Why not do my DM on Koh Tao?

[lord khram]

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.

 

[Bob Murphy]

I am one of the Cds on Koh Tao and I know the rest of them, we all get on well. I would be interested to know who it is that went from OW to CD in less than 2yrs. It took me almost 10, I must be slow!
With the PADI standard saying you must be an instructor for 2 years to be MI and 6 months MI to enroll CD (let us not forget the 6 months as a diver to enroll IE). This would be impossible.

Please refrain from posting lies here. As you can see I do not have a screen name and do not hide my identity (no implication), please justify your post!

 

[Divemastersintraining]

Hi Bert, if Koh Tao is your destination… Show up and give yourself a few extra days to interview all the schools you’re interested in. A lot of good schools and a lot of great people.

 

[Bubble Dragon]

This has become quite an informative thread, thanks to everybody who replied so far. I just booked my ticket in&out of BKK, so I'll be there from 07/12 till 26/6!
I'll try to fill that period with my DM and a Videography course, some fun dives & hopefully find some work in either area so I can (ideally) at least make all the money of the courses/equipment back. A whole new career would be great, but let's take it one step at a time...

I'm definitly still not sure of where I'll be doing what (maybe DM on KT & videography somewhere else?), so all advice is still very welcome! I'll be on KT around late Dec, so anybody who want's to show me the ropes: just let me know ;-)

 

[ti325v]

Sorry but I am in no position to post the CD`s name on this page, nor the shop he trained with.
The statement of time frame came right from his mouth....I was incredulous as well, but he said it was the truth and since he is a CD after all...Why would he lie ?????. Why in the world would I dream this up ? Just to knock CD`s ? I complimented Matt (a PADI CD) in my original post. I have no problem with those who play by the book, and follow the rules that we all signed our name too. In fact I was impressed when I looked at the DM program that Matt had set up at Crystal, it was just not for me.
I have seen this CD do ALL confined water in 1.5 hours. He does not have his students read the manuals, just does the knowledge reviews "WITH" them, wink wink. He coaches them through the exams. I took him aside and asked him about this style of teaching he responded..
" Come on man, its supposed to be FUN !, all we are doing is teaching them to blow bubbles ! There is no law that says you need a license to dive"
I think you as a CD and very possibly a good one are taking offense at my quoting a fellow CD and taking it as an attack on CD`s in general. That is not my intent.
My post was thanked by two people, and another comment was made supporting my view point, and in fact the part about the CD`s was just an aside in my answer to the O.P.
So it seems the sore point is how long it took him....I asked him the same questions about 2 years to M.I......The answer I got was "Depends on who you know" How in the world can I defend his " Lie" ???? You are calling me a liar ?
When I am just quoting a CD? Come on man, think about it.
Post justified

Also, please pardon me for using a screen name as 99.8 % of the other users here do, (No implication of course... ) and having some awareness that keeping some level of privacy is just smart use of a computer. I can be found easily enough by anybody who could be bothered.

 

[limbo]

Justify your post ????
Sorry but I am in no position to post the CD`s name on this page, nor the shop he trained with.
The statement of time frame came right from his mouth....I was incredulous as well, but he said it was the truth and since he is a CD after all...Why would he lie ?????. Why in the world would I dream this up ? Just to knock CD`s ? I complimented Matt (a PADI CD) in my original post. I have no problem with those who play by the book, and follow the rules that we all signed our name too. In fact I was impressed when I looked at the DM program that Matt had set up at Crystal, it was just not for me.
I have seen this CD do ALL confined water in 1.5 hours. He does not have his students read the manuals, just does the knowledge reviews "WITH" them, wink wink. He coaches them through the exams. I took him aside and asked him about this style of teaching he responded..
" Come on man, its supposed to be FUN !, all we are doing is teaching them to blow bubbles ! There is no law that says you need a license to dive"
I think you as a CD and very possibly a good one are taking offense at my quoting a fellow CD and taking it as an attack on CD`s in general. That is not my intent.
My post was thanked by two people, and another comment was made supporting my view point, and in fact the part about the CD`s was just an aside in my answer to the O.P.
So it seems the sore point is how long it took him....I asked him the same questions about 2 years to M.I......The answer I got was "Depends on who you know" How in the world can I defend his " Lie" ???? You are calling me a liar ?
When I am just quoting a CD? Come on man, think about it.
Post justified

Also, please pardon me for using a screen name as 99.8 % of the other users here do, (No implication of course... ) and having some awareness that keeping some level of privacy is just smart use of a computer. I can be found easily enough by anybody who could be bothered.

Hi ti325v,

I'm also a PADI CD, although i live on Koh Samui but I do know the CD community pretty well on Koh Tao and I know for a fact that the CD application are taken pretty serious by PADI and if what you say is true, regarding him being accepted into CDTC training within 2 and a half years of becoming an instructor, PADI would have some explaining to do.

Don't be too hard on Bob, just like me, looking at PADI standards, we both know that the person in question would have to be at least 2 years an Instructor and at least 6 months a Master Instructor before he even can apply, let alone being accepted into CDTC training. Now, I don't think you have the intention to lie, but it does raise an eyebrow or two and I would most certainly appreciate it if you can mention who you're talking about. Maybe PM some members here. I would consider this allegation that you make serious enough to mention to PADI's AQ dept and see what they have to say about this.

 

[ti325v]

PM sent...

 

[Vidiotic]

I do know that on Kho Tao the PADI standards do go out of thew window pretty quickly depending on who you know. I think I know the CD in question that took 2.5yrs to train. I also know of several DMs that only did 1/3 of the course and got signed off, I also know of 1 instructor that did 1/3 of the DM course and then was accpeted onto the IDC even though they feel short on a lot of the requirements. Hmmm very strange

Didn't know Jonas (BANS) runs the DMTs, always thought it was Tom that did this. Funny how things change.

Sharky has, as far as I know, left Kho Tao but it was Gaz that did most of the work there anyways, I also think or it was close when I was there that Switch went out of business. Could be wrong though.

Koh Tao is an OK place though I always thought the diving was pretty much 3rd rate compated to places like the Red Sea, Borneo, Komodo and even Bleize. Most of the sites you can't move for the amount of courses going on and chumpon pinnacle, though good for sharks and the occasional whale shark is pretty much boring.

Head to Indonesia or better yet get yourself to Dahab or Sharm. The diving is sooo much better and therefore your films will be of a better quality.

Cheers

 

[marinediva]

I do know that on Kho Tao the PADI standards do go out of thew window pretty quickly depending on who you know. I think I know the CD in question that took 2.5yrs to train. I also know of several DMs that only did 1/3 of the course and got signed off, I also know of 1 instructor that did 1/3 of the DM course and then was accpeted onto the IDC even though they feel short on a lot of the requirements. Hmmm very strange

so far you claim one CD
several (3?) dm's
one instructor
who you claim had standards thrown out the window because they knew someone.

who did they know?
why not tell us all.

 

[Bubble Dragon]

For those of you still who still know where I came from in the beginning of this thread...
So far my plan is to check out a few places during December: Phuket, Koh Lanta, Ranong, Koh Chang & Khao Lak. Then head to Koh Tao for NYE & afterwards decide which place I liked best & do my DM there over 4-8 weeks. After that, back to Koh Tao for the videography course & hopefully work in that for a while... Sounds OK?