killface
Registered
Hey folks,
I've spoken at-length to diver friends and LDC's and think it might be better to put it out to a wider audience.
I'm young (at heart, anyways) and get July and August off as a teacher.
I'm having some difficulty narrowing my sights on my first BIG dive vacation. I'd like to go somewhere tropical for 1-2 months and really immerse myself in the local diving. The longer the better if the price is right. I think I want to be in a course (or courses) as I'd like to have some goals. I'd probably rather stay in the same accommodations for the duration of the stay rather than do much travelling.
I spent a few days diving on Roatan and a few days turned into a few weeks on Koh Tao this summer. I really enjoyed them both for different reasons and can't wait to return. But it's a big world...
During my time at Ban's Diving Resort on Koh Tao I mostly hung out with DMT's. I don't know how many they have at any time, but I knew at-least 20, so needless to say it's a big program. I was taking courses and living day-to-day, and realized by the end of my time there I should have just signed up for the Dive Master course. I really liked the availability of O/W courses, and the students typically in the courses. This is totally my opinion, but the island still attracts a mainly younger (under 25) traveler-crowd to its main strip - or at least at Ban's.
Diving aside, I liked Koh Tao much more than Roatan only because of its night scene. Cheap accommodations and great food trumped my brief experience on Roatan where I felt late-night in West End might not be the right place for a guy like me travelling solo. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to return.
Cozumel sounds great, I've only spent a couple days on the island and never dived, but I'm wondering what the size of the Dive Master classes tend to be (the more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned) and what the makeups of the Open Water courses you tend to help out with? Solo travellers or people who travel with friends, families, couples etc. At Ban's you seemed to spend a lot of time with O/W classes, but I'd probably rather spend more time in the water assisting with fun dives (not even sure what the lingo is).
I guess it should be said that I don't see myself using my credentials to get employment. This is mostly for fun, coupled with personal achievement and as an economical way to get a TON of dives in. Ban's gives you unlimited dives while in the course (I know this isn't a rarity), I can extend the course as much as I want, so 2-months which is my preference won't be a problem, and I understand that you can dive there for free in the future as long as you work as a dive master. The ability to volunteer in order to dive for free is something I'd really like to have in a dive shop I either take my Dive Master training or a place I dive with in the future. I'm not sure if this is a rarity.
I'd sign up for Ban's tomorrow, if it weren't a bit inconvenient to visit, and because I'd like to hear from you all before I make such a big commitment.
It should also be said, I really haven't thought much about any other way to dive relatively cheaply for 1-2 months. I'd rather be working towards a goal and although tec does interest me, I think I need more dives and to master some skills before I go that route, if I ever do. Plus I just bought my own equipment and don't want to think about buying anything else until my credit card recovers.
It would be great to be with a crowd that's around for a couple months.
I'm sorry if this was long or incoherent.
But any thoughts, musings or angry flame-filled responses would be welcome.
I've spoken at-length to diver friends and LDC's and think it might be better to put it out to a wider audience.
I'm young (at heart, anyways) and get July and August off as a teacher.
I'm having some difficulty narrowing my sights on my first BIG dive vacation. I'd like to go somewhere tropical for 1-2 months and really immerse myself in the local diving. The longer the better if the price is right. I think I want to be in a course (or courses) as I'd like to have some goals. I'd probably rather stay in the same accommodations for the duration of the stay rather than do much travelling.
I spent a few days diving on Roatan and a few days turned into a few weeks on Koh Tao this summer. I really enjoyed them both for different reasons and can't wait to return. But it's a big world...
During my time at Ban's Diving Resort on Koh Tao I mostly hung out with DMT's. I don't know how many they have at any time, but I knew at-least 20, so needless to say it's a big program. I was taking courses and living day-to-day, and realized by the end of my time there I should have just signed up for the Dive Master course. I really liked the availability of O/W courses, and the students typically in the courses. This is totally my opinion, but the island still attracts a mainly younger (under 25) traveler-crowd to its main strip - or at least at Ban's.
Diving aside, I liked Koh Tao much more than Roatan only because of its night scene. Cheap accommodations and great food trumped my brief experience on Roatan where I felt late-night in West End might not be the right place for a guy like me travelling solo. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to return.
Cozumel sounds great, I've only spent a couple days on the island and never dived, but I'm wondering what the size of the Dive Master classes tend to be (the more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned) and what the makeups of the Open Water courses you tend to help out with? Solo travellers or people who travel with friends, families, couples etc. At Ban's you seemed to spend a lot of time with O/W classes, but I'd probably rather spend more time in the water assisting with fun dives (not even sure what the lingo is).
I guess it should be said that I don't see myself using my credentials to get employment. This is mostly for fun, coupled with personal achievement and as an economical way to get a TON of dives in. Ban's gives you unlimited dives while in the course (I know this isn't a rarity), I can extend the course as much as I want, so 2-months which is my preference won't be a problem, and I understand that you can dive there for free in the future as long as you work as a dive master. The ability to volunteer in order to dive for free is something I'd really like to have in a dive shop I either take my Dive Master training or a place I dive with in the future. I'm not sure if this is a rarity.
I'd sign up for Ban's tomorrow, if it weren't a bit inconvenient to visit, and because I'd like to hear from you all before I make such a big commitment.
It should also be said, I really haven't thought much about any other way to dive relatively cheaply for 1-2 months. I'd rather be working towards a goal and although tec does interest me, I think I need more dives and to master some skills before I go that route, if I ever do. Plus I just bought my own equipment and don't want to think about buying anything else until my credit card recovers.
It would be great to be with a crowd that's around for a couple months.
I'm sorry if this was long or incoherent.
But any thoughts, musings or angry flame-filled responses would be welcome.
- what can I say, I recently changed my marital status and am making up for lost time). Truly this isn't purely for diver development, I'm looking to have a lot of fun while doing it. I loved Koh Tao's nightlife and know it wouldn't be the same on Utila. Really, I'm just looking for new diver friends (fellow DMT's in particular) to mix-and-mingle with. What I fear I'd miss out on if I pull the trigger on Utila is the GIANT pool of DMT's that a diver factory like Ban's attracts.
