some questions on doing a divemaster internship in phuket

[Nitro91]

I have just come back from a week long holiday in phuket, doing 13 dives with sea bees, and discovering a vastly different country to home i didnt want to leave.
I am only 21 years old and working full time, i feel like i would be missing out in life if i were to stick to being in australia doing the same thing in and out.

I have over 100 dives and have dove around great barrier reef (best dives i have ever done), wakatobi and majority in sydney (****house).

Looking now, i see there are many dive shops in phuket alone and i am after a 2-3 month long internship to do a divemaster course, with the possibility of becoming an instructor (who knows ).
What i want is a place where i can further improve my diving skills to become a professional and at the same time discover a new culture and country to me.
which dive centres around phuket offer the best training to become a dive professional, what is the weekly schedule like, and i know this has been asked 100 fold before but is there any realistic chance at working as a dive professional in phuket after obtaining licenses?

I know being a dive professional will probably not be rich but i believe that having a job that you enjoy day in and out is far more rewarding.

Money is not an issue as i have some investment property from the family and money saved up. I feel i would regret it if i did not take a risk in life and be out of my comfort zone.

I hope i have given some insight into what i am looking for, and any input or opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[stevenl]

For longer internships, like you mention 2-3 months, Phi Phi and Koh Tao are much better places than Phuket.

Working on Phuket: as a DM you have no chance, you really need to become an instructor.

 

[supergaijin]

If you want to work straight away in SE Asia, it would make sense to do the DM-Instr in the country you're intending on working in. That way, you're prepared to fit in to the 'system'. Be aware that foreign languages play a huge role in being able to secure work on a full-time basis.

It's tricky to get work as a DM in SE Asia as most jobs go to local DM's. It does happen, but.... it would help your chances immensely if you're a 21 year old blonde named Svetlana....

Ultimately you need to become an instructor to get work overseas. And a foreign language (or two) never hurts.

Schedule depends a lot on the shop. 3 month courses are usually aimed at the 'zero to hero' crowd who need to get their 60 dives... or is it 50 now? Duties may start around 7am- 1pm'ish and then 2-6pm'ish. Homework for DM is usually outside of these hours. Hours can vary quite a lot, but it's fairly knackering stuff if you're not fit, or if you hit the piss too often.

Realistically you won't get paid work as a DM in SE Asia. You need to become instructor.

Best of luck- it's a rewarding job, but it's also easy to burn out.