Going PRO in Thailand

[adamtodd]

I was just wondering why it is so famous in Thailand for people to go from never really diving, to becoming instructors or dm's. I have done a bit of diving and travelling, and I have never seen it like the way it is in Thailand.

It seems like the responsibilty of a professional to encourage people to take the right coarse, or a coarse where the end result is positive. I don't know - maybe it is possible to be a great teacher even if you have accomplished the bare minimal requirments - but that doesn't sound likely.

But often on this forum I read about people trying to do this, and the IDC Spam Sharks bite at them in a frenzy. I am not really questioning anybodies ethics or anything, I was just kinda curious why Thailand was the center point for it. Also if you think this helps or hurts the quality of diving and dive centers in Thailand.

Do IDC's in Thailand ever simply say "no your not ready yet?

 

[MoonDoggie]

After spending some time in Thailand?


IMHO: Good food!
Good drink!
Good company!
Plenty of diverse dive sites!
Peaceful harmony with people and nature thru the Buddhist belief system!
IDC's with guaranteed 100% pass rates!

 

[BigBlueTech]

If england had flat sea, good food and drink, cheap living, pretty women and an easy lifestyle with no taxes plus daily sun then it would be popular for IDC's

Imagine you sell toasters, and you're pretty sure some idiot will burn the bread, are YOU gonna say no toaster for them?

I also think Thailand is so popular because 20 - 10 years ago the Course Directors came here and fell in love, they stayed, had kids and so the process continues.

Diving, albeit a lovely activity is a business. Not everyone passes the first time round, a lot are told repeat things or try again. But certainly no one get's turned away.

 

[stiggy]

Yes some dive centers do say no your not ready yet !

It depends on the individual taking / running the course and the numbers they are pushing through.

Many PADI course directors I know have great pride in there training,they produce well rounded IDC candidates with all the trimmings and really do care about the end result.

Unfortunately there are a very small number that don't they care more about pushing them through and if you fail you can try again.

SSI have a three strike rule ! provide three candidates that don't make the grade and its retraining time for the Instructor trainer.

NB how can diving safety be compared to making toast !

 

[BigBlueTech]

Hey man.. i personally have a very different opinion on the creation of instructors in general, i was playing devils advocate.. toast was the best analogy i had at the time.

 

[lord khram]

Personally I dont like this type of course because it produces instructors that have predominantly dived with only one shop and in one area.
I think for anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in diving, a much better system is to do the various courses over a period of time at different locations. The bigger variety of shops and dive locations you experience, good or bad, makes for a better instructor in the future.

 

[red_barbarian]

I was just wondering why it is so famous in Thailand for people to go from never really diving, to becoming instructors or dm's. I have done a bit of diving and travelling, and I have never seen it like the way it is in Thailand.


How better to insure getting all of the course fees from each diver?
In fairness though as a previous poster mentioned living in Thailand is pretty nice, so why not do it all in one go. A lot of folks seem to combine it with a long time off work/school so it works well for them.

It seems like the responsibilty of a professional to encourage people to take the right coarse, or a coarse where the end result is positive. I don't know - maybe it is possible to be a great teacher even if you have accomplished the bare minimal requirments - but that doesn't sound likely.

The candidate can suck, but if they meet the PADI skill requirements they have to be passed. I've seen folks get certs at variying levels that I wouldn't do a shallow water dive with, that includes DM's and Instructors. :depressed:

But often on this forum I read about people trying to do this, and the IDC Spam Sharks bite at them in a frenzy. I am not really questioning anybodies ethics or anything, I was just kinda curious why Thailand was the center point for it. Also if you think this helps or hurts the quality of diving and dive centers in Thailand.


The IDC Spam Sharks (love that expression) do more to hurt themselves then help IMHO. I believe the zero to hero program is also available in the PP where you're advertising you're located. It's another way for dive op's to stay in business, especially in areas where there are really more dive trainers than the tourist industry can support.

Do IDC's in Thailand ever simply say "no your not ready yet?

Most shops seem to boast of 95% + pass rates, that either says they're awesome instructor trainers and some must be or......

 

[lord khram]

I totally agree red barbarian, and the Pattaya area has this self perpetuating cycle of instructors coming from these internships and in my mind their diving experience at one shop and one location cannot make them accomplished divers, let alone instructors.
But when these instructors are in turn training other interns, what is the end result? And as I have said on another thread, I know of 'qualified' instructors who have never carried out certain skills, so how does this enable them to teach others. eg shore entry, entry from semi inflateable boats, how many are able to take out a boat and locate a wreck, and put down their own shot line, not every where in the world do wrecks have a convenient buoy tied to them permanently. How many have used a dry suit? how many have dived in cold water? etc etc.......
God forbid one of these people get a job in the UK and I end up diving with them.

 

[Bowmouth]

Personally I dont like this type of course because it produces instructors that have predominantly dived with only one shop and in one area....

Zzzzzzz..............Zzzzzzzzzz.....

Huh, what??? Oh, same old-same old.....

Zzzzzzzz.............Zzzzzzzzzz......

 

[katdiver]

Then I suppose in a club system, you're not just churning out divers the way the club DO (dive officer) likes them. Or maybe you're just not training because you've not got enough instructors or funding or whatever..... This is not a dig at BSAC, but branches have their own fortes and problems.

There's plenty of good PADI instructors all over the world delivering the high standards in all the conditions you can imagine. Maybe a zero to hero trained in warm water isn't going to cut it in the cold, but guess what, if they're going to do it, they're going to learn it.