Divemaster, where to go?

[Jacob Albert]

I want to to a divemaster internship this winter, and i have mailed with a couple of different dive centers..

The thing is i also just want to spend 3 months away from the winter in my home country, and i dint know if i am pursuing a career as a divemaster, i am a topsider cameraman and editor, and was thinking it would be fun to maybe get to work with some underwater videography..

I really want to be a nice place while i am doing my dive master:

Fairly cheap accommodation, not to deserted (would be nice maybe with a fitness center, yoga classes etc), not to much of a party place (not like phuket og koh samui or whatever), nice diving (!!), be able to get a nice bungalow or beach hut that is not to expensive.

Well, i cant decide!..

I ws thinking Koh Tao, since it its cheap, and the have some possibilties to do some underwater videography courses and so on, maybe even get to work with uw video. (I did some emaliing with a dive center there and they seem very nice )
(But i have been to thailand, and maybe there are more interesting places to dive AND to live, do some trekking and so on)

Maybe the Philliphines (but where?)

Maybe Roatan/utila?

Or where to go??

(I would like to go jan-april)



Best Regards Jacob

 

[scoobydrew]

I would certainly try the philippines. Last winter I went to malapascua and was totally blown away with it. Not much in the way of trekking as is a small island but it has plenty of other charms. It is a fantastic place for photo opportunities above and below the water. From my 3 months on the island I feel that a company called evolution were one of the best in terms of cost versus service provided.

 

[Jacob Albert]

Thank you
I will look into it, i actually thought about Malapasqua, but i was a bit afraid that it would become too small..
Do you now if there is anything to do, like fitness, yoga etc?

 

[pixiefish]

January onwards is a good time to be on Koh Tao; I did my divemaster course here between January and May this year and am still here, having a great time. I got loads of excellent experience during my course, way more than the minimum required (logged >100 dives during the course), felt I got a really good education, but also had a fun time too - hence why I'm still living here!! You can party as much or as little as you like really, there are busier areas and quieter more chilled out areas but a small manageable island overall. Living is not too expensive; rooms start from 4500 a month, i pay 10000 for a lovely self-contained bungalow in a quiet spot literally right on the sea, but still just 10 minutes walk along the beach from where I'm working, and 10 minute bike ride into Sairee (the main area for going out etc). There is a lovely new gym and a selection of yoga classes at different places, you can hike in the jungle if you really want to!
I spent 3 months diving on Utila 2 years ago; there is definitely more to do on Koh Tao than Utila, Utila is a much smaller place, but I had a blast there too.

 

[Jacob Albert]

Thank you, i am also really considering Koh Tao...
But was just thinking that for example the Philliphines would have nicer diving.. But then again, if i want to stay a place 3 month, i have to have other things to to, besides diving.. And i guess taht a divemaster internship would be more about becoming a good diver, than to see a lot of cool stuff all the time..

Where did you do your divemaster?

I did write with a dive center form koh tao, and thay seem really nice.


(it is so hard to decide.. and i really wanted to buy the ticket, before it gets too expensive )

 

[GillScales]

You might also look at st croix, in the us virgin islands. Formerly the Danish west indies,it still gets a good number of tourists from your homeland,and you can at times find studio apartments at around $700 per month with prices going up from there. Nice diving,and not tourist heavy,you can even pick up another sport,like kitesurfing, while there.

 

[pixiefish]

I did my training

with Master Divers. There's an article on their blog about choosing a centre for your DM.......​

Which dive centre to choose for your Dive Master Course. « Courses « Diving On Koh Tao « Master Divers

Personally, I chose them because I'd previously had a good experience diving

with them as a customer. I'd dived with quite a few different dive centres in varying parts of the world, including several on Koh Tao, and made my decision based on my personal experience. I felt they stuck to very high standards of teaching, safety and equipment maintenance so I'd learn the right way from the start; the shop's interests also reflected my personal interests in diving well. ​

A divemaster course should definitely be about the education you receive rather than the diving locale - you should

work out what your reasons are for wanting to complete the course, and what you want to get out of it, and then find a dive centre that matches your own priorities. Having said that, it is nice to see cool stuff on dives......turtles and whale sharks kept me happy during mine here!!! People are often down on Koh Tao diving, and yes, it's not the absolutely most amazing spectacular diving to be had anywhere in the world, but there is plenty of interesting stuff to see, many really beautiful dive sites that keep me very happy, and I've not got bored of it yet.
​

You can check out dive centre revie

ws online, for example on trip advisor, for this purpose I'd recommend looking especially at reviews written by certified divers or divers that have completed continuing education courses with the centres, as they may be better placed to evaluate operations, but a lot of good reviews from people taking open water courses is an obvious plus too - as a divemaster trainee these are the people whose courses you would be assisting with.

If your priority is videography though, then do think carefully about whether a divemaster course is really what you want. The course is about training you for a job as a divemaster - learning leadership skills and preparing you to work with certified divers and assisting instructors with students. If you do have some time to spend on the course, and get a lot of dives in, obviously your diving ability will improve simply through experience, but that's not the focus of the course - you should really already be a competent diver before beginning the DM course. In 3 months there would unlikely be a lot of time to spend also working on videography, so it may be that a dedicated videography course/internship is more what you are after - you don't necessarily need to be a DM to complete these. Although, when looking for a job, being a DM as well may make your more employable as you could also work in that capacity. ​

 

[kathydee]

Utillia is a wonderful place, but I much prefer diving in the coral triangle

I wonder if Alona Beach in the PI still has inexpensive places to stay and a nice gym, the diving was quite nice.

Adjacent Sabang PI are the quieter settlements of Small/Big Lagoon, but I believe the local gym has been dismantled, and Sabang is full of girl bars. It's still nice diving and a good place to spend time.

It's quite a bit quieter in Bunakan Sulawesi but you'll find that cheap castaway backpackers bungalow with hammock, international backpacker and local community & culture at Lorenzo II, the Indonesian partner of Living Color (which is a nice shop, perhaps for a DM) Bunakan is just an island with a strip of dive shops, best place to exercise is in the evening along the vibrant colorful coral shelf just out in front of the bungalows .

I'd suggest a place in Bali, but it's off season....

Feel free to PM if you'd like any more detail.

 

[tracydr]

I would do my DM somewhere with challenging diving. Currents, cold water, somewhere maybe that I could even get cave or trimix in addition to DM.
Although, I assume you have some cold water diving experience, since you're from Denmark?
Unless you're just wanting to do DM as a vacation.
So, I'd look at cold water spots, or maybe somewhere with heavy currents, some interesting features like caves ( Mexico or Florida). Maybe CA or WA for challenging diving conditions.