nereas
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You can get paid a lot more and save up for college too, if you join the Navy instead.
Even working at McDonalds pays more, however then you lose saving up for college.
Funding for divemaster course
- Thread starter Jared2223
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You can get paid a lot more and save up for college too, if you join the Navy instead.
Even working at McDonalds pays more, however then you lose saving up for college.
nereas
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Well, if you're 56 then that is definitely too old for the Navy.
... "OLD Navy"... Finest kind... but, already did that Navy-thang... Original C-card was aquired while attending A-School in Pensacola, FL. in 70'... (anybody remember "Skipper's Dive Shop"???)... then did most of my early diving in Panama when I was stationed there...
GO NAVY... BEAT ARMY...
Best suggestion so far! Do something you can really be proud of. If you put in 4 years and save your money you can come out with enough to go anywhere to train. Heck during that time you can get certed and dive all over the world if you're lucky so that when you get out you can go into DM with some real experience. Going from ow to DM in a month does not leave much time to get the kind of experience I'd expect any DM who I'd hire to have. My DM took nearly a year. It took that long to get over 100 dives and the 125 hours in the pool I racked up with over 50 students from jr OW to rescue. THese zero to hero programs more than anything should not be charging if you are also working their boats, their shops, or whatever.
If they want to sell you gear fine, charge for books-ok, room and board even if offered is ok. But to make you pay while you are making money for them, being their extra eyes, schlepping tanks, washing the boat, etc is just plain wrong. Call it what it is- indentured servitude. And if you are manning their shop you should at least get minimum wage!
Son, if you are smart you'll join up and serve your country. It will serve you at the same time. It's only 4 years. Hell you may decide you like it! Let Uncle Sam pay for your education. In fact I'm for every able-bodied 18 yr old serving 2 years before being allowed to go to college. Not necessarily in the military but every one should go thru basic. If nothing else they'll learn to pull their pants up, put the hat on straight, a wear a shirt that fits! My son is Air Force. After 7 weeks of basic he walked taller, straighter, and has a self respect and the respect of others I would have killed to have at his age. My father talked me out of going to the Navy and going to college. Worst mistake of my life.
halocline
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Well, getting back to the original question after that nice military recruitment commercial, no it does not matter if you get a DM card outside the U.S. as long as it's from the same certifying organization. A PADI DM card is the same certification regardless of where it was earned.
To the guy who said he's made money as a DM, you're one of the few....I should have said "almost nobody makes money in the dive industry until they get the instructor card" or something like that. Certainly I would not count on it.
I took the DM class for fun and because it was by far the cheapest way to dive for six weeks in the bay islands. I did learn a lot, but never intended to try to earn money as a DM. At best, it might help support my diving addiction, and that's fine with me.
To the guy who said he's made money as a DM, you're one of the few....I should have said "almost nobody makes money in the dive industry until they get the instructor card" or something like that. Certainly I would not count on it.
I took the DM class for fun and because it was by far the cheapest way to dive for six weeks in the bay islands. I did learn a lot, but never intended to try to earn money as a DM. At best, it might help support my diving addiction, and that's fine with me.
I think I was 52 when I completed my DM. Probably had around around 400 dives at the time. My LDS knew me well, as I certified and dived with them a lot. The owner invited me to the DM course, knowing that I could and would help out a lot at his shop. I won't say what I paid for the DM course, but it wasn't much and I help out with a lot of classes for no pay. I do it because it is a heck of a lot of fun for me. I get discounts on equipment purchases and free air fills for me and my family. It also only adds to my experiece as a diver and a DM. They want me to take the IDC and will help me financially to do so, but right now I'm having fun helping when I want and can and I still enjoy diving a lot. So...to answer you questions, if you have proved your metal with your LDS, they should help you with the training if they know you will help them with training their students, and as mattboy has said, a PADI DM cert is good word-wide. If you want employement, do the IDC.
GO FOR YOUR DREAMS!
Met a dive instructor last year who gained alot of his training free through dive shops and has been traveling for 4 years - learned lots of languages. Now he is cruising on a live aboard through Papua!
SE Asia has cheap accommodations and inexpensive DM programs - I may do one next summer.
Maybe you can find a pretty cheap flight over there. travelzoo.com sometimes has great deals to the region (Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Philippines, Singapore, or somewhere else Air Asia flies) if you are flexible - then link the international flights with cheap air shuttles on airasia.com.
Lots of DM's get partial internships in Thailand - Koh Tao (you should be able to search scuba board or post on the regional section of SB for internship programs in Thailand). Room & Board is usually very cheap. Less than $10 per day. Thailand is fun!
Saw lots of DM's doing cheap training in the north of Malaysia Borneo at Learn to Dive with Scuba Junkie, a PADI certified operation | Scuba Junkie - (the place is a zoo, DM's are overworked and not sure about the quality of the training, gear is questionable (bring your own reg), but DM course costs about $450, after graduation employment is encouraged and dorms are $3 per night and come with free cheap-cheap-cheap food.
Here is a place in Bali that offers much more professional training:
SSI ITC Bali - PADI Divemaster Internships - SSI Dive Courses Bali - Padang Bai Beach Resort bali - I know rooms can be found for $4-$5 per night and food should be $1.50 per meal.
There are lots of other places cheaper than key largo , just check around!
Good luck!
Once you have picked a location, if start a thread for financial support -- I'll send my $10 to a shop to support your dream! Wish I had started at 18 - life is great, but it would have been much more exciting if I had left the country @ 18!
Met a dive instructor last year who gained alot of his training free through dive shops and has been traveling for 4 years - learned lots of languages. Now he is cruising on a live aboard through Papua!
SE Asia has cheap accommodations and inexpensive DM programs - I may do one next summer.
Maybe you can find a pretty cheap flight over there. travelzoo.com sometimes has great deals to the region (Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Philippines, Singapore, or somewhere else Air Asia flies) if you are flexible - then link the international flights with cheap air shuttles on airasia.com.
Lots of DM's get partial internships in Thailand - Koh Tao (you should be able to search scuba board or post on the regional section of SB for internship programs in Thailand). Room & Board is usually very cheap. Less than $10 per day. Thailand is fun!
Saw lots of DM's doing cheap training in the north of Malaysia Borneo at Learn to Dive with Scuba Junkie, a PADI certified operation | Scuba Junkie - (the place is a zoo, DM's are overworked and not sure about the quality of the training, gear is questionable (bring your own reg), but DM course costs about $450, after graduation employment is encouraged and dorms are $3 per night and come with free cheap-cheap-cheap food.
Here is a place in Bali that offers much more professional training:
SSI ITC Bali - PADI Divemaster Internships - SSI Dive Courses Bali - Padang Bai Beach Resort bali - I know rooms can be found for $4-$5 per night and food should be $1.50 per meal.
There are lots of other places cheaper than key largo , just check around!
Good luck!
Once you have picked a location, if start a thread for financial support -- I'll send my $10 to a shop to support your dream! Wish I had started at 18 - life is great, but it would have been much more exciting if I had left the country @ 18!
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Thanks to everybody for the posts! I have looked into the Navy and Marines too and its a big commiment. I was waitin it out to see who gets to ruin the nation for 4 years before i look into the military again. kathydee thanx for the encouragement and tips! im talking to a board member now about a Thailand dive shop. And thanks for your offer also but i couldnt start a thread and ask for money for myself id feel selfish.
Bottomfeeder Brodie
Contributor
I paid weekly for my ITC. Helps if they can stretch it out for you so you can work and pay as you go....
escapeartist
Contributor
Hey!
I considered this center....maybe look into it. It's in Florida too and seems cool. I'm not allowed to post the link but search Rainbow Reef Internship in google and it'll come up.
Good luck!! You're going to have so much fun! My new husband and I are going to Roatan for our divemasters (Coconut Tree hopefully) in June and then traveling the world for a year. Nope, none of us will be getting rich, but we will have an amazing adventure doing it!!! That's all you can ask for. I wish I'd had your sense of adventure back then. Don't let fear hold you back. Go for it!!
I considered this center....maybe look into it. It's in Florida too and seems cool. I'm not allowed to post the link but search Rainbow Reef Internship in google and it'll come up.
Good luck!! You're going to have so much fun! My new husband and I are going to Roatan for our divemasters (Coconut Tree hopefully) in June and then traveling the world for a year. Nope, none of us will be getting rich, but we will have an amazing adventure doing it!!! That's all you can ask for. I wish I'd had your sense of adventure back then. Don't let fear hold you back. Go for it!!
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