Want to go pro

[cappyjon431]

I realise mermaid is in the search but much of it is old information and during that time mermaids has had its original CD die so I imagine there has been a large amount of change. They have offered me (If I pay complete costs upfront):
OWSI + MSDT + IAHD+ Staff instructor + EFR CFC + Full face mask course + 6 months Accomodation + Unlimited diving + Free set of equiptment + Padi fees = 377,292 THB, 7189 GBP or 10,587.10 USD

I am also in contact with several other dive schools but feel that this is the best offer mermaids will do whilst the others I think I can wring a few more perks out of. What do you think?

I did a similar program about 15 years ago (in the Sates, at ProDive) and while I thought my instruction and my course directors were excellent, in hindsight I would have been much better off just paying for my OWSI, working in the industry for a few years, and then getting certified for the specialties I needed. I got my MSDT through them, but after 25 certifications it is possible to apply to PADI directly. I got my "Resort Operations Specialist" training/certification, but I learned more working on a liveaboard for two months than I did paying thousands of dollars for the ROS training.

Do you really need IDC Staff (many people never use this rating)? Is A Ful Face Mask course something you will ever use? What type of gear are you getting for the price? I am not saying that this program is not a good deal, only that you should think long and hard about spending a lot of money for something you might never use.

My best recommendation is pay about $2000, get your IDC/IE, work in the field for a year or two, and then pay for any add-ons that you think you might need.

 

[saltynay]

The IAHD + EFR CFC + Full face mask course are all free extras that were thrown in from the start and whilst they are things that I am not particularly interested in, they are still skills that I can add to my CV and may come in useful if god forbid I have to provide emergency care for a child.

If they don't use the IDC staff rating then how do they progress to the CD level which I ultimately want to become?

 

[cappyjon431]

The IAHD + EFR CFC + Full face mask course are all free extras that were thrown in from the start and whilst they are things that I am not particularly interested in, they are still skills that I can add to my CV and may come in useful if god forbid I have to provide emergency care for a child.

If they don't use the IDC staff rating then how do they progress to the CD level which I ultimately want to become?[/QUOTE

Freebies are never free. They are built into the price structure of the class. Building up a CV is important, but experience is the most important criteria for most operators when hiring quality instructors. Go on the PADI web site. There are literally hundreds of jobs out there for OWSIs. Get your feet wet as an instructor and then tailor your training to where you end up. Having an MSDT rating is good, but picking specialties before you end up knowing where you will teach is a gamble. Imagine getting your drift diver instructor specialty and ending up teaching where there is no current. Why get a wreck diver instructor specialty if there are no wrecks wherever you end up teaching? You can self-certify for specialties through PADI once you have 25 certifications (it is much cheaper), and you can tailor them to what your specific needs are in your location.

When I first started out in the industry I wanted to be a course director too. After working in the industry for many years I decided it was no longer a goal. I'm not saying it is not a worthwhile goal, I am just saying before paying a lot of money upfront, consider working as an instructor for a couple of years and then if you still want to do your IDC Staff, go for it.

 

[saltynay]

Seeing as the original and advertised price for all the courses comes to 9,275.12 GBP and I have manage to reduce that price by £2,086 ($3,050.16) I would consider the extra courses to be free, even if they are part of the original price structure I have negotiated way below there value so that original price structured has become invalid and I will be spending the next month researching other alternatives all across the globe.

I realise that freebies are never free they take blood, sweat and tears or money earned from previous efforts. I want to get a full-scope of certifications as I want to travel between dive centres not remain in a location for too many months, so specialisation to the areas specific to where I am working could be more of a limitation then a benefit.

How much cheaper are specialisation once I have become an OWSI?
Would doing my OWSI then taking 6-12 months break and going back to complete my MSDT and Staff instructor course be advised then?
I realise theory is fine but practice and experience is golden but it can also degrade less often used skills. So by going upto a higher level of instructor all the skills of the previous courses will be fresh on my mind as I will be actively responsible for those areas.

 

[cappyjon431]

Seeing as the original and advertised price for all the courses comes to 9,275.12 GBP and I have manage to reduce that price by Ž£2,086 ($3,050.16) I would consider the extra courses to be free, even if they are part of the original price structure I have negotiated way below there value so that original price structured has become invalid and I will be spending the next month researching other alternatives all across the globe.

I realise that freebies are never free they take blood, sweat and tears or money earned from previous efforts. I want to get a full-scope of certifications as I want to travel between dive centres not remain in a location for too many months, so specialisation to the areas specific to where I am working could be more of a limitation then a benefit.

How much cheaper are specialisation once I have become an OWSI?
Would doing my OWSI then taking 6-12 months break and going back to complete my MSDT and Staff instructor course be advised then?
I realise theory is fine but practice and experience is golden but it can also degrade less often used skills. So by going upto a higher level of instructor all the skills of the previous courses will be fresh on my mind as I will be actively responsible for those areas.

The last time I checked, it costs approximately $68 to self certify for a specialty. You must have certified 25 divers (any level--OW, AOW, rescue, DM) and provide documentation of doing that type of dive (for instance, to earn the night dive instructor specialty you show documentation of a certain number of night dives-the number escapes me now, but it used to be 10-pay your $68 and you are certified to teach night). Also emember, you will not be an "MSDT" until you have certified 25 divers anyway. You will be certified to teach your 5 specialties with an MSDT class, otherwise you are just a specialty instructor, but to put MSDT on your CV you need to have certified 25 divers.

I'm not sure what you mean about degrading of skills over time. I am certified to teach the equipment specialty but have not taught it in ten years. I could teach the class tomorrow. I am certified to teach 14 specialties but have not taught a specialty in at least five years, but I could review the instructor manual and teach any of these classes well because of the experience I gained actively teaching in the industry.

I worked on a liveaboard for almost ten years and I saw literally hundreds of instructors come and go. Many of them spent big bucks for extensive (and expensive) training that they NEVER used. That is why I suggest you work as an instructor for a year or two before laying out lots of money. If the passion is still there after a year or two, by all means do your MSDT, IDC Staff, etc. training. Until then, consider minimizing costs and getting your OWSI.

I can strongly recommend Utila Dive Center. Central America is relatively inexpensive, their training is top notch, and you can tailor your program to your specific needs.

 

[saltynay]

Utila sounds like a gorgeous place for diving but I am not sure I could stand such a small island for such a long amount of time, is there much life there or is it all directly tourist based?

 

[cappyjon431]

Utila sounds like a gorgeous place for diving but I am not sure I could stand such a small island for such a long amount of time, is there much life there or is it all directly tourist based?

Utila is a great place to go for training and to get in some decent diving. I only suggest it as a reasonably priced place to do an IDC/IE. Not many ways to get distracted while you are prepping for your exam. I did my IDC/IE in Ft. Lauderdale, and there were lots of distractions. Go somewhere and become an instructor--after that, go wherever you want to get a job.

There are lots of jobs out there, but the first step is getting your OWSI. Once you have a job, start picking up skills that make you more marketable. Skills such as compressor & outboard maintenence, U/W photography/videography, boat handling, equipment repair, and foreign languages are all things that will help you land a job, but they are also skills you can learn while working and won't cost you anything to learn. Pick some of them up and you can be an invaluable asset to any operation.

 

[saltynay]

Thankyou very much for all your help you have given me a lot to think about

 

[Pre BC]

Dear Saltynay:

What is your ultimate career objective and where do you want to live after your training?

Knowing the answer to those two questions will help us give you more useful advice. For example, is your goal to work at a dive shop back home, a resort in an exotic tropical location or to explore the globe working as a dive control officer on a mega yacht?

The lifestyles and compensation are SIGNIFICANTLY different for each. Depending on location, your starting pay at a resort is likely to be $20,000 to $30,000 plus tips. You won't make a fortune but you will be living in a paradise. In contrast, starting pay on a mega yacht is double that but you will have to get additional yacht crew ratings and be willing to travel whenever and whereever the yacht goes. I bring this option up because you mentioned in your first posting that you are an skilled sailor... Let us know what you want to do and where... Then we can give you some tailored advice and not just offer up what we would do!

P

P.S. You also need to consider the fact that the contacts IDCs/CDCs have for job placement tend to be regional. If you plan on working in Asia, you should go to a program that has a strong job placement history in that region. Likewise for the Caribbean and the yachting industry.

 

[saltynay]

I want to travel the world and use diving as my mode of transport. For the next few years I plan to follow the resort style diving to gain plenty of experience. During this time I will get official certifications in becoming a sailor (atm I was taught by my father) aswell as boat maintenance ect. Ultimately ending up on a yacht.

I provisionally want to be paid enough to get the bills covered and just experience foreign cultures. I am not particularly picky on where I train however South East Asia is a plus as I spend alot of college holiday time in Singapore and have travelled a lot of the area. My father has lived in Singapore for the last 4 years and having family close by when starting out would be helpful, plus he can pay for my flight to come visit but I have been emailing courses all around the world.

I have family in;
Vietnam
Singapore
England
Spain
South west America

So even if I want family close by my options on regions are very open.