Please help me to choose from those schools on Koh Tao

[xishan]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to Scubaboard and also new to scuba diving, after last year's snorkeling tour to the Similans, I fell in love with the beauty underwater, I have a whole year available so I'm thinking to go from OW to DM or maybe even Instructor on Koh Tao, I know people here don't usually like the idea of zero to hero, but as I'm on a budget, I'd need to find a job to cover my costs after I'm done with the course.

Would you please help me to choose from Buddha View, Crystal and Ban's? I narrowed down my options to these three as from my research, they are the biggest on the island so I'd have more opportunities to practice during my internship. Any other school with big operations is great too.

Thanks in advance!

Li

 

[PfcAJ]

I think you'll be ok at Ban's. A lot of those places on Koh Tao are down and dirty, certify you ASAP type deals.

 

[DevonDiver]

Personally, I don't think your logic is correct. Biggest doesn't mean best - it's a recipe for impersonal, lower standard training. Those big schools have big DM trainee cadres also...

 

[xishan]

Personally, I don't think your logic is correct. Biggest doesn't mean best - it's a recipe for impersonal, lower standard training. Those big schools have big DM trainee cadres also...

Sorry I didn't mean that the biggest are the best, I just thought big operations means more students to assist during my internship hence more experience.
Do you have other suggestions? Thank you.

 

[DevonDiver]

Most of the dive shops there are swamped with customers, to be honest. It's always been my belief that a smaller, more personally orientated dive shop could provide a better DM experience (assuming divemaster skill, not parties, are your priority). With a small shop you tend to be more completely immersed (pun intended) in the life of the shop - a member of the team. In the larger shops, you might be one of 15-20 DM trainees at a given time... just another 'face' passing through...

 

[xishan]

Most of the dive shops there are swamped with customers, to be honest. It's always been my belief that a smaller, more personally orientated dive shop could provide a better DM experience (assuming divemaster skill, not parties, are your priority). With a small shop you tend to be more completely immersed (pun intended) in the life of the shop - a member of the team. In the larger shops, you might be one of 15-20 DM trainees at a given time... just another 'face' passing through...

Thank you, you made a very good point here. Is there any good small shop that you recommend?

 

[DevonDiver]

You'll see (with a search) that Master Divers is recommended a lot. Ayesha (the manager) is here on Scubaboard often. Seashell was always a good little center too - Mike is very robust with his DM courses and provides a lot of extra training.

 

[ayeshacantrell]

Thanks Devon Diver ...Xishan ...feel free to message me if you want more information !

 

[FettSolo]

Xishan,

+1 for Master Divers, I've never heard anything but great things about them. That being said, there are a lot of perfectly good dive shops on KT. It might be a good idea to just show up on the island and browse the shops, talk to managers, instructors, DMs, etc. You'll find the complete range in ops there. At the three you mentioned, I personally think you're just going to be another person passing through. Would highly recommend against them. If you want an operation that's decently big without being a factory, try Big Blue. Something smaller, perhaps Phoenix or Roctopus. I've worked with all three of them, so call me biased. But they're all good ops, as is Master Divers, and a number of other places.

 

[lord khram]

I have a whole year available so I'm thinking to go from OW to DM or maybe even Instructor on Koh Tao, I know people here don't usually like the idea of zero to hero, but as I'm on a budget, I'd need to find a job to cover my costs after I'm done with the course.

I would be very carefull about relying on an income from diving to fund your stay in Thailand. Nice idea, but the reality is that it can be difficult to achieve. There are so many do such courses in Thailand, there is simply not sufficient work for everyone to get paid employment at the end of their course.
Many areas in Thailand the diving is seasonal and even for some established instructors / DM's, there is not work around all the year. Also worth considering, it is not so easy to obtain a Thai work permit as a DM.
I have actually met someone who works as a DM in Pattaya, believe it or not, he doesnt get any wages for his services, he pays the shop that he works for!!

Good Luck what ever you decide on.