so i'm thinking of doing the whole "diving as a profession" thing

[lozzin]

but having very few dives under my belt i figure teh smart thing to do would be to go somewhere for a bit and do alot of diving. so would anyone happen to know somewhere that has lots of really cheap dives (cheap living expenses are nice as well) i can go. i live in british columbia, canada if that helps

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out Thailand. Great country, great diving and low cost of living/diving. There are a few areas of the country that are dive locations, look into Koh Lanta (& here), Koh Tao/Samui, Phuket, Khao Lak and Pattaya.

 

[gregorio]

Philippines and Indonesia too, SE asia in any case!

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Hi Lozzin,

So, you're hooked on diving, eh? Join the club!

Bubble Junky is right: Thailand is a great place to do a ton of diving and for very little money relative to the rest of the world. Whether you think you're ready to do diving as a career or just want to spend a couple months diving every day, we here at Aquanauts Dive Centre in Pattaya have a program for you.

You can spend 2 months with us and go up to Master Scuba Diver, the highest non-professional rating PADI has, take 3 months and go to Divemaster or go all the way, spend 4 months and become an instructor.

All our packages include full, private accommodations, a full set of new Scubapro/Mares/Aqualung gear, UNLIMITED DIVING, all courses and materials, all testing & certification fees and up to $1,500 in bonus courses if you enroll while still in Canada. We also set you up with a 1-year visa for Thailand, etc.

Have a look at our website at www.divinginstructortraining.com and give us a ring -- it's free! -- from Canada at 866-995-5959 and we can discuss your plans to do the whole "diving as a profession" thing!

 

[diverbob]

I would suggest going to many different places, and experience different kinds of diving. If its truly what you want to do, you owe it to your future students to have as much experience as possible to pass along to them. Here locally, I see so many people rush through doing the bare minimum to get by, and then have nothing to offer as fas as experience.

 

[musicalmike]

The best place to get cheap diving is off the beach! Cheap living? That's another issue. Try and find a place to practice that is in the same area you plan on teaching. If your going to teach back home in Canada, then get more experience diving in cold water. Maybe look into moving south to the Seattle area. The Puget Sound has an enourmous amount of cheap good shore diving.

 

[MelC]

Have you considered Vancouver Island? Not sure in BC where you are located but the diving there is supposed to be great.

Mel