Scuba Diving Internships Overview

Mermaids Dive Training Facility, Pattaya, Thailand offer all of PADI courses from recreational diver to the highest PADI professional levels. Each of the stages can be taken in an entire dive internship package or bite sized chunks that piece together seamlessly. Mermaids Scuba diving internships were designed in 1999 and evolved today into one of the strongest dive programs available for the committed diver. PADI traineeship courses are extended dive training programs where a dedicated diver with a passion for scuba diving can immerse themselves in the  lifestyle.

All PADI (and other dive organizations such as PSAI, BSAC, SSI, SAA etc) dive centers offer scuba courses for the holiday maker but internship programs are very unique. Generally you find that taking a dive intern position the training is much more thorough as you get the information time and time again and the courses and structure are re-enforced time and time again. You get to dive daily instead of just a couple of times on a holiday with all dive skills reinforced hard; learning new skills and procedures. There are always PADI Staff instructors and PADI Course Directors available to assist with any questions that you have - basically it is total immersion within the dive industry for an extended period learning all aspects of the diving industry that you have subscribed to. This can be from the marketing of a dive business to the running of a boat; and leading dives through to scuba diving instruction.

Not all of the dive interns programs are catered for the professional diver but also the non-professional diver that wishes to be the very highest trained non-professional recreational diver possible. Mermaid's CDC offer Marine Conservation Projects, technical dive internships and dive shop management courses. Top side dive careers are supported with scuba engineer and dive technician courses also. All bases are covered.

There are a good number of recreational and dive career internships offered through the dive training academy in Pattaya, Thailand - please see the following brief descriptions and feel free to follow through the web links to further details of each. All of the dive internships are fully inclusive of ALL fees, ALL materials, ALL equipment (to keep), Un-limited diving, full accommodation - Everything in a package.

SIDE NOTE: The PADI National Geographic Diver Status comes as standard with all of the scuba diving internships at Mermaids Dive Career Development Center - details of the NG Diver program can be seen here...

Program 1 -  The PADI National Geographic MSD (Master Scuba Diver) Internship:

The PADI MSD (Master Scuba Diver) program is designed for the diver that wishes to be the very best trained as a non-professional diver. There might be a few reasons for this. Maybe the diver is in a full time job that they wish to maintain but they wish to dive for pleasure and be the very safest and well trained holiday diver possible. The MSD rating is also very popular with Marine biologists that wish to work in the field of conservation and research; they do not need professional dive qualifications for these endeavors. Lastly maybe we have a budding new dive professional but the candidate is not old enough yet - you have to be 18 years of age to become a PADI dive professional and hold a dive job. If the candidate is 16 or 17 then the MSD level is the highest level non-professional recreational diver and hence one below professional level (divemaster). If the candidate gets to this level then as soon as they come of age they can upgrade to PADI dive pro status.

The PADI National Geographic MSD program involves:

The PADI Open Water certification, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, the PADI EFR (Emergency First Response - medical), the PADI Rescue diver course and 5 PADI specialty diver courses.

For further details on the PADI MSD program please click here...

Program 2 - The PADI National Geographic Dive-master Internship:

The PADI Divemaster internship is for the diver that wishes to hit the first rung on the PADI professional diver's ladder. As a PADI Divemaster you'll enjoy the benefits of discounted dive travel, being a Professional member of PADI and receiving it's professional "Undersea Journal" magazine and many other PADI membership benefits just for starters. You will enjoy equipment and diving discounts as a holiday diver but also as a dive professional you will be certified to gain dive work. Dive masters can gain dive jobs running boats, assisting PADI instructors with student training and leading dives (underwater dive guide). Generally this is a good passport to travel as dive work is easily found for the presentable and professional dive master.

The PADI Dive Master Trainee program involves:

The PADI Open Water certification, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, the PADI EFR (Emergency First Response - medical), PADI EFR-I Instructor Level, DAN O2, PADI Full-Face Mask Diver course, the PADI Rescue course and 5 PADI specialty diver courses - This makes you an MSD (Master Scuba Diver) as above. The Divemaster DSD (Discover Scuba Diving) qualification allowing a Divemaster to cater for new diver's experiences is also set as standard.  Also included is the PADI Divemaster program over an extended period with un-limited diving and experience within the dive industry.

For further details on the PADI Divemaster program please click here...

Program 3 - The PADI OWSI (Open Water Scuba Instructor) Dive Instructor Training Internship:

The PADI Scuba Diving Instructor training internship offers all of the packages above with other benefits. You will have trained through the MSD (Master Scuba Diver) and Dive-master programs with far more than 100 dives (average up to OWSI 150/200 dives gained within the dive internship). Solid experience in many areas of the scuba diving industry will have been gained also. Trained to the highest standard you will be completely prepared both mentally, physically and also with the hardware to undertake the PADI IDC (Instructor Development Course) and the IE (PADI Instructor Exam). There are a lot additional benefits including special dive courses to Mermaids OWSI program to ensure the best possible chance of scuba diving jobs. Once again as all of the other traineeships - it is all inclusive. Being an OWSI and utilizing the dive job placement program on offer, dive work will be easy to find as a highly trained and employable professional scuba dive instructor and enter a scuba dive career..

For further details on the PADI OWSI Professional Dive Instructor program please click here...

*From* PADI Divemaster - (Up-to) - OWSI Internship Program:

This is a simple 1 - 2 month upgrade of the PADI divemaster certification to the full PADI professional dive instructor status. Many dive masters will have enjoyed their time working on boats and leading dives, assisting with dive students and planning dive logistics and now feel that it is time for the upgrade to the instructor certification. Dive employment is easier to achieve as an instructor as many dive operators employ PADI instructors to cover some of the duties of a dive master also. With one small upgrade you can become much more widely skilled and attractive to a dive center to offer you dive work.

For further details on the PADI Dive master to OWSI program please click here...

Program 4 - Dive Career Development - MSDT and STAFF Instructor:

Mermaids Dive Center is a long standing PADI Dive Career Development Center - the highest possible achievement for a PADI Dive Center. With this rating Mermaids offer education programs of the Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) and PADI Staff Instructor ratings also. Over a 1 - 3 month period this dive job training ensures a good start to a scuba diving career. Being a Master Scube Diver Trainer or PADI Staff scuba instructor allows for more opportunities in scuba work.

For further details on the PADI MSDT and Staff Instructor programs please click here...

Program 5 - BMT - Dive Center Business management Training:

The dive center business management training program is land based training for the serious dive professional that wishes to enter a dive career covering many bases. 8 distinctive modules over 2 months including dive center organization, sales and marketing, accounting, dealing with dive training agencies, customers, staff management and self promotion in diving. The resort management course compliments in-water skills and knowledge to create an all-rounded dive professional. Increasingly dive centers are becoming mini-resorts with all-inclusive packages. There is a lot more to operating a resort than a simple PADI open water course or leading dives - the resort management training is designed to prepare the professional diver to enter a dive resort career at management level.

For further details on the BMT program please click here...

Technical Scuba Diving and Dive Technician Internships:

Technical divers push the boundaries of the recreational diver usually on length of time under water and also the depth to which they dive. Recreational diving allows us to dive as recommended to a depth of 40 meters or approximately 130 feet. Technical divers can dive way past this depth limit an hence explore ship wrecks and sites that the average recreational diver cannot.

Technical diving packages that are offered deliver the following tech dive training:

Technical diving courses including: Nitrox Diver, (Basic Nitrox) Advanced Nitrox Diver and Decompression Procedures. Staged decompression diving to the depth of 45 meters using various air mixtures - Nitrox. Extended Range, Basic Trimix and Advanced Trimix Diver training is covered also - this will allow dive depths of up to 90 meters using tri-mix diving methods. DSAT and IANTD Instructor Level Courses offered (Instructor Training).

Dive Technician Training:

DITC (Dive Industry Technicians Course) programs offered with ASSET (Association of Scuba Service Engineers and Technicians) certification. Dive equipment, tank/cylinder and compressor maintenance and servicing programs offered.

For further details on both of the Technical Diver Internships and Scuba Diving Technician Programs offered through Mermaids Dive Training Facility Pattaya, Thailand please click here...

Scuba Dive Jobs!

All Mermaids Professional divers are entitled to use the Mermaids partnership with Diversjobs for their dive employment assistance. An exclusive partnership has been launched with the largest and best maintained database of scuba diving jobs on the web. Dive careers are started with our special dive job service - this can be used any time after completion of the professional dive training.