That old Pattaya question again...

[stevenl]

Its a good place to go in the monsoon season when diving in the south has ceased.

Am I correct in understanding it this way: since the diving in the South never ceases, it is never a good place to go?

 

[Batfish]

Am I correct in understanding it this way: since the diving in the South never ceases, it is never a good place to go?

 

[Mr. Sunday]

Am I correct in understanding it this way: since the diving in the South never ceases, it is never a good place to go?

Ceased is not the right word. Slows down considerably as conditions deteriorate might be more appropriate. I love the south. But the good diving is seasonal

 

[bcdannymalone]

Honestly, the zero to hero programs don't seem like they should be a good idea. But in practice though, they can be quite effective depending on the candidates. I know a number of people who have risen to instructors through this program and have become excellent in their jobs.

It's mostly down to attitude and good judgement. Some people don't need as long to succeed as others. I think that an instructor who goes through this type of program and then finds work in a shop can gain lots of useful insights from the experienced staff around him/her.

So many people think that becoming a competent pro diver is purely a numbers game. Going on hundreds of fun dives with other trainees will never prepare someone as much as leading certified divers and especially assisting with experienced inst's where you learn about recognition, positioning and response- even if you do far fewer dives.

I'd hate to see somebody put off of doing an IDC because they felt they needed to have hundreds or even thousands of dives before they think they are ready.

I know of IDC Staff instructors who have yet to do 200 dives and CD's with less than a thousand!

I know- opinions are like ********, everyone's got one. But I figured everyone else was showing theirs...

 

[Arizona]

bcdannymalone,

I agree! It comes down to several factors to get the right mix. Some need more guidance and not all students work well with all instructors. There is also something to be said for intense regular diving as opposed to sporadic or limited dives over many years. The very fact that internships have many divers at different levels sharing also adds to the mix. IMO, you can go into a profession such as becoming a school teacher, but even with all the training in the world, some will be better at it than others.

Arizona

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

You make a good point bcdannymalone about the need for aspiring instructors to lead divers, rather than just dive for fun. That's a unique advantage of the Aquanauts program, that we have our interns spend 2 months or more leading certified divers (tourist customers) before they get near the IDC. Also, as Arizona alludes to, we do provides months and months of intensive, daily diving so candidates face all sorts of conditions.

 

[lord khram]

Hey guys, I know this has been asked perhaps a few times before, but from what I gather, everyone seems to give the thumbs up to Mermaids or Aquanauts!

I finished my rescue diver a few months ago, with every intention of completing my DM and IDC in Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. However, now it looks to me, that I may have to stay in or around Pattaya, and I'm looking for some options! I must admit I'm on a bit of a tight budget, as my income is mainly generated from freelance web services over the internet...

Given all that, I want to find the most economical way to become a dive professional with all intentions to hopefully work around Pattaya when i complete training.

So far I've got about 25 dives logged including a night dive, all in and around Koh Tao, (Sail rock, Chumphon Pinnacle, Sanran Pinnacle, Angthong marine park). Thats the other reason I'm looking at Pattaya, some challenging diving. Its all very calm in Koh Tao... beautiful but calm..

Anyways.. so far the big guns seem to be Mermaids and Aquanauts, However, can anyone recommend any smaller "just as professional" outfits, that may actually take a student on after certification ? and more importantly, is Pattaya a good place for casual work as a DM ? I would liike to go all the way to Instructor, but I must be realistic about finances...

Thanks for your time.

Having dived and/or worked with most of the dive shops around Pattaya over recent years I have very little confidence in many of them.
In my mind the best and most proffessional one to do an internship is Real Divers, a small familly run operation. And I believe now they will do it on a pay as you go bassis, avoiding a large initial outlay.
Despite what you may be told by the big shops, there is little or no chance of making a living as a DM in Pattaya. Indeed I have even been asked by one shop to pay a substantial ammount of money to work as a DM on their boat???? (dive south east asia). how stupid do they think people are?
The best you can really hope for in Pattaya is to work for free diving.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

It should be noted Real Divers is not an IDC or CDC and therefore cannot offer an internship to instructor level or beyond. Anyone looking for internships choose only a CDC or IDC where all training can be done under the same roof.

 

[red_barbarian]

I'd venture to say that getting your DM and working for a while at Real Divers and then doing your IDC at another facility would be better than doing it all at one location in terms of training. That said Real Divers does seem to have several instructors that somehow managed to finish their training mostly through Real Divers. Mermaids also runs a good operation. Chris the boat manager worked for a while at Real Divers, and the guy's that own Real Divers have worked for Memaids in the past if I recall correctly. The guys that have made a living in SE Asia for a long time all know each other, it's a small world. AquaNuts and Mermaids stay alive by running interns through their programs, the truth is even if you get to be an instructor your income in Pattaya will small compared to what you spend. I know several instructors that come for a few months and go home to work after the money runs out in Pattaya. If you need a cheaper alternative take a look at Jeremy Stein's Rainbow Divers and Simon White's Sailing Club Divers in Nha Trang Vietnam. Your money goes farther there, and they both run complete zero to hero op's if that's what you want and provide solid training.

 

[Bowmouth]

Despite what you may be told by the big shops, there is little or no chance of making a living as a DM in Pattaya.

It's hard (or should I say impossible?) to make a living as DM anywhere in Thailand. Shops and Liveaboards hire Instructors (and not DM'rs) because they are plentiful and can do all the things a DM can and teach courses as well.