Where to go to do my free of (most) charge PADI ITC?

[miniwu]

So I really would like to do my PADI instructor course.
Problem being; I simply do not have the funds to pay for it atm so I would love to do the internship version.
Little bit about me. I am an SSI, CMAS** and IAC instructor and I have a bit more than 800 dives, experience with currents (working in Bali for 15 months), deep diving, cold water (down to 5°C), fresh water, wheelchair divers (incl having them as an OWC), leading, wreck diving..name it.
I have been working as an Open Water Instructor for the past 3 years and I am willing to expand my knowledge by learning the PADI way of doing things.
I am fluent in English and German, I understand basic Spanish and a bit Indonesian.
I am in the Dominican Republic at the moment and willing to relocate almost anywhere in this world in order to do my internship. However I am not interested in doing it in Europe, Thailand (been there) and Bali (been there). I would love to be able to do it somewhere with a family atmosphere and ideally in an area that would provide me with the possibility of getting a job in the same area/country afterwards.
I am not a holiday instructor. I actually do this full time since I started and I plan to keep doing for many more years to come. You're welcome to check out my facebook hp (www.Scubarella.com) to make yourself a picture of me and I am also happy to send out Cvs.
Any ideas are welcome and please only post recommendations for free internship programs. (Yes I know that usually the materials and the PADI fee is not included.)
Thank you so much!

 

[RJP]

So I really would like to do my PADI instructor course.
Problem being; I simply do not have the funds to pay for it atm so I would love to do the internship version.

The shops that offer the "internship version" typically offer a paid internship... which is to say that you PAY them to be their intern.

Why not just do a crossover? Must be cheaper than going through the whole program?

Crossing over in the DR would probably cost you less than the travel/accommodation costs associated with doing an internship program - not that you could find one - that was FREE somewhere else.

 

[miniwu]

Why not just do a crossover? Must be cheaper than going through the whole program?

Because there is no crossover from any agency to PADI.

The shops that offer the "internship version" typically offer a paid internship... which is to say that you PAY them to be their intern.

True and I will not fall for that. I do have experience in teaching so I don't need that kind of internship.

However maybe I am lucky and someone knows a shop that would let you work for the ITC without just using you as cheap labor.

 

[oly5050user]

Because there is no crossover from any agency to PADI.




True and I will not fall for that. I do have experience in teaching so I don't need that kind of internship.

However maybe I am lucky and someone knows a shop that would let you work for the ITC without just using you as cheap labor.

thats not really true.. as an instructor from another agency you do not need to do the asst instr part of the IDC..saves you 2 days of time..As an IDCS instructor I suggest that you do the 2 days as it bring you up to speed with the PADI mentality and way of doing things.
Why look for "free"? if you have not made enough money to afford an IDC/IE then perhaps get a different job/additional job, so as you can do this without owing anyone anything.

 

[RJP]

Because there is no crossover from any agency to PADI.

I'll be sure to let the four guys in my IDC who crossed over from SSI to PADI... they'll be disappointed. But how do you explain their PADI OWSI cards?

 

[ffdiver]

When you say crossover it implies you don't need to take the whole course, as in PADI will give you credit for already being an owsi.

Going through a full idc even with the two day credit is not a crossover. You are taking the full course.

 

[RJP]

When you say crossover it implies you don't need to take the whole course, as in PADI will give you credit for already being an owsi.

Going through a full idc even with the two day credit is not a crossover. You are taking the full course.

Guess i was confused by the PADI folks using the term "crossover" to describe the SSI guys who were becoming PADI OWSI's. I know they missed the whole AI section of the IDC I was in, so in reality you don't need to "take the full course" in the sense that you don't have to do all the same things that a non-instructor would have to do.

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

I honestly don't think you will be able to find a PADI IDC centre that will put you through the IDC and IE for free. As some of the others have said, most internships are paid - by you. Aside from the tuition you'd receive the materials cost money, the IE itself costs money and then there's your certification fees. What is the benefit to any business footing these when they have other candidates that are willing to pay? Offering to work for free is all very well, but instructor fees for teaching courses are built into the course prices - and let’s face it are not very much, no-one became a dive instructor to get rich after all! So it would take a while to pay that all off. Most businesses would therefore prefer to give work to their new instructors who paid in full for the course (and especially those who went on to do further paid internships such as the MSDT etc) rather than put someone through their IDC at no cost and work to pay it off. Also if you are struggling for money, how do you intend to support yourself while you are working for free? And what is the guarantee for the dive centre that you won’t run out of money all together and leave before your debt is paid off?

Sorry if this appears negative, but it really baffles me the number of wannabe dm's and instructors who want to be trained for free - and expect those opportunities to be readily available. It's a mind set that seems specific to this industry that I'll never understand. Doctors don't get free degrees if they work for free when they qualify, and neither do lawyers, teachers or any other professional vocation. It really should come down to basic economics - if you cannot afford to take a course, or have plans in place for repayment of any loans taken to enroll on it, then don't do it until you can or you have. There are after all many locations where both PADI and SSI centres (and I'm sure CMAS in some instances too) exist. Why not teach as an SSI and/or CMAS instructor until you save up enough money for your PADI IDC? Also if you find a location with predominantly SSI centres, do you really 'need' to do your PADI IDC at all, or is it just something you 'want' (need and want being 2 entirely different things).