Recommendations for DM Course in Thailand?

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DiverInSF

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Location
San Francisco, CA
# of dives
200 - 499
I'm hoping to get some advice on possible locations to do a DM course in Thailand. I've been diving regularly for 13 years and my goal with this course is to become a better diver, learn to manage different situations and learn more about the physiology of diving. I don't expect I'll ever work as a dive professional in the future. Truthfully, Thailand was not my first choice of destination but many places I would like to go are still closed to US travellers and I'd like to get started in Feb 2022.

A couple of things are important to me:

(1) Safe and responsible diving. I don't want to get involved with a dive op that cuts corners to make a quick buck or looks the other way when customers mistreat the ocean.

(2) Low-key destination. It's great to have some bars, restaurants and things to do but I'm trying to avoid what I call the "SE Asia backpacker superhighway" that's mostly just looking for the next party.

(3) Good diving. Nuff said.

Money-wise, I'm not looking for a cheap deal. I'd rather pay more and have a good learning experience.
 
Most people here would recommend you not do a divemaster program if you don't plan on working. A lot of what you learn in a divemaster program is related to the business of diving more than "diving skills". If you want to become a better diver, you're much better putting that time and money towards taking technical diving courses, with instructors who are serious. As you may have notice, there are a lot of really, really terrible scuba instructors out there.

Also, if you have a divemaster certification, you need to carry additional insurance and leave yourself open to legal liabilities occur when you're in the water.

If you're sure you want to do a divemaster program, and you will be in Thailand and want to avoid backpackers paradise, especially if you are there in february, you should head to Phuket. I've heard people say good things about Sea Bees, and I did a liveaboard with them and it was fine.
 
I did my Divemaster with Simple Life in Koh Tao. My accommodation was a 10 minute walk from the dive shop and cost me $400 for the month. Cheap food too.

Good luck.

GJS

p.s. You might consider the technical route beginning with the "fundies" course from GUE.
 
Most people here would recommend you not do a divemaster program if you don't plan on working. A lot of what you learn in a divemaster program is related to the business of diving more than "diving skills".

Thanks drk5036. Interesting that you say that. Just about every "older" diver (you know - the gray haired guys and gals that have thousands of recreational dives under their belt that you meet on liveaboards) have said that the DM course was their best learning investment. But as you pointed out - instructor matters. Thus the question.

If you're sure you want to do a divemaster program, and you will be in Thailand and want to avoid backpackers paradise, especially if you are there in february, you should head to Phuket. I've heard people say good things about Sea Bees, and I did a liveaboard with them and it was fine.

Thanks, I'll take a look.
 
my goal with this course is to become a better diver, learn to manage different situations and learn more about the physiology of diving. I don't expect I'll ever work as a dive professional in the future.

Most people here would recommend you not do a divemaster program if you don't plan on working. A lot of what you learn in a divemaster program is related to the business of diving more than "diving skills". If you want to become a better diver, you're much better putting that time and money towards taking technical diving courses, with instructors who are serious. As you may have notice, there are a lot of really, really terrible scuba instructors out there.


100% agree with what @drk5036 has said. Some might not but I do especially if your looking at doing it in Thailand. Remember going down the DM and Instructor route is geared towards working at a dive center and honestly mostly carting around a 4 pack of DSD's and generally dive centers in SE Asia use the DMT's as free labor. Nothing against the dive centers in Thailand as there are many many very good ones that offer a high level or training but the DM training for them to teach you how to cycle customers through and make money. Perfection on diving skills is generally not the end goal of a DM.

As you stated above if you are looking to become a better diver, learn new skills and learn more about the physiology of diving spend your money on some technical diving course or GUE fundamentals. Technical diving does not always mean you will be going deep and into deco either. Technical diving is just that its a more technical variation of diving. In technical diving you have many more skills than in recreational diving, it has many more self rescue and buddy rescue skills than in rec diving, you will learn about different vitiations of equipment you will for sure learn A LOT!!! about the physics of diving. When you take a technical diving course the instructors focus is to teach you diving and just that where as being a DM/instructor is more about how how to teach diving, XYZ agency standards, customer care, selling specialties, prepping equipment for customers, managing boat staff, etc.

Just off the top of my head some reputable instructors you might want to contact in Thailand are Ben Reymenants, Mikko Paasi, Jeff Glenn, Andrew Fortune, Henrik Rudolf, Claus Rasmussen. Also when contacting them explain to them what you looking for and generally most would be more than happy to accommodate you. Just google there names and put Thailand after it and I'm sure you will get the websites with the dive centers they are associated with.
 
As you stated above if you are looking to become a better diver, learn new skills and learn more about the physiology of diving spend your money on some technical diving course or GUE fundamentals.

This is the second time this comes up, so I'll look into this as well. I haven't considered a tech diving course seriously, because it's not something I'm likely to do very often. However, that doesn't mean it won't be a good learning experience. I suppose a tech diving course and DM course are not mutually exclusive.

Do you have any recommendations for good geographical areas to do this? Yucatan comes to mind, as it goes hand in hand with cave diving. Other areas I should look into?

Just off the top of my head some reputable instructors you might want to contact in Thailand are Ben Reymenants, Mikko Paasi, Jeff Glenn, Andrew Fortune, Henrik Rudolf, Claus Rasmussen. Also when contacting them explain to them what you looking for and generally most would be more than happy to accommodate you. Just google there names and put Thailand after it and I'm sure you will get the websites with the dive centers they are associated with.

Thank you! This is extremely helpful.
 
This is the second time this comes up, so I'll look into this as well. I haven't considered a tech diving course seriously, because it's not something I'm likely to do very often. However, that doesn't mean it won't be a good learning experience. I suppose a tech diving course and DM course are not mutually exclusive.

Do you have any recommendations for good geographical areas to do this? Yucatan comes to mind, as it goes hand in hand with cave diving. Other areas I should look into?



Thank you! This is extremely helpful.
If your thinking of tech in Thailand then look up Tim Lawrence, DJL on both Koh Tao or Ko Lipe.
 
Also, if you have a divemaster certification, you need to carry additional insurance and leave yourself open to legal liabilities occur when you're in the water.

Who says? I dive with plenty of people who have DM cert and they do not carry additional insurance and they are not open to legal liabilities as they are not working as DM's.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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