Had a read through that previous thread and thanks for the heads up there.
Perhaps I should not go for an instructor internship, I take onboard the advice given.
I will explain my situation a little more precisely and maybe you can advise accordingly.
I work in aviation on a freelance basis around Europe.
I work long hours and get reasonable pay.
After my recent scuba adventures I had an Idea.
Maybe I could work as a Scuba instructor/divemeaster for like 4 months and make enough to live hand to mouth.
Then in the winter I can return to Europe to make some decent money contracting in the aviation sector.
So maybe I could go this year, travel around a few areas, get a few specialisations, at different dive centers and then return to do a divemaster course at one of them.
The following year I could potentially return and do instructor training... well that's the rough plan anyway.
Sounds to me a far better idea, personally I would simply just go and dive, get some time in the water, go and see different places and try different shops purely as a diving customer, that way you can get a feel for the places you may want to return for your training. As things used to be you had to have 60 logged dives in order to complete the DM course.
Rescue course is your next step, and really worth doing for any diver. Personally I have never seen the need to do all the speciality courses, and indeed fail to see what anyone has to gain from many of them, other than another card to add to their collection. Being relaxed and confident underwater is important and just getting out there and diving at different locations, different conditions with different people will help you gain the experience you need.
There is a big world out there and lots to see underwater, why restrict your experiences to one location?
With regard to paid employment in diving, it is not easy to find in Thailand, particularly as a DM, also bear in mind the time you are talking about working in diving is low season for tourism here so there will be little or no demand for temporary staff. Anyone working in Thailand need work permits / correct visa's etc and shops will generally not go to the bother / expense of arranging this for someone that only wants to stay for a few months. Again, my advice would be to simply go and dive, you will meet people and get to know things for yourself, and you never know may even be lucky and come across an opportunity of the temporary employment you are looking for. Also I would add that unless you are serious about working long term in diving, why waste your time and money on courses that will be of no future benefit to you, DM course and beyond are simply leading towards a professional qualification, why not consider other routes in your diving. For example technical diving, cave diving etc, diving has so much to offer, and such things will give you a greater scope to your diving, rather than the ability to teach that you may never use.
Good luck and enjoy your diving what ever direction you chose.
