Best way for a DM to gain local experience?

[yukoncherry]

i am thinking of heading down to the bay islands for the winter. and id like to look for a dm position while i am there. i was wondering what people with experience find the best way of doing this is. to gain experience and knowledge of the sites would you just dive into it and wing it based on maps and advice from other dms. or do ou think it is important to gt out for couple weeks diving the sites. igf so has anyone found an easyway to get aboard a dive boat for discount or free if working as a dm was thier plan for the season. any ops willing to take on a dm who hasn yet dove the bay islands? any advice will help thanks

[James Bond boat entry]

My experience from diving all over the world is there is no need for PADI Dive masters in tropical places. If a shop needs one, they can get in a paying customer, train them up and then hire them.

Here is the link to PADI pros website, to get an idea how much demand there is for PADI Divemasters:

PADI Employment Board

On Roatan, the full time DMs are locals, on Utila, there are some DMs who did their training on the island and basically volunteer at a few dive shops, Instructors fill the role as DM because of a lack of work and excessive number of instructors hanging around.

You would probably be better off attending bar or waiting tables on Roatan or Utila.

Your profile says TDI, so in the event you are a tec diver, you may find a niche on Utila with the Utila Dive Center & Bay Islands College of Diving (they have tec gear for teaching) or on Roatan CoConut tree divers does tec courses and maybe on the days the instructor is sick, you could lead a tec dive: Note, there isn't much tec diving going on in the Bay Islands.

However, drop an e-mail to all the dive shops and see what they have, don't be surprised by the answer... except for Utila Water Sports... they needs DMs come XMAS and the new year for the resort.

Club Med hires DMs, but you end up only being the snorkel instructor:

ClubMed-Jobs - Discover our professions

[Bay Island Diver]

The best intial step is to do your IDC,

Sfter that getting work will prove much easier. Whoever you do your IDC with will probably allow you to get lots of diving in before or after your course so you know the sites and have a good chance of getting work.

HTH

Will