Best place you’ve ever been diving?

[DeputyDan]

If you plan to be a working DM - TRAIN IN THE SAME CONDITIONS as you will be working.

Don't train in Utila and expect to be a DM in Canada.....

 

[BDSC]

Best places I have been so far is Little Cayman and off the coast of NC.

 

[jupitermermaid]

I have to agree with Don here. If you want to work as a DM, train where you're planning on working. If you're looking for the best dive destination and are able or want to move there, then by all means look at the countries/states that offer what rocks your boat. I trained locally, DM locally, and can't see me moving anywhere else because I love it here!

 

[iztok]

Channel Islands.

 

[Midget]

Hmmmmmm. Maybe you could have a look at this!

Bali News: Best Dive Job in the World

 

[jupitermermaid]

Good luck, if that's what you want to do. Everyone is different in what they want out of life. If this is appealing and your life allows you to do so, go for it! But make sure you have Plan B in case you don't win.

 

[ronscuba]

Galapagos and Indonesia

 

[Gaz]

Without any shadow of a doubt GALAPAGOS Islands for big Animal life it cant be beat up at Wolf and Darwin, as for colorful reefs etc the Red Sea and Indonesia are superb.

As for Pattaya the Scuba Diving sucks the other sort of diving is top knotch though haha on a serious note the last place I would do a DM course is Pattaya when there are so many other better places in Thailand for you to go with much bettter diving and most places there you can do an Internship and spend a decent amount of time there training but avoid the ones that are churning out DM's thick and fast and realize the best training is experience.

Many moons ago I worked for free to get my DM in the canary islands. I worked for over 2 years just to learn the ropes and get the experience as a DM. I went from OW up to DM and it took me over 2 years and my Dutch Instructor gave me no slack, I had to memorize all the laws by heart and quote them whenever he asked, could be at dinner out on a dive LOL but you now what ? I can still recite them word for word to this day they are embedded in my mind. He made me do every certification of every agency prior to taking the next course LOL at one time I was certified in OW, Advanced, Rescue Divemaster in CMAS NAUI PADI Spanish federation diver all of em and each one had some different twist on training.

these days its all a bit quick

Gaz

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

With respect Gaz, the quality of diving should not be the primary concern when choosing a professional training course. Want to see lots of fish and pretty corals, go on holiday. Want to become a divemaster or instructor, go where you're going to get the best quality training.

Pattaya, while not a first choice among holiday divers, offers excellent conditions for professional training. The very things that turns people off -- limited visibility, stronger currents -- are things that make you better as a diver.

Our guys go to southern Thailand and come back amazed at how few DMs and instructors there know how to use a compass. Among other things.

ALI -- (the OP) -- There are other options than Mermaids. Our program is less expensive, offers 1-on-1 training exclusively, includes more in the package and we have a much better success rate.

See our website below for more info.