lord khram
Contributor
Hi guys, I am on one of the second stops on the backpacker trail that starts in Koh Tau....
No doubt at all in my mind there are some EXCELLENT operators there. But like anything there is a lot of crap too.
About 15% of the O.W. students who have come to me for AOW after OW in Koh Tau are back in the pool....on MY time, to learn their O.W. skills properly, I get a lot of.."My instructor never told me that"...
I know a C.D. who went from o.w. to c.d, in far less then two years on k.t. he is down right DANGEROUS. NO regard for standards....
I would NEVER pre book, when I was considering where to do my D.M. I did go back to K.T.. and talked to Matt at Crystal stayed and dove with them free for a week, just paid for my room ( Great guy) and Big Blue, where I did my O.W.
But finally decided that as an adult, the party then dive hung over the next day after three hours sleep thing was not for me, so I went elsewhere...I have regrets on the decision I made, but....Consider a SMALL shop. You will get MUCH more attention. especially if you click with your instructor. Some of the big boys push out D.M.`s like O.W. students...okay you met the standards....you are "qualified"....I had about 500 dives when I finished my D.M. and still felt unprepared.
When I train DMT`s. They dive with me and follow me around learning all of the aspects of running a shop ( from maintaining the compressors, to fixing the regs) and guiding divers for at least four weeks after they finish rescue. Then I check them out unannounced periodically. Yes I kick the sh*t out of them on occasion, but they understand they have real responsibility.
I NEVER got close to that level of attention when I went with one of the big boys for my DMT.
They never even showed me how to fill a tank !
Once I trust my students, I let them run....but then again, I decide who I will train and have refused quite a few.
Also...having a CD as a teacher means nothing to me. I know instructors that have been at it for 20 years who have forgotten more then most CD`s ever know about DIVING. Want a copy of the CD course book ? P.M. me and I can arrange it...you now officially know what a CD knows. More marketing.....nothing about DIVING.
Maybe some of the 'professionals' that have been trained in this fashion are the ones that we keep seeing complaints about on these forums?
I shall not repeat my dislike of such fast track courses, I think most on here are already aware of my opinion.