Want to take my Dive Master in Asia but need advice on where!

[Seanluge]

Hey everyone, I was just looking for some advice on some of the best locations to do my dive master in Asia. I was looking into either Thailand, Micronesia, Indonesia, or possibly the Phillipeans, I heard great things about all of these places.

Basically my plan is to go stay somewhere for a month or so, get my DM then go and travel for a little while to other places in Southeast Asia. Is it in my best interest to book my DM course with a dive shop Online before hand to ensure they have room? or would just going and backpacking until I find a place I like be a better idea?

I'm probably going this spring or summer.. and I'm just turning 28, I was looking for a nice chill place, but at the same time has enough of a social atmosphere so I can keep it interesting and meet lots of other travelers.

I heard Koh Tao is a really popular place for backpackers and they have a lot of dive shop, but i also heard people say it doesn't really have the best dive sites compared to the rest of thiland, is there any truth to that? The reason why Koh Tao comes to mind is because it seems to be one of the cheaper places to do your divemaster or IDC, I will be on a pretty tight budget and wont want to spend more than 1500$ to do my DM..

Can anyone recommend any other places in SE Asia that would possibly be up my alley?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Sean

 

[Doc]

I would do a lot of looking and corresponding online, but show up and look it over and then to seal the deal.

Philippines is an amazingly difficult thing to spell, but oh so easy when you get there!

 

[N2DeepInAz]

I'd be shocked if you were able to complete your divemaster in 30 days. Good luck with that, really, but mine took almost 4 months.

I've now watched a couple of other DMCs start the training at our shop and it's going to take them way longer than 4 months. Partially because they are still renting equipment in order to dive and partially because they don't dive much outside of the class sessions.

Whatever you choose, I wish you the best. Being a DM is at times physically grueling work and for very little to no pay. I hope you do it for the love of diving and not to get rich, very few people get rich in this industry as a DM or instructor.

 

[scoobydrew]

Hey seanluge

Firstly I would say that there is no real advantage in you commiting to a centre remotely, if your gonna spend a month there then as roatanman says you should get an idea of where you want to go then write off to them to get a feel for the operation before heading there to scope it out, meet them, check the area out then make a decision. It is highly unlikely you will be refused by a dive centre due to lack of space.

Look in to the seasons, if you are doing your DMT in a short time like a month then you will want to be out diving everyday possible, I have worked in a dive centre where DMT's have turned up out of season and spent half their time in the shop kicking their heels watching the rain fall outside.

A month is a short period of time to do the course but you will find people along the way that have done it in 2 weeks. Mine also took 4 months to do but it all deopends on what time you have and what you want out of the course.

When looking for a centre you want somewhere that is not so small that there are limited activities but not so big that your paid education is swept under the carpet, although size is not always a great reflection of the outcome.

Try to find out what you will be doing, will you get just the bare course requirements or will you get lots more peripheral skills like equipment maintenance etc.

Research mate, thats all I can say, keep sending out emails to them, don't worry about hasseling them as if you are doing the course in a month then you are a customer to them as opposed to a worker, though you will indeed be working for that period.

Have fun, all the best

Drew

 

[Seanluge]

N2deep I obviously know I'm not going to get rich from it since most people don't even get paid to do DM training dude. so what other reason would I do it then for the love of diving? I asked a few questions and you answered not one of them, except for pick apart my post, thanks.

And everyone I talked to that did their divemaster on Roatan or Utila, completed it in 6-8 so when I said "a month or so" that's what I really meant. I actually really love diving and would love to do it for a career that would be amazing and If I got paid in peanuts great! and if it took me 5 months to do my DM that would be even better!

Does anyone else have any recommendations on and good locations worth looking into I may have overlooked in South east asia>?

 

[Tortuga68]

Usual arrangement is that your dives are free when you're doing your DMT so the longer it takes the better provided you can afford the time & costs

My recommendation would be Puerto Galera, Philippines. I'm doing my DMT there on-and-off. Great diving, some great instructors/shops, good social scene. Summer is low season so there aren't a lot of people around, that can be both a pro & a con

And I also agree that you should get there first before committing to a shop

 

[Seanluge]

Awesome! thanks tortuga I'll look into Puerto Galera

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out these web-sites too: Thresher Shark Divers, in the Philippines and Lumba Lumba, on Pulau Weh, Indonesia.

 

[Seanluge]

Thanks bubble both those locations look wonderful! have u ever dove at either shop?