Diving and the Japanese

[supergaijin]

G'day. My stint here in Japan is coming to an end and I'm getting the hell outta Dodge. However I would still like to use my Japanese in a different setting and have thought about combining it with diving. My current plans are to head to the Philippines in August for a few months. Although not an especially experienced diver, I'm seriously considering taking a Divemaster course aiming at guiding Japanese tourists.

My biggest decision is where to take the course while considering a few factors.

TIMEFRAME: Mid-August through until the end of Dec 2005. (ie. weather concerns- I'm leaning towards the Visayas for this one)

INSTRUCTION: A native Eng. speaker would be ideal. I'm not interested in a crash course, rather a lengthy period where I can observe a variety of situations in the water and above.

TOURISTS: Related to the variety of situations above, somewhere where a lot of people are either learning from scratch or not very experienced. Many of the European tourists had 100s of dives under their weightbelt- I'm wanting to see people make mistakes, have problems with buoyancy etc. In addition, a place with a decent turnover of Japanese tourists would be ideal. I have good Japanese language skills and pretty mediocre French skills (not too any French speakers in the mountains of Nagano). So a larger shop with a decent client turnover would be the one- however the large places I saw on Negros for example looked to be catering for fairly wealthy people who came for the diving- ie. not new divers.

I'm wanting to do this DM as a continuation of the general guiding pattern that my life has fallen into. I've done some backcountry snowboarding/ avalanche awareness work etc. some MTB, hiking and rafting etc. and I believe I have the skills to guide effectively in the outdoors.

I'm considering Moalboal but I dunno if I could handle 3 months+ there. Dumaguete is another option, as is Panglao. I didn't go to Leyte but I've heard good things about it. Palawan may be getting nailed by the monsoon during that time. Puerta Galera is another option but again weather concerns. Probably though, my end decision will be based more around the people side of things rather the diving itself.

So yeah- with that in mind, could anyone suggest a place with good quality instruction and a good turnover of learner- mid level divers?

Appreciate your responses/ suggestions

 

[supergaijin]

Bump and add- I may have scored something on Puerta Galera. A Filipino friend was doing a shoot for a Japanese magazine (not that kind of magazine) and she mentioned my situation.

Dunno the details yet but in an email she says I'd get a discounted DM course in exchange for work afterwards. Whether this is paid work or working off the DM I don't know yet though. But if they're fair dinkum, it sounds ideal.

Saying that, if anyone else has a comment about the above post, I'd appreciate the criticism or suggestions.

 

[jiveturkey]

I'd doubt it if you'll have problems finding work if you're fluent in japanese. There are lots of Japanese tourists who don't speak English and I know of shops in Thailand that cater to Japanese divers. You've defintely got a leg up if you have another language.

 

[happybuddha]

If your PG connection through your friend doesn't work out try contacting Rick Kirkland at Frontier Scuba in PG (http://www.frontierscuba.com/). He markets to the Japanese market and normally has a Japanese instructor on staff, I'm sure he would love to have a Japanese/English speaking DM candidate.

I have spent a lot of time in PG (did DM and OWSI there) and think its a great place to dive. I go back every chance I get (which is not often enough since I live in China now). By the way, Rick also has a good Cuban themed restaurant next to the dive shop, check that out while you are there.

If none of this works out, you should consider Cebu. It probably gets more Japanese tourists than any other location in the Philippines. There are direct flights into the Cebu airport from Japan and most resorts are on the same island (Mactan) as the airport. One can fly into Cebu, step off the plane and be in your resort in 30 minutes or less. If you fly into Manila it will take 4 hours from the airport to PG.

Good luck and safe diving,
Drew

 

[jmiller51]

Guam dude. Guam is the japanese hawaii. Divemasters & Instructors make bank over here, especially japanese speeking. for more info check Micronesia dive association or Guam tropical dive station. Also, prices on gear/classes are pretty cheap over here, if your local.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Hawaii, too. They all but frickin' OWN that place!

I lived in Japan for ten years. Interesting experience...

-Frank (The OTHER gaijin) LOL

 

[ScubaV]

If you're interested in Dumaguete email me.

 

[chip104]

You have an edge (especially in the PI) since you speak Japanese.

I'd have to 2nd Mactan, Cebu - it is Japanese paradise. You will have a hiring edge there.

All the best to you, where ever you decide to take the course here.