thresher sharks, mantas, whitetip reef sharks, devil rays and great macro - check out Thresher Shark Divers.

For Indo check out Lumba Lumba on Pulau Weh. Plenty of black tip reef sharks plus occasioal white tips, silvertips, mantas and even the odd mola-mola (if you're v. lucky)!!! Also Lumba Lumba has a great house reef. I've seen rhinopia, mimic octopus, frogfish, cockatoo waspfish, sea-moths, ghost pipefish, flying gurnards etc. etc. on this house reef......

 

[Hepcat62]

First off, a couple of things...

1) At 0-24 dives, I wouldn't be considering going for DM. You need to DIVE, DIVE, and DIVE some more. You've got world-class diving 1 hour and 30 minutes south of you - go enjoy it.

2) If you intend to be an active-status working DM, you will be expected to own your own diving gear that is both up-to-date and well maintained. If you are affiliated with a shop, it will almost definitely need to be gear that the shop sells. Other restrictions may apply at the shop's discretion.

I'm currently considering the following locations: Indonesia (Bunaken or Bali / Gili Islands) and the Philippines (Puerto Galera or Malapascua). I would like to do the DM certification as an internship to maximize the time spent diving + learning. In other words, I'm interested in a dive operator that will offer more than a 2 week program (note: I have 4-6 weeks to work with, and I'd like to make use of this time).

I have a question... Why are you interested in becoming a DM? Are you looking for dive skills improvement/development? Are you interested in assisting classes? Are you looking to become an instructor afterwards? Are you planning to do these things locally?

If you are looking to take DM as a way to improve your diving skills, I would advise you to pursue a different path. DM is much more about being a dive professional than it is about being a "great diver" (though YMMV, every course is a bit different). Certainly if you are not already a "good" diver, it will not help you much. Remember, as a DMC you are learning how to be responsible for other divers - you need to be sure you're very comfortable being responsible for yourself first. If you want to grow as a diver, pursue actual dive training (definitely rescue, maybe a fundies/essentials type course) and do a lot of diving. You have a ton of opportunities locally - take advantage of them!

If you want to be a diving professional and want to work locally, I would strongly advise you to do your DM locally with a shop that you intend to work with/for. Your course will likely be longer, involve a much more substantial internship and hands-on training phase than even a 4-6 week course can really allow for, and help you to establish a relationship that will benefit you going forward. You will be training in the conditions that you will ultimately work in, and those conditions will be challenging at times. Ultimately, these are the types of experiences that will make you a better DM and will set you up to do the things you want to do post-certification.

Just my 2 cents...
Brian

 

[Bubble Junky]

1) At 0-24 dives, I wouldn't be considering going for DM. You need to DIVE, DIVE, and DIVE some more.

During a DM internship you can also "DIVE, DIVE, and DIVE some more", whilst receiving instructor feedback....... If you pick the right place, you can get 100+ dives under your belt during your DM course......

 

[Belce]

Based on my experience, I would rather learn to be a DM local especially since you have a great local envirnoment to learn in and then go dive Thailand or where ever as a divemaster. NW Pacific diving is also way better than anything in Thailand or the Phillipines.

 

[Bubble Junky]

NW Pacific diving is also way better than anything in Thailand or the Phillipines.

Depends what 'floats your boat'......

Is that NW Pacific as in Japan and surrounding region ? Or do you mean the NW coast of North America ? Either way, you can't beat Asia for biodiversity.......

 

[Belce]

I have only been diving for two years now and the vast majority is local. Outside of local I did a couple of weeks in Bonaire and while I had a great time there the first thing I thought when I had my first look underwater there was this place is dead, empty. From what I have heard, the only place better for diving than North America NW Pacific is the Red Sea.

Is diving as easy here as it is in SE Asia, no not at all and there are other barriers to an easy dive experience here as well not warm, not great vis are some. But have you dived with about 100 sea lions and played with the puppies? I normally dive in a place where the life in the water is the big impact to viz all of the time.

 

[pilz]

(sorry for bumping)

Hi,

I basically have the same question as TS. Regarding Indonesia, I was looking for schools in Bali, in particular Blue Season and Crystal Diver. Is there anyone who can tell me some differences between the 2? I read somewhere that CD equipment is somewhat newer than BS.

And any differences in diving between Philippines and (southern) Indonesia?

Thanks in advance!