maheinz
New
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.
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.