Best places to get certified?

[DivemasterDennis]

Like so many other responders, I am not a big fan of these "straight through" programs, though many are very good and train competent divemasters. However, you don't have any idea about your aptitude for diving at this point: you might love it and have no physical problems, or you may find you have ear clearing issues, stress, or just not feel like it is your thing. That is why it makes sense to find a good local dive shop and get certified as an open water diver, and do a little diving. If your love it and want to advance from that point, there are many options in this country and elsewhere. I will not give you any recommendations, though. A decision of that magnitude should be made after YOU do substantial research on line, make some calls to possible locations, get it down to 2 or 3 choices and THEN post here on SB asking for feedback from people who have experience with those possible choices.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Learn It]

This shouldn't be difficult...Find a local dive shop with a solid reputation, do a Discover Scuba or OW course and take it from there...

 

[halocline]

I feel like no one is understanding my question....

I haven't read this whole thread, I noticed the usual "why do you want to do this responses", so I skipped ahead and therefore might be repeating someone else's suggestion. Give a look at Roatan west end or Utila. There are several shops that specialize in exactly what you are looking for. You can pay as you go through the courses and quit at any time. You'll meet lots of interesting people and spend time in the caribbean about as cheaply as possible. I did a DM internship on Roatan at a much older age and had a good time. I never have had any interest in trying to make a living in the dive industry. To me that's a perfect way to ruin a good hobby....

For the naysayers, this is a 22 yr old, relax and let the kid enjoy life!

 

[yuval]

Dear Kalin,

I'm sorry you haven't been getting many good responses. I hope my reply will be a bit more specific to your question.

One of the very best places in the world to dive is Cozumel, Mexico. Recently Blue Magic Scuba (Cozumel Diving, Cozumel Scuba Diving, Cozumel Diving Packages, Lessons, Snorkeling, Blue Magic Scuba) has started a divemaster internship program with one of PADI's best course directors, Jim Hutchinson. Jim and Blue Magic believe that Cozumel, which offers World Class diving is indeed the best place for our brand of World Class Training.

Because of Cozumel's great diving, Blue Magic's excellent teaching levels (they are a PADI 5 Starr IDC center) and the closeness to the USA and all ammenities it is my ( biased) opinion that Cozumel is the BEST>

More information on the divemaster internship program can be found here : The best divemaster internship program in Cozumel and the Caribbean


Please note: shameless promotion on my part, i am a principal with Blue Magic.

 

[keesmon]

Try Alton's in Utila. and don't worry about going solo. You'll be part of their DMT family within a few days. They'll hook you up with cheap accomodations, and you can take a flexible approach. Take your OW, have a beverage. Take your AOW, have another one. You'll figure out how far it'll take you. Have fun!
Alton's Dive Center | For Divers Who Know,

 

[PhatD1ver]

deleted

---------- Post added November 3rd, 2014 at 02:07 PM ----------

On what do you base desire to become a Divemaster?

Assuming you know what a Divemaster is and what they do (?) I always recommend that people do their DM training where they will actually DM. DMing in the Caribbean or Asia is very different from DMing in NJ or Charleston. Not everything you learn there will apply back home, and there are things you'll need to know back home that they won't teach you there.

If, however, you think you want to actually DM in the warm-water resort location where you will do your DM training, there are a few other things you'll find you need in order to have a shot at actually being employable...

• certification as a Scuba Instructor (Who would hire a DM to DM, when they can hire an instructor to DM when they are not instructing, and instruct when they are not DM'ing?)
• a boat captains license or experience handling a wide range of commercial vessels (Who would hire a Scuba Instructor who can't handle the boat?)
• experience repairing diesel engines (Who would hire a Scuba Instructing boat captain who can't repair the boat when it breaks down... which they do quite often.)
• experience repairing compressors (What good is a working boat with a Scuba Instructing captain if there's no air tanks for the divers?)
• experience fabricating diesel engine and compressor parts out of available scrap material, beer cans, and coconut husks. (What dive op has enough money to buy parts for these things? It doesn't matter anyway, since the parts aren't available in the resort location and would take three weeks to be shipped in from somewhere else even if they had the money.)
• fluency in two or three additional languages besides English (Qui va former tous ces touristes Allemands, Hollandais, et Japonais?)

If you've got all those things going for you... nothing can stand in the way of your dive career in some exotic location!



PS - The reason that those "internships" are not available in the US is that slavery was abolished here a number of years ago.

I just have to say, BS to almost all of the above, what a bunch of drivel. The only salient point here is related to learning another language.

You might have actually hit on something useful, until you decided that French and Dutch were important to the conversation - the languages of choice for the traveling and money spending countries are in order Japan, Korea, and China, your comfort level living in the country you work isn't the customers problem, but you will become a hot commodity if you could learn any of the three Asia languages. You could easily go to a place like Saipan, and earn your DM and make a good living doing nothing but leading dives under your own shingle renting tanks and boat time from other people who are carrying the overhead.)

Now, learning and speaking Spanish in the Caribeaan would be helpful working with the local host nation folks, but from a clientele standpoint, you are going to get more English speakers.

Note that most Euros who travel speak English, not well, but enough to dive by.

---------- Post added November 3rd, 2014 at 02:08 PM ----------

Try Alton's in Utila. and don't worry about going solo. You'll be part of their DMT family within a few days. They'll hook you up with cheap accomodations, and you can take a flexible approach. Take your OW, have a beverage. Take your AOW, have another one. You'll figure out how far it'll take you. Have fun!
Alton's Dive Center | For Divers Who Know,

what if I decide to run away from home at 54 can call it a 'mid-life crisis', will they still take me?

---------- Post added November 3rd, 2014 at 02:14 PM ----------

For the naysayers, this is a 22 yr old, relax and let the kid enjoy life!

Ditto, I met a guy diving last week in Taiwan, he went out on his own for 10 years after a quick pitch in the Royal Marines... was doing the backpack diver thing and decided to hang around in Asia for a short time. Got his DM, then his instructor license and taught in Korea before he went home and found a 'real job' as he put it. He teaches about 10-12 students a year, and dives pretty much monthly 2-3 days around the world. I'd say he ended up with a pretty good gig.

Point is that I think more kids ought to get out and see the world a little. I've seen a trend where people who do tend to be more focused when finally find that 'real job' and have more to offer.

 

[DownbelowDiver]

Hi KalinB

I would agree with a few of the comments in this thread that you need to prepare yourself with realistic expectations. You're a non-diver? How about certifying as PADI Open Water Diver to begin with - which a lot of student divers find this the most challenging of all the PADI courses and programs.
It's great you've done a lot of research into what it takes to become a professional diver, but you need to research your personal level of comfort with scuba diving in general.
But when you've got some dives under your belt, continue your dive education and dive, dive and dive some more!

Internships are a great way to pursue a professional qualification because it's like an apprenticeship that includes the experience of the real dive lifestyle, but you must research fully what is included in these internships that are advertised. Some may include accommodation, and others might not - so be thorough!
At Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures in Sabah, Borneo, all professional scuba diving training is advised to be incorporated into a minimum of a 1-month internship program (depending on what your individual career goals are).
Many PADI Divemaster interns enjoy the perks of our internship program to include their professional dive training, without the intention of finding permanent employment as a PADI Divemaster. It's becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor where many interns will be serious about making scuba diving as their career.
But until you're at that point - get into diving first!

 

[danvolker]

The longer I can spend there the better! I like hands on learning. I have read that it can be tough to make it in the diving world but I would love to try and make it happen. Right now I am just looking for somewhere to start. I would love for that to be in a tropical place where I could spend months learning. I would like to eventually learn specialty dives and boat handling as well. I know it sounds crazy coming from someone who has only been diving once, in a pool, but that is just how I am. I am determined & passionately curious. :blinking:

PS- Thank you for the referrals!

Kalin,
Please don't take this as offensive..it is something you should consider due to the statistics of new divers and skills.
Most people can learn to be a mediocre diver...think of this as a negative look at average in skills.
There are also many people who will never be good divers, no matter what....they may NEVER gain the peripheral awareness or situational awareness that some people are just not wired for.
And there are people who will never be even poor divers....people that may love the ocean and marine life, but that could be called, "Never-Evers"...much like the people on Ski slopes that cant progress beyond the bunny slope.

Until you get certified, you have no real idea if you will be good, average, or terrible. It is NOT true that any diver can be trained to become a great diver....
And if you end up with a poor or average instructor, it is a crap shoot to imagine what kind of a diver you would become from this.

So my suggestion is to use Scubaboard, to find THE BEST dive instructor you can possibly find, to get your OW cert. And this instructor will hopefully be able to give you a much better idea about whether you should pursue a career in diving.

I will say this again...there are many people on the planet that love marine life, but that tried to become a diver, and failed badly at it.
Your best hope again, is to find a great instructor....someone in the top 5% of instructor skills. Off the chart good....Expect a "normal" instructor at just any shop, or at most tourist destinations, to be a serious threat to your future, if you really care about making it yourself as a dive professional.

 

[PRO-FOUND]

Kalin do an open water course
After completing the course make at least 30/50 dives in various conditions
During this time do a Drysuit course and make at least 20 dry suit dives
After that take your Advanced open water certification and make at least 20 dives
Continue on and take the Rescue diver course and an oxygen provider course (DAN is my recommendation
From there prepare yourself with academics re the Divemaster course
During all the previous learn in depth about scuba equipment also read up on boat handling and compressor usage and take a Gas Blender course also make certain in all the preceding things I have mentioned become EAN Nitrox certified gain a complete an in depth knowledge of EAN Nitrox diving and also become knowledgable about the most popular dive computers in current use by today's divers
Keep diving listen and learn never be closed but also avoid idiots, never become complacent over safety issues
Take your Divemaster course when well prepared
By the end of your Divemaster course if you have travelled the path I suggest you may find that you are more inclined to become a full Diving Instructor

I have interviewed many Divemasters who were looking for employment over the last 20 years and I have employed 12 only 12 of the 40 or so that I interviewed

All of those 12 went on to become instructors, excellent instructors in my mind some even own their own dive operations

During interviews for Divemaster positions I have immediately reject any who have had under 300 dives, any who could not thread an undone tank band blindfolded, any who could not read conditions re tides,surf, waves, winds etc and any who had completed a Divemaster course in under four straight months via an internship with a dive operation of merit
You can become a Divemaster from zero in a very short space of time, especially at a dive operation that is lacking greatly in high standards of safety and customer service, these type of operations are two a penny unfortunately.
So decide if you wish to be a professional Divemaster or a person with a card that says you are a Divemaster, the choice is yours.
If you decide on the latter make certain that you are insured to the maximum possible and that you are covered for Hyperbaric Chamber provision because you will almost certainly be availing yourself of these.

On the other hand if you wish to be a professional then you do these things as part of said professionalism

 

[EFX]

Kalin, wherever you finally decide to do your DM/Instructor training find out all you can about their training especially their minimum requirements if you choose to get the required certs locally. When my LDS was a PADI shop the CD required DMC's (divemaster candidates) to be Master divers. This went above the minimum requirement set by PADI. To start the DM program PADI requires rescue, a minimum of 40 OW logged dives and EFR. You must have at least 60 OW dives to earn DM. Additionally, some LDS's may require certain specialties like deep or S&R (search and recovery).