Becoming a Divemaster in Roatan

[Shadz]

Hey guys,

I got PADI open water certified last year and went diving in the Turks and Caicos and ever since then all I do is daydream about diving. I want to have an awesome summer that involves diving and I found a diving internship program at Subway Watersports in Roatan.

I'd have to spend a bunch of money and a bunch of time away from friends and family, so I wanted to make sure that it was a legitimate way to become a divemaster. I'd love to spend 2 months working at a dive shop and diving all the time, so it's a really exciting opportunity for me.

Has anyone here heard of this program? Anyone recommend something else?

Thanks!

 

[Garrobo]

I'd do it on Utila and join the hundreds of other DM's over there.

 

[halocline]

You might give Will Welbourne a shout, his username is bayislandsdiver. He runs the DM program at coconut tree divers in Roatan, which is where I did my DM.

I know most of the west end shops, I guess subway is on palmetto bay or way out on the east end; I don't know anything about it.

Coconut tree is by far the most popular west end shop for DMTs, and you can meet some interesting people there. They do a much higher volume of teaching there than the other shops; this has some advantages for the internship part of the DM course.

I wish I could offer you more specific info on this shop; you might try posting on the bay islands forum, you'll get more responses.

 

[Shadz]

Thanks a lot for the into. I'm in contact with the guy at Utila at the moment. It seems like a pretty awesome experience.

I just want to be sure I'm not missing out on some way better experience as far as becoming a divemaster goes.

 

[tomboyy]

I dove with the guys at Subway WaterSports 2 years ago Husband and wife team at the time. At that time they had 2 others working there to get their DM certs. If my thinking is right it was at the NE end and around "Turtle Bay" could be wrong but I'm at work so I can't verify the name or locale. It was a nice clean outfit that was in a resort ( gated ) I booked directly with them though.

 

[diversteve]

I second the recommendation for Will. I have no training experience with Coconut Tree Divers but we dove with them all week. I overheard him teaching 20mins. of a DM class - outside on the patio - and he seemed very thorough. One night my friend got bent(didn't know at the time) and Will - who happened to be leaving late - and didn't really know us except as shop customers - made arrangements with a cab driver to take us to to a local doctor who recommended we take her to the chamber at AKR.

Coconut Tree is a bunch of fun people. They dive seriously and party seriously afterwards. They always seem to be having fun doing both. One afternoon there were 4 of us diving with a DM class. A couple of instructors tagged along for the fun of it. So in the water, we had our DM/Instructor, 2 Instructors, and 6 DM students with their Instructor. So we were the object of all the training. I probably couln't have been lost on that dive if I tried...lol.

Being in the heart of the West End is the place I'd want to be. If you're looking for cheap accommodations, Gay the owner has a dorm (sleeps 6) for $5/nite. It's one of the Coconut Tree Resort cabins that she converted. I believe she mentioned it has a fullsize kitchen also. She's cocaloca here on SB.

I've been to Utila recently, it's nice but a lot smaller. Personally I'd be bored there after a couple of weeks. Not a lot to do outside of diving/watersports. And I think food and other stores are pretty limited there. Lots of backpackers also.

Some friends just went through DM and Instructor training with CTD, one of them wrote a little about it in her blog: Home

I've moved this to the Bay Islands forum...

 

[CODMAN]

Shadz, are you absolutely locked onto the Caribean and bay islands for this? Or up for something else?

I did mine in the Philippines and had the time of my life... And would suggest it whole heartedly. Basically, for about the same cost of living (if you shop carefully), a plane ticket that is a bit more expensive (only down side) you can get the same great dive lifestyle and DM training, lots of fun, but WAYYYY better diving (sorry guys, I loved Roatan, but the Philippines simply blows it away...).

If for some reason you want the Caribean, that's fine to. I'm sure you'll have a blast. But you could have the same blast with the Marine life of South-East Asia...:cool2:

Just sharing my experience! if you want to know more, post a question in the Philippine paradise Divers section.

Cheers!

Anyone recommend something else?

Thanks!

 

[Shadz]

I'm not necessarily locked into anything. Where in the Phillipines did you go (what diveshop)? I can do some more research.

 

[georoc01]

What is it you want to do with your DM? Is it just for the experience or do you want to work as a DM when you go pro? Or continue on to become an instructor?

The reason I ask this is because if you want to get your DM and then work where you live, its generally best to do your DM with the dive shop you want to work with.

That said, the shops I have met on Roatan are great. I'm going down for two weeks in May to do my Tec Deep at Coconut Tree. I also hope to check out some of the other diving on the island as the class won't take the full two weeks.

 

[ncchuck]

The reason I ask this is because if you want to get your DM and then work where you live, its generally best to do your DM with the dive shop you want to work with.

Part of the reason for becoming a DM is for a lot of people is to be able to travel and work around the world. I trained in Utila then worked in Belize, Roatan and Truk Lagoon within the first 2 years. (as in Instructor)

If you really do want to work at a specific dive shop, get a written guarantee that will happen after you complete your training. I doubt anyone is willing to do that.

Train anywhere you like, have a great time doing it and then work hard to find a DM position if that is what you want to do. If you are just improving your dive skills, train anywhere you like, have a great time doing it and then go back to doing whatever it is you want to do.