Where would you go?

[dallasdivergirl]

I am in a situation where I can leave where I live currently and move pretty much anywhere I want to to work on getting my dm/instructor training.

My lease is up in August so that is my drop dead time. I will still need to work to pay the rent/food/bills where ever I go while I am doing my training.

I can stay in the US or move out of the country. I just have two dogs and gear to move.

Where would you go in this situation?

 

[The Chad]

I'd say south Florida

 

[johnny_bravo]

Bonaire. So relaxed. So easy to dive. All the Amstel Brights you can drink.

-J.-

 

[DeputyDan]

I believe in training hard and diving easy.

I would look at a dry suit locale to learn in - will make you a better instructor and give a wider ranage of experience to impart to your students.

The better you are the safer they will be in class and later on

 

[deepblueme]

The dogs are a problem for you to move out of country. Alot of places make it VERY HARD to bring pets with you.

I would second S. Florida lots of great places to live and work and dive to get the training to take the DM/Inst class.

I use to be a PRODive basher (one week wonders) when I was looking to take my PADI Staff Inst. training I figured I would go there and see what kind of program they ran to see if I had always been correct in bashing them.
And I needed a vacation....

I ended up taking my course thru them and was very impressed by the training they offered and the way the program was set up to provide the student with the skills needed to work in the diving world, not just being able to teach scuba, but to be able to do the things that a dive center needs a new employee to be able to do.

 

[Doc]

I'll second ProDive.

We hear this question often, mostly with no qualifying points like living requirements, etc.

It's all but impossible to make a living as an instructor in paradise, much less sustaining a financial setback while enduring training. In South Florida (FT Lauderdale in the case of ProDive), you might even find work in your area of expertise.

ProDive can be done quickly if you pre-study all materials. No IDC will make you into a diver, it will teach you to teach.

 

[Jon C]

Well, you have heard from the Florida folks and had some suggestions for out-of-country, but the dogs DO complicate it.

I have made it clear to friends (and my cyber friends on Scubaboard) how much I love Hawaii. There is a feel about it that cannot be discribed to those who have not visited. I love to dive/vacation there...Tropical, American, Clean, Warm Water, w Great Vis. (But expensive).

When asked if I could ONLY pick one place to dive what would it be...I thought long and hard about my answer...it was Southern California! There is nothing like the kelp forests, Channel Islands, the access to so much entertainment and sports. And the weather is great. (And it is (slightly) less expensive than Hawaii). Being from Texas, you are aquainted with cold water...and it is here. Gets down to 52-55 degrees during the cold current run from Alaska and up to the low 70's during the summer months. But the variety of things to see is amazing.

Now, there are the drive-by shootings, slow speed chases, and overly pompous politicians, but if you keep your head down, pick the right freeways, and don't turn on the tv...it is paradise....except for the earthquakes, fires, mudslides, smog, ......

PADI's headquarters is here....sometimes they are hiring at the corporate offices.

Look forward to diving with you...

 

[Clearwater]

As for Hawaii, unless it's changed, moving there with pets is almost like moving to another country -- when some friends of mine moved there in the 90s, they had to put their dog in quarantine for several months.

 

[river_sand_bar]

I second the motion for So Cal... San Diego has my vote for a GREAT place to live. There is always work on the dive boats here and its difficult to get instructors. No, they dont make a ton of money, but your living in San Diego, where there is ALWAYS something to do if diving isn't working.

 

[danielt]

byron bay, australia