Instructing in Koh Tao

[Lord Lucan]

Hi,

I am currently a DM but am seriously considering coming to Koh Tao to do my instructor training and to stay on working afterwards.

I was hoping somebody could tell me how easy instructing jobs are to come by on the island and also give me some idea of how much I could expect to earn and spend.

Also any advice on dive shops or anything else for that matter would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks

 

[katdiver]

Judging on how many certifications that are issued there every year, you should have no problem finding work. Take a look at Thailand overall to see which area best suits your lifestyle. For instance, I employ an instructor, he started diving in Koh Chang, did his DM internship in Phi Phi, IDC in Pattaya and now works in Ao Nang. He's been in Thailand some 4 years now. Although there is more to see of Thailand, he always tells me he's glad to have moved around to find where he's happy.

 

[mgmonk]

Do you have languages? That's a BIG factor.
Are you going to come over with enough savings to wait out the hard times and not loose the plot?
Are you aware that monsoon is approaching. This can be good and bad. Business goes down, but so do the number of instructors, so a hard working, patient, not broke newly certified instructor will find work in the rainy season.

You'll get small groups (ones and twos) and that means you'll make 20 to 30 grand a month if you apply yourself and meet the right people.

If you end up in the right place at the right time, or have something special to offer (AGAIN... LANGUAGES), then you could land a full time job and make 40 to 60 a month in mid/high season.

There are a lot of factors. Can you give more details about your experience, background, etc?

 

[Lord Lucan]

Thanks for the help.

I'm afraid it's not great on the experience front. I completed my DM course about 4 years ago in Phuket but have only done 10 or so dives since on holidays but I'm more than prepared to put the hard work in to catch up and get to the stage I need to be. I'm a 29yr old English guy (No other languages, unfortunately) who's getting fed up with the rat race and fancies a better life in the sunshine. I'm responsible and hard working and have enough money to get by for about 3 or 4 months if I should really need to.

I was aware of the impending monsoon season and thought this may be a problem but perhaps it now seems otherwise.


I've spent about 8 months travelling around Thailand in my younger days so know the place reasonably well and would be happy in other parts of the country as well but I was under the impression that finding work to live on is easiest in Koh Tao. Is this correct?

 

[DevonDiver]

I suggest you get some more experience as a DM before enrolling on an IDC. 10 dives in 4 years is highly unlikely to have kept your skills sharp enough to pass an IE after a 2 week IDC course. You need to learnon that course... not refresh.

 

[lord khram]

Judging on how many certifications that are issued there every year, you should have no problem finding work. Take a look at Thailand overall to see which area best suits your lifestyle. For instance, I employ an instructor, he started diving in Koh Chang, did his DM internship in Phi Phi, IDC in Pattaya and now works in Ao Nang. He's been in Thailand some 4 years now. Although there is more to see of Thailand, he always tells me he's glad to have moved around to find where he's happy.

That sounds like good advice to me, not only from a personal point of view of the area where you are happiest, the varied experiences of learning in several locations with different shops can only make for a better instructor than those which chose to do everything at the same place.

 

[katdiver]

I suggest you get some more experience as a DM before enrolling on an IDC. 10 dives in 4 years is highly unlikely to have kept your skills sharp enough to pass an IE after a 2 week IDC course. You need to learnon that course... not refresh.

That is a very good point! If you have the time then work up on all the aspects you learnt at the DM level. Maybe even take the chance to come over to the west coast and DM over here for a while to sharpen up! The season is coming!

 

[Bronson]

Give PADI Scuba Instructor Con-ed Speciality Courses a look for an option to take AI/IDC. I am surprised by the money of 20K30K a month and can only imagine that you will work you rbutt off to get that. I talk to alot of instructors and i do not seem to see any individuals making that kind of money....so maybe i need to talk to some more instructors.

There is alot of good business advice above in those short messages on being different and special. Languages will be a definte help in Thailand with the European tourists that travel there.

I know of the "rat race" and envy your goal.

Good luck.

regards
John

 

[Lord Lucan]

That is a very good point! If you have the time then work up on all the aspects you learnt at the DM level. Maybe even take the chance to come over to the west coast and DM over here for a while to sharpen up! The season is coming!

Could be a good idea. I like it round there and Know the diving is good over on the west coast. I guess I also need to taken into account, though, that I should be making friends and contacts while "sharpening up" to help me find decent paid work later on. How do the opportunities for work and the pay compare over your way to Koh Tao.

Thanks to you all for your replies

 

[surinboy]

Not to put a downer things, but it is very difficult to find DM or Instructor work in Thailand at the moment.

There has been a glut for some time. This was accentuated by the recent world economic situation and the internal political brawling which hit tourism earlier this year (at least on the Andaman side it did)

As mgmonk pointed out, languages really help + experience and contacts and a lot of luck. To put some perspective on things I advertised on the PADI board for an Instructor last season and got almost 200 applications!!