Where to do DM certification/internship and instructor course in Indonesia?

I've dived in indonesia before (Bangka; Bunaken and Lembeh with Two Fish; Komodo; and Nusa Lembogan) and it's by far my favorite dive destination (so far nowhere else has comes close). I want to get a DM certification and possibly do an instructor course right after. I've got about 400 dives. I really need help with navigation and really understanding diving physics (I know what to do and not to do and why but the depth of my understanding stops there- I've always sucked at physics and sciences in general).

Anyway, cost is a big factor as this will almost all be going on a credit card, but at the same time I want the best training possible for the cost and want to go somewhere where I'll get to see both pelagics (lots of sharks, rays, bumpheads mainly) and some macro. I've heard Lumba Lumba in Pulau Weh is great but haven't been there.

My ultimate goal is to get some experience working as an instructor at a dive shop and then eventually open a dive shop somewhere so I can stop being a lawyer and spend my time underwater and helping others do the same...

I am open to places other than Indonesia: Maldives, Phillipines, Palau and Yap, Polynesia and possibly Cozumel (it's close to where I live in California and have enjoyed diving there before). I am open to other suggestions as well.

Thanks in advance to all who reply!

Bahar

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Try Oceans 5 on Gili Air in Indonesia. Good diving with plenty of sharks and an occasional Manta Ray, turtles a plenty and bumpheads are also plentiful.
Unlimited diving during the 2 month period you conduct your DM training and the instructors and owner will help you prepare for the IDC, since they conduct IDC's there, so they know what prep level you need.

miu:

Anyway, cost is a big factor as this will almost all be going on a credit card, but at the same time I want the best training possible for the cost and want to go somewhere where I'll get to see both pelagics

Click to expand...

For starters the words 'cheap', 'best' and 'pelagics' are not normally found in the same sentence.

To keep costs down, you need to be in a country where the cost of living is cheap and where you're willing to tolerate the other things that are associated with cheap living: noise, pollution, vermin, etc. That is cheap. Of course, your personally version of cheap may well be different than mine, but I'd start with a budget in mind for living costs.

Best training? I will digress here. I speak Japanese. My Japanese sounds pretty damn fluent to someone who doesn't speak Japanese, and so in their eyes, I'm fluent. In reality I can talk, listen, have a general conversation and for some subjects like diving, I can get more in depth and start talking about partial pressure. My point here is that, it is difficult, if not impossible to understand what is the 'best' training if you have no basis to judge it from. In your situation, having 400 dives, I'd approach one of the DC's where you felt they ran a sound operation and talk to them. IMO the best advice, which is often shared by other posters on SB is to find the instructor that you feel is the best, and approach them. Some instructors are a bit like used-car salesmen, gift of the gab, smooth of the tongue but the reality can be quite different.

Pelagics? They're harder and harder to find as they're simply being fished out of existence. Maldives, Palau and Polynesia have them- Maldives can be expensive as it's mostly resorts, Palau is expensive but there are many islands in Polynesia where you may find it cheap to live. Even though I run an inexpensive DC in the Maldives, unfortunately I can't take on DM candidates at this stage.

Good luck

Indonesia is a cheap country for living. Even when you go to tourist places as the Gili Islands for diving. Cost of living is 1,5 mill for a house a mont, local meals $1,5, beer more expensive $3,5. Indonesia has a huge marine diversity, you cant compare a lot of underwater worlds with indonesia.

The Gili Islands are a relaxing place where u can start ur dm and instructor course. It has a perfect combination of diving and nightlife.The dive sites are only 30 min away, there are always students =so u will assist and guide a lot as dmt. And even if u like the big stuff u can find here the sharks, white and black tips, the bumpheads parrotfish, the schools of barracudas, the schools of trevallies, etc...

If you have some more questions about the Gili Islands, ask me by PM or click on thewebsites in my signature.

If you’re looking to take your PADI Instructor Development Course why not give the GILI IDC in Gili Trawangan a go. We run IDC’s every month and there are still places available for the months of July and August.
We run the course in conjunction with Trawangan Dive which is a five star PADI CDC Centre and at 950 Euro it is possibly one of the cheapest IDC’s available, without in any way compromising the quality of our training. We are able to achieve this balance in a variety of ways. The training sites are very close to the dive center and we are situated directly on the beach which means that we minimize the overheads associated with travelling to the training site whilst maximizing the time spent in the classroom. We operate within a large volume dive center so we are able to minimize logistical cost whilst also gaining access to a variety of instructors allowing candidates to see firsthand the different approaches used within real life teaching scenarios.
You will benefit directly from the real-world diving industry experience of our PADI Course Director Holly Macleod. She has over a decade of experience as a PADI Instructor in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, The Philippines and The Caribbean. Her background means that she has experienced many of the situations an Instructor can expect to meet. She will show you how to apply what you learn and how to successfully handle the challenges instructors face every day.
You’ll become highly employable, worldwide. Dive centers seek instructors who know how to balance the needs of guests, colleagues and management, and who can deliver high-quality courses, sell and promote diving. Holly will help you to develop and apply the skills that make you more attractive to employers.
You’ll gain teaching experience, by shadowing one of our staff teaching a PADI course. You see for yourself the practicalities of running a course, and make a smooth transition to teaching students of your own.
You’ll benefit from Trawangan Dive’s IDC Staff instructors who will assist, advise and support you. They are ready to share with you their experiences of working in diving, and the challenges and rewards of being an instructor.
You’ll enjoy the same high level of professionalism, high-quality facilities and friendly atmosphere that we offer to everyone diving with us.

So if you are looking to start a rewarding career in diving this is the place. Check us out at:
www.idc-gili.com
We are also on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/IDCGili
Or alternatively contact us at:
info@idc-gili.com
idc@trawangandive.com

I would not recommend Pualu weh, or Lumba Lumba.

However... Trawangan Dive on Gili Trawangen is absolutely on the "way to go" list...
The recently increased their status to CDC, and they also provide a decent techdiving portfolio.
Not to mention that they will make you feel like part of the family, even if you're just staying for a week

Why don't you check out these guys?

Dive-Careers - Dive Careers

They do IDC's in a few different locations, are well respected and very well connected. I did my DM with them years ago...