Choosing DM? Wicked diving?

[Jacob Albert]

Hey there

I am planing to do my DM this winter and i have been thinking about some places to do it.

One of them is wicked diving based in Khao Lak

I like their profile (and the profile of Khao Lak) since it is a quiet place, and i seems like a serious place, where i would get good training.

The thing is that i would have to register already now, since they have limited spaces on the course (and of course pay for the course) so i would not have a chance to go check the place out for myself (as i have read online, that some people recommend to do before choosing a place to do the DMT)

(still waiting for my boss to give me the final go, since i have to get a leave from work )

I have other places in mind, and the course at Wicked is 2150 US.. That is a bit more expensive thant other places, but is included 4 similan liveaboards.


And i dont mind paying if the course is good


Well, any thoughts on that?

 

[TMHeimer]

Some may advise diving more before starting DM, but people vary in ability. I usually ask those doing OW away from home if it's possible to do it at home. Here, we did DM course mostly on weekends and sometimes at night. Just thinking that there is a lot to to in the DM course and you probably won't get much free time to just dive and enjoy the place, but I don't know. I assume the $2,150 doesn't cover travel there & back. Seems an awful lot to me no matter how good the training is. (ours was under $1,000 including materials). I think our Instructor course here is around $2-3,000. The $2,150 obviously covers room & board, so I guess that's OK, but again, how much free time will you have to just dive?

 

[tracydr]

Wow, that does seem expensive. Have you looked into some of the Southern California places? Also, Costa Rica has a place or two that look good.
Personally, I'd choose a place with cold water and low vis, since being from Denmark, that's the type of conditions you'll actually be doing your DM work in.
Unless you're just looking for a vacation. Then I'd recommend somewhere like Bonaire.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have other places in mind, and the course at Wicked is 2150 US.. That is a bit more expensive thant other places, but is included 4 similan liveaboards.
. . .

Did you people who think it's expensive overlook this? The DM trainee gets to go on four liveaboard trips to the Similans, and the total cost is only USD 2150? That sounds like a deal to me, not to mention potentially great training opportunities.

 

[Jacob Albert]

Exactly

Accomodation is also included in the price. It seems like a nice place

I have had some mail correspondence with the school, and it seems nice and like a serious place.

The course i 6 weeks, and i food on the liveaboards and day trips are included.

The thing is that i am not a 100 percent sure i am a allowed to take leave from my job yet.. My boss will get back to me soon.. So i guess i have to decide soon though

Because i would hate if the space was taken, and i found out i was the perfect place for me..

But i just read different places that it would be a good idea to visit the place/diveshop before signing up for the whole DM course.. But that is just not a possibilty here.

So i guess i just wanted to hear if anyone had something to say about the shop, the price etc (and again.. in the price there are accomodation, 4 similan liveaboard trips, food on the trips.. But no padi learning materials though)

 

[TMHeimer]

Did you people who think it's expensive overlook this? The DM trainee gets to go on four liveaboard trips to the Similans, and the total cost is only USD 2150? That sounds like a deal to me, not to mention potentially great training opportunities.

I'd assume he'd be acting as a DMC on the the 4 liveaboards and and though good training, that would be no vacation.

 

[Mikko Ilari Laakkonen]

You should come to finland to do your dm and really learn to dive. Thailand diving is like only learning the confined water parts of the course. Great place for scuba holiday though. "...In similiar or better conditions..."

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Quero]

Wicked is a rather unusual operation in that they only do direct sales and do not accept course or tour bookings from anybody but the diver him/herself. That means they will never offer you options and will always try to close the sale by urging you to send money immediately. When I sell a DM course, I try to offer several options of different schools so that the student can weigh them against one another. If you think you'd like Khao Lak, my advice is to bide your time and don't give in to pressure tactics by the seller. Wait for your boss's reply and in the meantime look into the options offered by other Khao Lak schools as well.

 

[Bexny]

Agree with Quero, don't commit yourself just yet. To me it seems a bit crazy to pay in full for a DM course without even having visited the dive center and met any of your future instructors. I spent 3 months traveling around Thailand and Malaysia looking for the right dive center and instructor for my DM course. I understand you might not have the time and/or money but keep in mind that there is a huge variation with respect to what kind of course you will get. And this is something you cannot truly know from a website. I've seen my share of unprofessional dive centers with impressive websites. There are plenty of dive centers in Khao Lak to choose from, take your time. After all, you only do your DM once. Good luck!

 

[motorref]

Dang! I thought it was going to be something like this: Wicked Weasel | Micro Bikinis Australia
In all seriousness, I believe word of mouth/personal knowledge to be the best advertisement; (almost) anyone can put up a great looking website with all kinds of fanciful details and accreditations, but until you talk to someone who has "been there, done that" then you can't really be sure of what you're getting in to. Having said that, Tripadvisor.com does have some great reviews, and I often reference it when I'm looking in to going somewhere, using a particular dive shop, etc. Wicked Diving, Khao Lak - Khao Lak - Reviews of Wicked Diving, Khao Lak - TripAdvisor
As the others have advised, do some more research, talk to people, etc. before you make a life changing decision; what you learn as a DM or instructor you'll be passing on to others, so you want to make sure you're learning the correct way.

KevinL