Best Place in SE Asia to take a dive master class in Feb/March?

[Edward3c]

This one sentence makes me reconsider Koh Tao as an option...
I am looking at Divemaster then IDC courses and thought that Koh Tao would be a good option to gain valuable experience before moving on...

Not all operators on the island are cattle market operations. Master Divers limit the number of students and divers. they take longer to do OW and AOW than most, but they're not the cheapest.

I've used them for three trips over the last four years and one noticeable activity is the insistence on buddy-checks before going in the water. Not seen that on other boats.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Consider Scubajunkies in Komodo. I haven't been. I'm basing this on reports from dirt farmer and a lengthy report from a guy who took his dm at Scubajunkies.

 

[KevinNM]

Look at how the operation portrays itself. Do you see mostly pictures of people partying or pictures of people diving in excellent trim neutrally buoyant? Not to say that you can't manage to improve your diving a lot and still spend significant amounts of your non-diving time having fun with attractive, friendly and somewhat intoxicated people, but what is the priority being shown?

One Way To Evaluate DM Internship Programs
Sadly it lost the linked pictures.

 

[Centrals]

One Way To Evaluate DM Internship Programs
Sadly it lost the linked pictures.

He hasn't been around for a while!

 

[dirtfarmer]

I

Consider Scubajunkies in Komodo. I haven't been. I'm basing this on reports from dirt farmer and a lengthy report from a guy who took his dm at Scubajunkies.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Consider Scubajunkies in Komodo. I haven't been. I'm basing this on reports from dirt farmer and a lengthy report from a guy who took his dm at Scubajunkies.

I will endorse Chilly's endorsement.
(Chilly they were working on getting a/c in some of their rooms!)

I would recommend SJ in Komodo.
I've been at the resort for 2 trips for a total of 21 days and though I'm just a fun diver I've seen how they run their program.
The teach you the skills to be a DM and if you want to move to the next step. The owners take their instruction seriously, their instructors are top notch. Their program is intended to make proffesionals.

It's not a party scene but yes you will have time to have some beers and even better have some beers with some friendly and great Indonesian guides. It may not be the cheapest ( I have no idea of the cost ).
But the diving is great to epic, the program is excellent and the comradarie intimate.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Consider Scubajunkies in Komodo. I haven't been. I'm basing this on reports from dirt farmer and a lengthy report from a guy who took his dm at Scubajunkies.

I will endorse Chilly's endorsement.
(Chilly they were working on getting a/c in some of their rooms! Though getting to the south is still probably not happening. When I went back in Nov they still hadn't gone back after they brought me there.)

I would recommend SJ in Komodo.
I've been at the resort for 2 trips for a total of 21 days and though I'm just a fun diver I've seen how they run their program.
The teach you the skills to be a DM and if you want to move to the next step. The owners take their instruction seriously, their instructors are top notch. Their program is intended to make proffesionals.

It's not a party scene but yes you will have time to have some beers and even better have some beers with some friendly and great Indonesian guides. It may not be the cheapest ( I have no idea of the cost ).
But the diving is great to epic, the program is excellent and the comradarie intimate.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Omg! Wonder what the chances are they'll have access by end of February?

 

[dirtfarmer]

Omg! Wonder what the chances are they'll have access by end of February?

I'd check with them directly, they answer emails really quick. Don't bet on getting to the deep south though as I said they still haven't gone back after my trip there. They do dive padar which is awesome in its own right. But they also dive manta point a bit to much for my taste. Out of the 10 or so times I've dived it with them I've had only 1 that would classify as epic. The manta were using the cleaning station so they weren't just flashing by. My guide and me would hang till too many other divers would show up then we would swim off to another station and do the same. Manta dives that qualify as epic for me mean spending 30 min or so with them.

 

[dirtfarmer]

For SJ the drawback is the flow of short term backpackers there for only a few days, so they need to go to manta point often so those backpackers can see a damp manta. They are good about grouping experienced divers together, because many of those backpackers have less than 20 dives. I have had private a private guide for quite a few of my dive days there because of the loads of newbies so that's a plus.