Well i contacted dresseldivers because their workconditions looked pretty good to me.(a copy of the coditions below) I am still in doubt because i could also just take a "normal" divetraining at home by a local divecenter (though i think that would be less interesting because i suspect it will be more a course experience then a work/intership experience. Though the fact that i can make a bit of money for the living and returntrip is interesting. (a divemaster training is about 600 right?) what i also could try is making a deal for a paid training for divemaster in exchange for a guaranteed job and free shelter,breakfast and lunch. I also can't really find a catch in the email seems all alright to me I suppose.
Dressel Divers Club International
Topic: DIVEMASTER & INSTRUCTOR internship.
From: Our PADI Course Director & Human Resources Department
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Hello from the Dressel Divers Team J
Thank you for contacting us about our PADI DIVEMASTER & PADI INSTRUCTOR
internships and courses!
Dressel Divers ( <http://www.dresseldivers.com/>
HOME | Dressel Divers) is a
PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Resort dedicated to scuba diving and
other water sports services, operating from the Caribbean beaches of 5 star
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts ( <http://www.iberostar.com/>
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts | Spain & Caribbean Hotels | Official Website).
Our head office is in Spain (Valencia), and diving centers in Mexico
(Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, Riviera Maya), the Dominican Republic
(Bavaro-Punta Cana, Bayahibe, Puerto Plata) and Jamaica (Montego Bay).
Our GO PRO Academy has been running dive career development training for
well over a decade. All our programs distinguish themselves by being run in
strict accordance with Dressel Divers unique standard of training, service
and safety, acclaimed as the most serious of its kind.
On a regular basis we offer PADI Dive Master and PADI Instructor Development
Courses, plus the prior training and experience necessary for admission to
these professional levels. ZERO TO HERO! Everybody is welcome. Our programs
are designed to allow entry at any level of diving experience, even no
experience at all!
To widen your choices we offer the following participation options:
1. CUSTOMER BASIS with payment (you purchase the programs you need).
2. INTERNSHIPS BASIS without payment (you are given the programs free
in exchange for participation in the dive center).
3. DIVEMASTER INTERNSHIP + PAID PADI IDC (to DIVEMASTER with internship
followed by IDC with payment).
· CUSTOMER BASIS
You purchase the courses of your choice up to PADI Instructor (i.e. you pay
before you start them).
DRESSEL DIVERS includes a job offer(*) with its prepaid PADI IDC! Upon
graduating an instructor position awaits you in one of our dive centers.
THIS COMBINATION PADI IDC + INSTRUCTOR JOB OFFER IS TRULY UNIQUE and gives
immediate return on training investment.
Our paid professional development programs include:
* Two study days at the end of the PADI IDC, with the Course Director,
giving you the opportunity to revise and prepare your IE. These can include
extra in water practice and classroom presentations.
* Support and presence of our Course Director during your PADI
Instructor Evaluation (IE)!
* PADI IE PASS GUARANTEE! We have the highest instructor pass rates in
our destinations. Still, we include FREE repetition of your IDC training in
the very unlikely event you do not pass the IE.
* FREE dive equipment use! All dive equipment is included for the
entire program, except dive compasses, signal devices, computers and
stopwatches.
* Two FREE all inclusive all day Dressel Divers excursion!
* Two FREE Dressel Divers T-shirts!
* FREE IDC PREP. COURSE!
* FREE O2 Provider course! With the EFR Instructor course.
* FREE extended course days! Our Dive Instructor courses are longer
than standard to make the programs less intensive and more enjoyable.
* ONE PAYMENT includes all! We offer including everything in one bill
from lodging to food to the PADI IE fees. No extra transaction worries for
you to find and pay your lodging separately or arrange fees with PADI
yourself.
* We will be happy to advise you on flights, airport transfers etc.
just ask.
* If you go on to work with Dressel Divers after graduation your
entire paid course can even be free! Once you complete 18 months instructor
employment with DRESSEL DIVERS and continue you become entitled to our
monthly 150 USD GO PRO reimbursement bonus until the full price (excluding
board and lodging) is repaid, including all courses, materials and unlimited
diving charges!
* Our academy courses and materials are given in English but upon
request language help can be considered for the following: Spanish, German,
French, Portuguese, Italian or Dutch. We have a multilingual instructor
staff and more important our Course Director himself speaks English, French,
Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
If you are interested in this option please ask us for more information. In
the rest of this e mail we only explain the details of the internship option
and not the above.
· INTERNSHIPS BASIS
We offer these internships which you can join individually or in sequence.
Interns commit for the full six months without interruption or splits at the
end of which they are entitled to the free Divemaster or Instructor course.
If you sign up for more than one internships you may apply for a break in
between. For college/university students or other special circumstance we
can consider splitting each internship over two periods.
o PADI DIVEMASTER INTERNSHIP (6 months)
§ A 6 months internship in which you participate fully in the dive center
tasks as assigned by the manager in exchange for all courses and dives
leading up to and including the PADI Divemaster level for free (including
study materials & PADI FEES). This dive center participation program gives a
free daily breakfast and lunch (in some areas also dinner), free lodging
(shared room), a free daily morning dive, free dive equipment use and a
sales comission.
§ Start when you want.
§ By prepaying for PADI IDC the DIVEMASTER internship reduces to only 4
months! You save 2 months of DIVEMASTER internship time (SEE SECTION 3).
This applies even if you decide to pay for the IDC after starting your
Divemaster internship.
o PADI INSTRUCTOR INTERNSHIP (6 months)
§ Once a divemaster with us or if already a divemaster a further 6 months
internship with all the same conditions as above in exchange for required
courses and dives leading up to the PADI instructor level (including study
materials & PADI fees).
§ Start when you want. Should you complete the six months internship before
the start of our next instructor course we will give you a job as divemaster
to bridge this waiting period with the same income conditions as if you were
an instructor already.
§ Upon successfull completion of this internship and the PADI IDC you are
offered employment in Dressel Divers.
· DIVEMASTER INTERNSHIP (4 months) + PAID PADI IDC
By paying for the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) applicants that
are not Divemasters yet can benefit from a reduced 4 month PADI Divemaster
internship (**) with the exact same conditions as described above. Therefore
there is a saving of 2 full intern months by choosing for this option, ideal
for candidates wanting to cover the programs up to Divemaster and required
100 logged dives for free.
Interns commit for the full six months without interruption or splits at the
end of which they are entitled to the free Divemaster or Instructor course.
If you sign up for more than one internships you may apply for a break in
between. For college/university students or other special circumstance we
can consider splitting each internship over two periods.
1. BENEFITS
The hotel you are stationed in will provide you with free breakfast and
lunch (paid for by the company), during the entire 6 months including time
spent in courses. All meals include non-alcoholic drinks and drinking water
is always available in the dive center. IN OUR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DIVE
CENTERS FREE DINNER IS ALSO INCLUDED! In Mexico dinner is not included.
Quality of meals may differ depending on the hotel and are provided in
client or employee restaurants of their choice. Dinner hours differ from
hotel to hotel so if available in some cases you will have to return to the
hotel later at night.
The lodging we provide for free is youth hostel style (shared apartment or
hotel room with bunk beds). Couples that sign up for the internship together
are entitled to their own private room. You will need a personal set of bed
linen, pillow case and towels, as these are not included. Also, please bring
sufficient extra money for additional personal expenses, such as toothpaste,
soap, a dinner out in town etc. To help with these extra expenses interns
are entitled to a sales commission. We work in large Hotels & Resorts with
all year round good occupancy therefore potential for personal sales is very
strong and there is no need to be an expert seller. A positive attitude to
promoting scuba and keeping the adventure going is all it takes.
Interns earn 4% on all individual sales of diving and snorkeling courses,
trips, excursions, materials and articles, same as Public Relations. On
sales in combination with another employee or intern commission is shared
(2% for each) as may be the case during free dive demonstrations with one
promoter in the water and another on the side of the pool. Sales commission
are paid with an administrative delay of one month, this to have time for
our central office to receive the sales data and do the calculations. For
example, the sales commission for the whole of February is paid at the end
of March and that of March at the end of April etc. All amounts are paid in
local currency at the official exchange rate for the month.
Last but not least a benefit not to be underestimated is TIPS. There is no
common tipping pool so what the client gives you in recognition of your help
with the services we offer is yours to keep! This can add up to a fair
amount of extra cash.
Free dive equipment use! All standard dive equipment is included for the
entire internship and also for all courses that you are entitled to in the
internship, except dive compasses, signal devices, computers and
stopwatches. So you need to bring or purchase with Dressel Divers the
following: Sub & Surface alert (81 USD), SMB=surface marker buoy (26 USD),
SMB reel (39 USD), dive knife or line cutter (15 USD) and wrist compass (78
USD).
A dive computer is also recommended up to the Rescue Diver Level but becomes
a requirement for the PADI Divemaster course. As this item is taste
sensitive to versions, brands and prices we do not supply them. Note also
that once a dive master or instructor it is a PADI requirement you use your
own dive gear, so the sooner you bring or buy your own gear the better.
Personal equipment should be of professional quality and must contain all
items the R.S.T.C. and PADI require for recreational scuba divers with
teaching configuration.
We will provide you with a set of uniforms consisting of 2 Polo shirts and 2
Shorts (at 10 USD a piece) to be worn at all times on the grounds of the
hotel. It is you responsibility to wash the uniform very regularly. If
required you can purchase more.
2. DAILY ACTIVITIES
A typical dive intern day will consist of, but is not limited to, a fun dive
in the morning followed by helping out with the free pool dive
demonstrations for the rest of the day and a lunch break in between.
Instructor diver/student ratios permitting you can choose to join a student
or a certified morning dive, in accordance with your interests. In the event
that the dive is not possible in the morning it will be shifted to the
afternoon or done as a second dive on another day. If you are already a
Divemaster you may be invited to lead the dive in the presence of one of our
instructors and if sufficiently experienced to lead the dive independently.
For those in need of any courses leading up to the Divemaster level, these
are incorporated into the internship without charge (including materials and
PADI fees) in substitution of the daily dive. Meaning that when participants
are doing those courses, instead of going diving they use that time instead
for study of the manual, watch a DVD, a theory unit, pool module or course
dive. This is done in the interest of fairness to other interns that do not
need these levels and can go diving instead. It ensures that all
participants enjoy equal daily time out from the prescribed internship
commitments and that the dive services apprenticeship exchange is equal for
all. In the case of the DSD, Scubadiver, Openwater and Advanced levels the
start of these courses and the timing of the different modules is decided by
the Base Leader. The EFR, Rescue Diver, Divemaster and Instructor courses
are always introduced towards the end of the internship, with few
exceptions.
The resorts have guests 24/7 so our dive shops are open every day of the
week all year. Our normal intern hours are from 08:30 in the morning until
17:15 in the afternoon with a lunch break of approximately 45 minutes. As an
intern you are entitled to a weekly day off from your commitment (as is
customary in the Caribbean tourist industry).
In hotels Saturdays and Sundays are business days like any other day so your
free day can be any day of the week, not necessarily on the week end, to be
determined after liaising with your Base Leader. Days off are not
necessarily on fixed days but we will do our best to give you the same day
every week to establish a regular pattern.
On your day off you are allowed access to the hotel for meals and to enjoy
the beach provided you wear the uniform. You are also allowed to join our
excursions and dives for free provided you do not displace a client and wear
the uniform during the trip.
For transportation during the program, trainees have varied preferences,
some walk, others bicycle, motorbike taxi, share a taxi or use public
transport. Our course lodging is relatively near to the dive centers (10 to
15 min drive). Should this not be the case the hotel or Dressel Divers will
provide transport.
3. INSURANCE
During the entire internship period there exists no employment relation
between you and Dressel Divers. As such you must provide your own
international travel medical insurance for this entire time. Medical
insurance is in your own best interest, and proof of coverage must be
presented for admittance into the program. If you do not have insurance upon
arrival as a last resort solution we will provide guidance on how to
immediately purchase it locally. This may costs around 35 USD to 65 USD a
month depending on your age etc. In the case of Mexican, Dominican or
Jamaican nationals joining us for an internship in their respective
countries of birth Dressel Divers will organize and cover the cost of local
private medical insurance for them.
As is customary for divers or diving students we strongly recommend you
purchase DAN diving accident insurance before your arrival. This is easily
obtained via their web site at very reasonable price. For European nationals
this is best done via DAN Europe (
<http://www.daneurope.org/web/guest/sport-plans>
DAN Europe - Sport Plans) and others via DAN America (
<http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/dive/>
Scuba Diving Accident Insurance ? About Scuba Insurance Programs ? DAN | Divers Alert Network). This insurance will
guarantee that in the extremely unlikely event that you should get
decompression sickness you will get the very best hyperbaric treatment
available. This insurance may also covers non diving sickness and accident,
making it a great option.
Sick days during the internship need to be documented with a medical
statement (describing treatment and expected recovery period) and will not
cumulate or qualify as internship participation.
4. GETTING THERE
During the entire length of the internship and the courses acquired with it
you are a customer of Dressel Divers and a tourist in the country. You will
therefore likely need a return flight to pass immigration plus travel
medical insurance. This expense is not paid for or financed by Dressel
Divers. Most nationalities can enter our destinations for up to 6 month on
tourist card without needing to go to an embassy or consulate for a visa. If
in doubt this is your case simply call or visit any trusted travel agent to
find out or check on internet.
In the case of Mexico and Jamaica during the flight you will be given a free
tourist card to complete on the plane and hand in to the immigration officer
after landing. For the Dominican Republic the tourist card is purchased for
approximately 15 USD from immigration upon arrival but sometimes is also
included in the price of the airline ticket. In all cases in order to get a
tourist card you need a passport that will be valid at least 6 months after
leaving the country again.
5. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
You need to be 18 years or older, know how to swim and be in good physical
health to dive. Partners and couples are welcome.
If you are not a certified diver yet this is not a problem but a deposit of
350 USD will be charged before entry to cover the cost of the PADI Open
Water Diver Course which is fully refunded upon completion of the
internship.
Fluency in English is required, the official language of our internships and
go pro programs. All student materials are in English. Furthermore you need
to be an enthusiastic, active, safety oriented and service minded individual
with good comme
