I've seen the Dressel internship options. They sound quite amazing to me and know of no equivalent programs in Southeast Asia.
going pro with a free divemaster internship?
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I been looking around for a 'free' internship here in Australia and I can't even find one. Many here charge $1000+ for a DM internship and as a benefit offer free dives for life, providing there is a spare spot onboard and your willing to help out should you be asked. Good luck though.
I have no personal experience with Dressel, and the programme looks great, at least on paper. So read the following bearing in mind that it's hearsay rather than testimony. What I have heard is that their internship programmes work you very, very hard, and they rely on the unpaid interns to keep their the prices for their fun diving programs and low-level cert courses attractive. There is a huge emphasis on selling. For example, they give away free--at no training cost--AOW courses--the customer just pays for boat trips (that you manage to sell to them) and the course manual/cert. Obviously they can't be paying the instructor when they give away courses like that. So if you have the sort of drive to spend six months walking up to total strangers and convincing them to try diving, go on a boat trip, take a course, etc. it might work for you. I think they have a pretty substantial dropout rate, and I've heard that it's often because of pressure to meet sales targets.
I have only dived with Dressel Divers. I was impressed by their classroom prep (I wasn't involved in this) and instruction, and I found them to be a quality operation. A very happy and accommodating group. Many of the DMs/Instructors have been with them for quite a while.
@tdtaylor, yes, the ones who stick it out stick around--they have to stay with the company some stipulated time (like two years) work off their bond (not pay for their training).
flots am
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It works fine if you like the place you're taking the class with, however "Free DM training " is like "Free kittens". It doesn't cost anything up front, but costs a ton in lost opportunity. Every hour you spend DMing for little or no money is an hour you can't spend doing something that would pay more.
From my perspective, all DM classes should be free, since the shop will be getting a ton of work out of you forever, for very little or no money.
The only legitimate reason I've found to "go pro" in any capacity is because you happen to like it. It's not going to be anything you'll make a living from, unless you happen to own a shop and a dive boat, and even then it's not a sure thing.
flots.
Rien303
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I am also wondering about any experiences with Dressel Divers internships..
There is not a lot on google about them except for some bad reviews of certain of their diving centers. I guess not reading a lot of bad experiences about their DM and instructor internships
could be an ok sign since it's more likely for people to spit out their awful experiences with certain organisations than for them to write an essay about how much they loved it..
But it also seems to mean to that not a lot of people rreaaally loved it?
Anyhow, would be great if some people would post their experience on here!
There is not a lot on google about them except for some bad reviews of certain of their diving centers. I guess not reading a lot of bad experiences about their DM and instructor internships
could be an ok sign since it's more likely for people to spit out their awful experiences with certain organisations than for them to write an essay about how much they loved it..
But it also seems to mean to that not a lot of people rreaaally loved it? Anyhow, would be great if some people would post their experience on here!
Goodtime Adventures
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You definitely need to find out exactly what is expected of you before you commit to any internship:
Daily tasks
Daily hours
Days off?
Contract? Some internship programmes expect a minimum time commitment after you are certified to pay back your training costs. Depending on the workload and your expenses for living, eating etc this can work out more expensive that just paying for your course in the first place!
And what you will get out of it:
Any paid work after?
Quality of training - time with instructors, feedback & mentorship etc
Accom - location, quality, amenities, shared/private
Food - how many meals, type of food etc. Free meals is all very well, but st some staff canteens we've seen the food has been horrendous. Which means you spend even more sourcing your own.
Depending on the answers to all of the above, you may want to consider the traditional payment method of getting your DM if its feasible. You are likely to get a much higher level of training, information and feedback this way to help you become a better DM. And start getting paid work right after, therefore saving on outgoings while working to pay the internship company back for your training. It may not always be the case, we're sure there are some great internship programmes out there where you learn a lot, but you are likely to get much more out of the course where the instructors training you are being paid to pass on their knowledge and expertise, rather than working for free as it saves the business spending money on someone who's already qualified. Just something to think about...
Good luck in your research and enjoy going pro
Daily tasks
Daily hours
Days off?
Contract? Some internship programmes expect a minimum time commitment after you are certified to pay back your training costs. Depending on the workload and your expenses for living, eating etc this can work out more expensive that just paying for your course in the first place!
And what you will get out of it:
Any paid work after?
Quality of training - time with instructors, feedback & mentorship etc
Accom - location, quality, amenities, shared/private
Food - how many meals, type of food etc. Free meals is all very well, but st some staff canteens we've seen the food has been horrendous. Which means you spend even more sourcing your own.
Depending on the answers to all of the above, you may want to consider the traditional payment method of getting your DM if its feasible. You are likely to get a much higher level of training, information and feedback this way to help you become a better DM. And start getting paid work right after, therefore saving on outgoings while working to pay the internship company back for your training. It may not always be the case, we're sure there are some great internship programmes out there where you learn a lot, but you are likely to get much more out of the course where the instructors training you are being paid to pass on their knowledge and expertise, rather than working for free as it saves the business spending money on someone who's already qualified. Just something to think about...
Good luck in your research and enjoy going pro
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