Advice for a wanna be DM :: Preparation and Visas...

I am planning to go for my PADI Dive Master (maybe straight on to AI/Instructor - I'm currently Rescue with about 45 dives) and travelling SE Asia and eventually S.America working.

Now, while I get excited even just thinking about this, I do keep getting that annoying little sensible voice in my head shouting at me, telling me that I have no idea what I might be getting myself into....

So, I turn to you. The wise and the brave (flattery might get me somewhere!) to impart your knowledge and advice...

I am probably going to try and go back to Thailand (Phi Phi, given the time of year) to learn, mostly because...

- It's was very cheap (but it's 4 years ago since I last dived there)
- Thailand seems geared to teaching DM's. Does anyone have experience of doing DM/AI courses there?
- I love Thailand as soon as you get out of Bangkok
- It will then be a good base to travel down throu SE Asia to NZ/Oz (or even better Micronesia)

The questions I have had are...

1. How easy it is to get work as a DM? I'm thinking of Thailand 1st, Then prob head down to Malaysia/Indonesia and on to Nz or Oz? Do they pay DM's enough to live off there, or do I need savings to do this?

2. On top of that, Is it worth going straight for AI/Instructor? Will it make life easier in the short/long run? Or is it worth getting more experience as DM 1st?

Those 1st 2 questions are nice to knows (I'm pretty sure I know the answers and they have been addressed on this board before, but any more advice is welcome), but the more important for me are :-

3. Preparation? From personal experience is there anything I should be thinking about now before I go (about 3 months ahead) apart from a big goodbye party?

4. (and this is a big one) Does anyone know of Visa requirements for working as a DM in Thailand/SE Asia/Australia and how strict are they? (when I was there before the Thai authorities seemed very easy to get round according to the DM's I talked to with journeys over the border to get restamped)?

Sorry for the mass of questions, thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers,

Sass

1. How easy it is to get work as a DM? I'm thinking of Thailand 1st, Then prob head down to Malaysia/Indonesia and on to Nz or Oz? Do they pay DM's enough to live off there, or do I need savings to do this?

Difficult but not impossible. The thing is, there are so many instructors that there's not a lot of work for someone only trained as a dm. There are positions available. Your pay will suck either way. You'll be able to live but not much more.

2.On top of that, Is it worth going straight for AI/Instructor? Will it make life easier in the short/long run? Or is it worth getting more experience as DM 1st?

You should get more experience if you want to be a good teacher. However, dm jobs are tough to find.

3. Preparation? From personal experience is there anything I should be thinking about now before I go (about 3 months ahead) apart from a big goodbye party?

I did my dm on phi phi. I guarrantee you it's a lot different than when you were there.

4. (and this is a big one) Does anyone know of Visa requirements for working as a DM in Thailand/SE Asia/Australia and how strict are they? (when I was there before the Thai authorities seemed very easy to get round according to the DM's I talked to with journeys over the border to get restamped)?

Most businesses on pp send the passports south via "special courier" and they come back stamped. Most dms and instructors don't have working visas, only tourist ones. If you apply in advanced, you'll get a 3 month visa, otherwise you'll get 1 month upon entry.

i am thinking of doing the same thing. i would love to hear what others have to say...

joshua

i am thinking of doing the same thing. i would love to hear what others have to say...

joshua

You mention it's been 4 years since you dived in Thailand and you only have 45 dives? In 4 years or longer? I would think you'd need a bit more experience, even though you can start your DM training with only 45 dives.

I know you're in a rush to complete your plans but please take the time to get the experience you need at each level before moving on t another. There's nothing worse than Instructors who are 6 month wonders and think the card justifies it. I hope you will be different.

Is there anyone out there with the same sort of stuff on the rest of SE Asia? Or any links to that info...

After my DM/IDC(?) I would like to travel down through Malaysia/Indonesia and maybe on to NZ/Oz...what's the work/visa req's like down there?

Cheers,

Sass

[Edit] Yeah, I learnt in Thailand 4 years ago, but then couldn't dive much for a couple of years (money)...So I've done most of the 45 dives in the last couple of years - I'd loved to have done more, haven't had a chance...

When I get out to Thailand it sounds like loads of places allow you to do the DM and give you 'unlimited Free Dives' for 3 weeks before...so I should be able to get some more experience then...

I definitely know what you're saying, and was worried about that before I did my Rescue, but I spent a lot of time with the Instructor (1-2-1) and she was aware that I was thinking about the DM/IDC and she and the other instructor seemed to think I was competent enough. (It was Emperor Divers in Sharm BTW)

I guess I'll find out soon enough...I don't what to be a bad DM/Instructor...If I am out of my depth (no pun intended) I will bail out before I cause any trouble
[/edit]

a bit more difficult.

Many of the job notices posted on PADI's job notices board from Aussie Ops specify only applications from those legally entitled to work in Australia will be considered.

From what little I could find, it appears that there are somewhat easier rules for younger workers.

but it is my opinion that you should get some experience, 45 dives over the last couple of years is very little, I have often done that many in a month, and if I hadn't had to go to my real job I would be able to do many more.

Despite the minimum standards for any agency DM program you need more experience than you now have.

I absolutley know what you mean, but if I stick around where I am and in the job I am in I will never be able to get the experience needed.

Diving in the UK is not cheap, & what with living in London the travel costs mean that I can only get away for the odd weekend in the year. I don't have the luxury of living near to any dive sites that I can regularly use.

On top of that a couple of weeks a year on dive holidays mean I am only ever going to rack up about maybe 30-40 dives a year, if I push it... These are pretty spread out too, so I don't think I'll ever get the experience I need unless I make a move and to some extent jump in the deep end.

You sound like you have a amazing amount of experience - OW in '67 - it must have been incredible different back then...but unless I make a massive change to my life and do it soon, I think it will never happen... 100 dives over 7/8 years isn't going to be much better than 45 over 4...

Cheers
Sass

I have been forced to live in the mid-western part of the country for 4 years now and don't get in nerly enough diving. Good luck in your quest.

Maybe you should move to some warm place with great diving and work in a service sector job for six months and dive 15 or 20 times a week.

Go to OZ...