Instructor training - so many choices!

[Dharker]

Hello,

May 2011 I'm going to train as a diving instructor. I am an advanced diver at the minute with 20 years experience.

I going to go to Central America and I've been researching for months, there are so many choices.

Basically I want thoughts on:

Doing the course all in one place - one option is to go here:
Dive Master Training, Dive Master Internships and Scuba Diving Internships - thoughts? Reviews?

The second is to do it in 2 or three different places:

So perhaps the dive master on the Corn Islands, then the instructor on Roatan perhaps. (as I'm 35, I read that Roatan had a slightly older crowed than Utila).

Any thoughts recommendations would be great.

Cheers,

Dante

 

[DevonDiver]

Just to clarify... is that a BSAC Advanced Diver? (will save you from countless PADI-centric replies telling you to progress more slowly!)

It's hard to answer your question, because when I think of it I have a split-view also. Staying in one location enables you to develop a more profound relationship with the course director and that has definite benefits. On the other hand, if you have the opportunity to travel then it would be a shame to waste it. Plus, seeing how operations are run at several different dive operations/locations will give you a wider breadth of understanding about the dive industry.

I think there might be some threads about 'Pro Dive' already on the forum - would be worth searching here.

 

[Dharker]

Hi

I always miss something, I read over and over my posts on forums and always miss something essential

My first years are of training were with BSAC as my uncle was an instructor but I didn't do any qualifications with them. So I did mean that I'm a Padi advanced diver.

I did a search on Pro Dive, but this seems to be such a common name for dive schools that I couldn't find anything on the one in Puerto Vallarta - I'll try again now.

It's a bit swings and roundabouts like you said, one place you get to know the place/director better, the other way I get to try out different centres - really not sure. (fun making my mind up there).

 

[openmindOW]

May 2011 I'm going to train as a diving instructor. I am an advanced diver at the minute with 20 years experience.

Congratulations, Dante.

Given your 20 years fo experience, you're entering the profession as a very good diver. Most of your fellow Instructor Candidates will probably not be as experienced as you.

As a threshold question, have you selected an agency? It sounds li,ke you are thinking PADI. That's fine, but maybe another agency might be more to your liking. This topic alone can generate a Thread. (Disclosure: I'm a PADI Instructor, but I'm open to the idea of people learning from different agencies.)

If you are set on PADI, please know that you can complete your AI before you go to IDC. That could save you money.

Here are several issues you can think about. WARNING: THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS.

RESCUE/DM
I'd recommend that you CONSIDER doing your Rescue and/or Divemaster before you head-off for your IDC.

In my opinion, the more you can complete before you get to your IDC, the happier you'll be. Why? Because if you have already completed Rescue and/or DM, you'll be better able to focus on IDC material when you're at your IDC.

Don't rush it. Rescue and DM can be fun, but they'll be less fun if you are on a tight time schedule and end up seeing them as hoops you have to jump through. Focus on getting the most out of and enjoying your Rescue and DM courses. Perhaps you can do that at home in Manchester. That might save you some money over the long haul.

OTHER CERTIFICATIONS.

Are you Nitrox certified? Personally, I think Instructors shoudl be. If you're not yet Nitrox certiifed, take a Nitox course.

In fact, I'd recommend that you take a any specialty courses that you can. Maybe it's Drysuit or Altitude. The more you know, the better you'll be as an Instructor. Significantly, the more classes you take as a student, the more you'll learn about the kind of Instructor you want to be.

Again, that's something you can probably do at home.

DAN CLASSES, FIRST AID, CPR

Divers Alert network offers good classes: O2 administration, etc. Get O2 certified. Get well-trained in CPR and First Aid. You can probably do this locally.

AVOID BAD IDC PROGRAMS

I urge you to avoid Instructor Factories that produce "shake and bake" Instructors. Focus on becoming the best Instructor you can be. Avoid meeting the bare minimums. Rise above the standards.

CONSIDER USA

Okay, I admit that this is a bit parochial on my part. Ther are some good programs in Florida, wehre teh water is pretty warm. I can recommend some cheap places to stay. maybe you can get your DM done in the States and do your IDC elsewhere.

Feel free to PM if you have questinos.

 

[Dharker]

Hey Openmindow,

I will be doing Padi courses, only really because they are the biggest and most well know (I'm not saying best as I think that's a personal thing), so this, I would have thought, would make working as an instructor at a later time easier.

I did my OW in the UK in Feb years ago and my face went blue, fun, but given the choice I'd rather do all water based stuff somewhere sunny.

I will look into the Dan courses though and see if there is anything I can do here over the next few months.

I'm in not real rush once I get out there, and want to get the best training (within budget constrains of course), that I can.

The reason for central America is that I can't find anywhere that does the courses in South America, and I really want to go somewhere where the first language is Spanish so that I can get my Spanish up to a fluent level.

So if it were you, would you do your training all in one place, or two or three others?

Cheers,

 

[old8oy]

Hey Dharker

I'm in a similar situ, around your age, and from your neck of the woods. I'm off to Central America to do the IDC in Utila with Andy Phillips of UDC in April. Also going to improve my Spanish while travelling from Mexico to Panama. I met AP at the Birmingham Dive Show, and he seems a decent fella. I've met dive pros in the Philippines who did the DM course in Utila, and highly recommended his setup.

Now...my question to all those instructors already reading this thread is: OWSI or MSDT? I'd do the Nitrox inst option if I just went for OWSI, but a few people have said a lot of dive operations want MSDTs these days (although when working as a DM, I've never seen my instructor teach a specialty).

Anybody have any advice, please?

 

[Peter Guy]

Another alternative to Central America is Mexico, in particular the Yucatan -- for example the "main" shop in Puerto Aventuras -- Dive Aventuras. It is NOT an "instructor factory" but it has a program to develop instructors. PA is a very pleasant resort (I go there a couple of times a year) where English and Spanish are spoken in about equal parts.

Disclosure -- I have taken no classes nor done any diving with Dive Aventuras -- but I have spent a LOT of time at the shop talking and watching how classes are run. I particularly like the fact that this is a shop where most (if not all) of the pros also cave dive -- which means they all have a technical mindset which I believe makes a much better recreational diver/instructor. (As a cave diver and a recreational instructor, I know being a cave diver changes how I teach my recreational divers and I believe the students benefit.)

 

[Dharker]

old8oy, I have looked at Utila and the training you mentioned and it looks great, I am just not a fan of islands, which I know is a touch stupid, but when you have choice I think it's best to go with stuff you like (And I get the irony of being from England

As for Spanish, you'll be passing through Guatemala and there is meant to be one of the best and cheapest places in the world to learn. Loads of schools do 20 hours a week of 1 to 1 tuition for not much more than £50.

We are going to do three weeks (two weeks one, one week another), before moving on, which I'm excited about. I guess it would depend on your level of Spanish really.

Cheers,

Dante

 

[Dharker]

Peter Guy - looking at Dive Aventuras Mexico scuba diving vacation packages Puerto Aventuras now, looks a nice site but no prices for their courses, which is annoying.

 

[old8oy]

Hi mate

Yes, I'm planning to get 2-4 weeks in Antigua, Guatemala, myself; very cheap to learn there. I did a little in Colombia last year, and have been using Margarita's Magic Key (great book) as well as the Michel Thomas CDs. So I'm intermediate. I'll be looking for a hot latina to teach me some more. I'll likely spend 6-9 months working my way to Panama via the IDC in Utila.

So what don't you like about islands? The vibe on Utila is supposed to be great...everyone raves about it.