DM - almost desided where to go...
- Thread starter glamourpuss
- Start date
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albion, I believe ganzoe is just pulling our leg. First, he addresses his message to a woman that is now a corse director and an owner of a dive school. Second, he brings up that old, old old argument about 5 star ratings yet again (despite pleas to drop it.) Third, the food comment is classic. I think maybe the resort must have had the Shangri-la's visiting chef in that week.
annie
Contributor
Someone made a comment earlier about learning to drive the boat. If you can, I think this is a bonus in DM training.
I did my DM on a large boat which was too big for me to drive - but even so you should make sure they teach you to drive the safety dinghy. Try to learn as much as you can about the boat, radio operation, anchor etc.
Also, try to get a refresher on your rescue skills and oxygen. If there is an emergency you might have to administer oxygen - yet it's possible that it's been a while since your rescue course. So I think this should be refreshed for any DM trainee.
I did my DM on a large boat which was too big for me to drive - but even so you should make sure they teach you to drive the safety dinghy. Try to learn as much as you can about the boat, radio operation, anchor etc.
Also, try to get a refresher on your rescue skills and oxygen. If there is an emergency you might have to administer oxygen - yet it's possible that it's been a while since your rescue course. So I think this should be refreshed for any DM trainee.
You have to excuse my tastebuds fellas as its not very often I get people cooking for me nor do I eat out at restaurants much, since I arrived on that island I was eating different varieties of fish for lunch and dinner everyday while I was there...damn I even had freshly sliced yellow fin sashimi for 2 days in a row for lunch!...I certainly can't complain to that!...I have to say it was certainly a welcome change and not to mention it was as close to home cook food as it can get....
Zippsy I don't give a hood nanny who this lady is and whether she is a course director or what and a shop owner isit??....I am just merely replying to her query....god forgive I am not in tuned with her personal life....besides...whoever started to go into discussions about what a 5 star padi rating represents is most certainly wasting her time given that it was already blatantly obvious what she was asking for in her posting.
cheers,
AG
Zippsy I don't give a hood nanny who this lady is and whether she is a course director or what and a shop owner isit??....I am just merely replying to her query....god forgive I am not in tuned with her personal life....besides...whoever started to go into discussions about what a 5 star padi rating represents is most certainly wasting her time given that it was already blatantly obvious what she was asking for in her posting.
cheers,
AG
Funny how people can piss each other off on these things. Makes entertaining reading tho.
I agree with the post above to an extent. Thailand has OK diving but churns thru loads of students at all levels incl DM - it is a bit of a conveyor belt. On the plus side there'll be plenty of students whose courses you can help out on. On the minus - not much one on one, time to think, chance of escaping hordes of English geezers and birds.
Malaysia a better choice IMO.
Vietnam not the best for diving really. It's OK but no variation. Lovely women tho!
My vote would go to the Philippines: loads of great diving here. Plenty of variety. Wonderful locals (not smiling for the sake of tourism - like Thailand). Check out www.fisheyedivers.com - that's where I did mine and it was great. Did my rescue in Ko Tao which is the best of the bunch in Eastern Thailand IMO but nowhere near as good as the Phils for me. Phils also has locvely women not that that would tip it in your balance.
After my DM I travelled in the Phils for a few weeks and did some truly superb diving. Only Sipadan in Malaysia has come close for me.
Anyway good luck - and don't let the pernickity ones get you down.
Laters
Gav
I agree with the post above to an extent. Thailand has OK diving but churns thru loads of students at all levels incl DM - it is a bit of a conveyor belt. On the plus side there'll be plenty of students whose courses you can help out on. On the minus - not much one on one, time to think, chance of escaping hordes of English geezers and birds.
Malaysia a better choice IMO.
Vietnam not the best for diving really. It's OK but no variation. Lovely women tho!
My vote would go to the Philippines: loads of great diving here. Plenty of variety. Wonderful locals (not smiling for the sake of tourism - like Thailand). Check out www.fisheyedivers.com - that's where I did mine and it was great. Did my rescue in Ko Tao which is the best of the bunch in Eastern Thailand IMO but nowhere near as good as the Phils for me. Phils also has locvely women not that that would tip it in your balance.
After my DM I travelled in the Phils for a few weeks and did some truly superb diving. Only Sipadan in Malaysia has come close for me.
Anyway good luck - and don't let the pernickity ones get you down.
Laters
Gav
Might add another suggestion if that's ok. I did my DM on Ko Tao with a company called Asia Divers, they're smaller than Buddha View but don't have the 20 DMT's that B.V often have on the go at any one time. This means that you can always get on the dive boat every dive, every day. I did 160 dives on my dmt with A.D and got to dive with whale sharks, bull sharks or grey reef sharks every day. Diving inshore can be poor but I can tell you that over the 7 months I was there this was the exception rather than the rule.
Honestly liked K.T and A.D so much came back from Oz to go back and do my IDC on K.T after only 2 weeks away from the place!
In the evenings Ko Tao can be as lively or as quiet as you like. If you want to get peace and quiet you can stay in the Chalok Ban kao area which is really nice and still only a 10 min taxi ride from Sairee beach (party area!). Also has good walking to the islands' peaks and rock climbing all over the island.
Honestly liked K.T and A.D so much came back from Oz to go back and do my IDC on K.T after only 2 weeks away from the place!
In the evenings Ko Tao can be as lively or as quiet as you like. If you want to get peace and quiet you can stay in the Chalok Ban kao area which is really nice and still only a 10 min taxi ride from Sairee beach (party area!). Also has good walking to the islands' peaks and rock climbing all over the island.
ganzoe, I'm glad you liked the food. I live in Asia and I guess I'm too used to good Asian food to appreciate anything available on Sipadan. I thought it was edible but nothing to write home about.
Regarding glamourpuss, I may have exaggerated a tiny bit but I do not believe she has looked at this board since January when she first tried to get answers to her question. I think she got so pissed off with people bringing up the 5 star resort debate, telling her how to be a better DM and suggesting places like South Africa, she gave up on this board. Hence she missed out on your advice although I am sure ptango appreciated it (unless he has also given up by now).
Regarding glamourpuss, I may have exaggerated a tiny bit but I do not believe she has looked at this board since January when she first tried to get answers to her question. I think she got so pissed off with people bringing up the 5 star resort debate, telling her how to be a better DM and suggesting places like South Africa, she gave up on this board. Hence she missed out on your advice although I am sure ptango appreciated it (unless he has also given up by now).
kraken
Registered
If you beat a dead horse long enough .....
Well, the one question I think people should start with is :
"why do you want to be a DM?"
Also, I would recommend doing any training (advanced or otherwise) with an instructor who can teach multiple agencies. Mine does NAUI, PADI and IANTD.
Although I elected to go with the PADI "certification" I believe the material covered as part of the NAUI/IANTD was much more in depth than covered by PADI. The additional water skills really made a difference.
Well, the one question I think people should start with is :
"why do you want to be a DM?"
Also, I would recommend doing any training (advanced or otherwise) with an instructor who can teach multiple agencies. Mine does NAUI, PADI and IANTD.
Although I elected to go with the PADI "certification" I believe the material covered as part of the NAUI/IANTD was much more in depth than covered by PADI. The additional water skills really made a difference.
Paul Herygers
Registered
I haven't heard anyone mention Khao Lak yet.
I'm about to start my DM internship there in October and am really looking forward to it...Never been there before, but from what I've learned, its smaller, quieter, excellent diving.
Anyone else have any time spent there?
I'm about to start my DM internship there in October and am really looking forward to it...Never been there before, but from what I've learned, its smaller, quieter, excellent diving.
Anyone else have any time spent there?
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