Ko Tao or Bali for Divemaster Internship?

[CoralReeferMadness]

Hi All,

I am new to ScubaBoard and looking for some advice: I am a science teacher in the California looking for a way to use my summer vacations to travel the world. As a teacher, I don't make much and was looking to complete a Divemaster Internship this summer (and later my Instructor Cert) as a way to work each summer in different parts of the world to help offset the cost of travel.

Right now I am considering Ko Tao, Thailand (maybe Sairee Cottage Divers) or Bali, Indonesia (TBD) and looking for advice from people that have experience diving these areas. I am looking for an inexpensive, but quality course that is not a factory-like setting. I don't mind a bit of a party scene from time to time, but I am 35 and more interested in a quality course with excellent diving- as this not an insignificant investment given my school-teacher salary.

I am interested in S.E. Asia as I was blown away by my diving in the Philippines, but would like to experience a new country. Most of my diving has been in the Caribbean, Mexico, and the California coast. Since I have 6-weeks for the internship, I'd rather spend that time in a region that that is new (as much of the motivation for doing this to explore parts unknown).

My experience:
Open Water cert in 2003 (Burlington, Vermont).
B.S. in Marine Science in 2011 (St. Pete, Florida).
Advanced O.W in 2016 (Palawan, Philippines).
>50 free dives/spearfishing (Fort Bragg, California).
Rescue Cert in 2019 (San Fran, California).
65 Logged dives total

Any advice on specific shops or internships? I am up to a challenge if need be- I am accustomed hard labor, working on boats, cold water diving in kelp with 7mm suit, poor visibility, free diving, etc. I am also not opposed to alternatives to Ko Tao or Bali if the total cost is comparable.

I welcome all thoughts and advice.

Thank you!

 

[Blackcrusader]

65 dives total since 2003. OK for me I am not knocking get a DM Cert but my advice would be that you dive a lot more in varied conditions first. I went to Lombok Bali with a DM in training who claimed he was very experienced with fast current diving. He panicked on the first current dive and was back on the boat in pure terror and on the O2 within a few minutes into the dive. Never deeper than 15m but thinks he had DCS hit after a less than a 10 minute dive. HE skipped the rest of our wild scuba Indonesia dives and dives locally at the resort we stayed it. Pity really as he could have used the experience but it was not to be.

Nusa Lembongan has some nice current dives that won't freak you out. Crystal Bay to see Mola Mola is a nice current site. On two dives there I saw divers go out of air when they went too far out and could not make it back to the wall and their dive buddies. Why they did not pay attention to their air and end the dive and pop a DSMB I will never know.

Pandang Bai and Gecko Divers as Luko suggested. I'm diving in Philippines again for 2 weeks from tomorrow and I will do around 40 dives with around 50 hours of dive time. So from September 2022 to Feb 2023 I will have racked up over 100 dives in varied fast current and washing machine currents as well.

 

[CoralReeferMadness]

65 dives total since 2003. OK for me I am not knocking get a DM Cert but my advice would be that you dive a lot more in varied conditions first. I went to Lombok Bali with a DM in training who claimed he was very experienced with fast current diving. He panicked on the first current dive and was back on the boat in pure terror and on the O2 within a few minutes into the dive. Never deeper than 15m but thinks he had DCS hit after a less than a 10 minute dive. HE skipped the rest of our wild scuba Indonesia dives and dives locally at the resort we stayed it. Pity really as he could have used the experience but it was not to be.

Nusa Lembongan has some nice current dives that won't freak you out. Crystal Bay to see Mola Mola is a nice current site. On two dives there I saw divers go out of air when they went too far out and could not make it back to the wall and their dive buddies. Why they did not pay attention to their air and end the dive and pop a DSMB I will never know.

Pandang Bai and Gecko Divers as Luko suggested. I'm diving in Philippines again for 2 weeks from tomorrow and I will do around 40 dives with around 50 hours of dive time. So from September 2022 to Feb 2023 I will have racked up over 100 dives in varied fast current and washing machine currents as well

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I've not had any training in Bali but I do know a reputable instructor there.

@ScubaWithTurk

Thank you for calling me reputable lol

We do offer a DM training via RAID. It is pretty extensive training and includes more than just the standard DM training. You learn the day to day operations of a dive center including how to do books, make social media posts, edit video, etc.

I personally add in a workshop on customer interaction and how to create relationships from the very first hello that make people want to choose you as their pro and your dive center as their training center of choice. It is something I am quite good at and love sharing that knowledge. Feel free to shoot me a message if interests you.

FYI, we are located in Amed and dive Tulamben and Amed as well as customer requested trips to Nusa Penida. Oh and lastly, as an added bonus, I give an "Intro to Sidemount" to any DMT upon completion of the program that includes a nice 1 1/2 -2 hour dive along coral, hitting a beautiful wall and then back to nice coral beds before surfacing.

 

[CoralReeferMadness]

Thank you for calling me reputable lol

We do offer a DM training via RAID. It is pretty extensive training and includes more than just the standard DM training. You learn the day to day operations of a dive center including how to do books, make social media posts, edit video, etc.

I personally add in a workshop on customer interaction and how to create relationships from the very first hello that make people want to choose you as their pro and your dive center as their training center of choice. It is something I am quite good at and love sharing that knowledge. Feel free to shoot me a message if interests you.

FYI, we are located in Amed and dive Tulamben and Amed as well as customer requested trips to Nusa Penida. Oh and lastly, as an added bonus, I give an "Intro to Sidemount" to any DMT upon completion of the program that includes a nice 1 1/2 -2 hour dive along coral, hitting a beautiful wall and then back to nice coral beds before surfacing.

Thanks, ScubaWithTurk. By the time I got your message, I'd already send a deposit to ScubaJunkie on Nusa Penida. They seems like a good operation, and their former DMTs had great things to say about them. I have a little over a week on Bali after the internship ends before heading back to the USA and was planning on circling the island on a motorbike. When I get to Amed, I will look for you for a fun dive if you offer them. Are you easy to find?

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

Thanks, ScubaWithTurk. By the time I got your message, I'd already send a deposit to ScubaJunkie on Nusa Penida. They seems like a good operation, and their former DMTs had great things to say about them. I have a little over a week on Bali after the internship ends before heading back to the USA and was planning on circling the island on a motorbike. When I get to Amed, I will look for you for a fun dive if you offer them. Are you easy to find?

No worries at all. As for finding us, yes, we are easy to find on the main road in Amed. I can also give you my whatsapp if needed but we have a sign out front that is easy to read. Oh and yes, we do fun dives!!

 

[Diversanon]

Thanks, ScubaWithTurk. By the time I got your message, I'd already send a deposit to ScubaJunkie on Nusa Penida. They seems like a good operation, and their former DMTs had great things to say about them. I have a little over a week on Bali after the internship ends before heading back to the USA and was planning on circling the island on a motorbike. When I get to Amed, I will look for you for a fun dive if you offer them. Are you easy to find?

Any reason why you chose them? Curious where you found the former DMT reviews.

I’m looking to do the same as you (also coming from SF) but in a earlier timeline next month

 

[CoralReeferMadness]

Any reason why you chose them? Curious where you found the former DMT reviews.

I’m looking to do the same as you (also coming from SF) but in a earlier timeline next month

I started off by asking around on ScubaBoard and most people recommended Indo over Thailand for quality reefs. I think the currents around the area are a bit more challenging too, which I found attractive given the strong currents here on the Cali north coast.

From there I started searching different shops and Scuba Junkie had great reviews on TripAdvisor (89 5-star reviews, only 1 average, and 1 negative:

Scuba Junkie Penida (Nusa Penida) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

www.tripadvisor.com

I emailed a dozen different shops and reached out on WhatsApp, and Scuba Junkie was the only one that consistently responded in a timely and professional manner. They also take the time to respond to all their online reviews.

This signaled to me professionalism- something important in both diving and education. If you reach out to them, you can also ask that they provide you with the contact info for former DMTs. Maybe they just give info for the ones they are on good terms with, but this was the better communication than I got from any of the other shops.

FYI, they also have a shop on Komodo. I was going to go with them at first, but they said they couldn't take a DMT in July-August because it was too busy of a season. If you are going sooner, it might be worth checking out that location instead. The diving is supposedly better and you get to see dragons in the national park.

Good luck!