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Scuba Diving Internships FAQ's - Page 3 Scuba diving internship frequently asked questions continued. Please do also feel free to mail me personally any time for expansion on these answers and answer any further questions that you have. Dive Internship FAQ's - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Page 6
Q. What about Divemasters - can they earn a living? A. There is an income to be earned with working in the scuba diving industry for sure. You will find that Instructors generally earn more than Divemasters due to the amount of duties that they can perform over and above. Always remember that "life-style" is very important. I recently (2004) placed 2 dive masters in positions where they are on $600 per month as a standard wage. This is not a great deal but when you factor into that the cost of living and that their housing is provided - it's actually quite respectable. On the flip side of the coin I know some dive masters that work just for the diving experience and do not get paid - but they get their FREE diving. When you turn "dive pro" (Divemaster being the first rung on the professional diver ladder) you get many advantages. On top of the wealth of knowledge that you should have if trained well you'll generally be entitled to diving discounts where ever you go and get the chance of FREE diving if you assist. Some dive centers do not hire Dive masters as they have the DMT's (Dive master trainees) paying them for the privilege of the experience. The best paid DM's that I know are a couple who earn approximately $75 per day each. In Thailand - that's good money. Different dive shops and different countries alike have different policies but you'll generally be able to find work as a Divemaster pretty much anywhere if you apply yourself. As a divemaster trainee through one of our dive apprenticeships you will be more highly employable than most at the same dive level. You'll have additional specialty certifications and will have had dedicated dive tuition to make you a first class dive professional and not "just a DM".
Q. Why does it have to take 6 months for the dive training to dive instructor? A. PADI the governing and certifying body, stipulates that you need to be an "Open Water Diver" for a minimum of 6 months prior to applying for your dive instructorship. If you come to us with NO experience (as many do) then it will take a minimum of 6 months to complete. If however you are an Open Water diver or Advanced Diver (for example) diver already and have been for 2++ months then the training can be achieved in 3 - 4 months. Note that if you come with no dive experience then realistically the program is approximately 7 months in length. This is the 6 months to be an open water diver and then an additional month for taking the IDC (Instructor Development Course) and also the IE (instructor Exam).
Q. Is Thailand FEMALE friendly? A. A very common question from the ‘lone traveling’ female.
Thailand is generally very female friendly. Out of all of the countries that I
have traveled in personally I have never heard so many women say how safe they
feel in a country such as Thailand. There are no “shirt tuggers” or
“hasslers” like in many countries. Western women here tend to have as much
safety and freedom as any of their male counterparts. Pattaya city is a great
place to scuba train and generally have fun. Granted there is the night life
that appeals to a certain audience (usually male orientated) but this can be
found throughout Thailand
and basically S. E. Asia alike. This is zoned and mainly down Soi 6 which is a
few miles away from where Mermaids are located. It does not mean that we need to
visit these places. Pattaya hosts so many wonderful pass-times there is
something here for the young, the old, the male or the female. Scuba Dive and
train, intern and learn, but let’s also dine well, go to the cinema, play
golf, water ski, paraglide, mountain trek…there is so much to do here that it
is a shame for anyone to miss out, female or male. Sonja Collier, a dive intern from the UK took a lone female travel around Thailand and the neighboring countries. You can see Sonja's travels here... Sonja is now working in diving here in Thailand. Increasingly Mermaids is receiving female dive interns and many couples. If you travel here alone you will not be alone unless you wish for your personal space. Please do ask for female references so that you can email them directly if you wish for an impartial view.
Q. Can I work part time to fund the dive course or split payments? A. This is a very commonly asked question. Unofficially some candidates do teach a little English here for some spare change. This is good fun as you can learn Thai also but do not rely on it as a great income. As an English teacher usually the rules applying to work permits are different but PLEASE still be aware that working in Thailand in any capacity (as with most countries in the world) without a work permit is completely illegal. The best thing to do is ensure that your finances are in order and enough to cover the cost of the course & any relevant living expenses. This way you are able to concentrate on the dive training and being the very best dive master or instructor to get out there, dive and earn some real money. Many people often ask if they can gain bar work / employment, waiter / waitress work or hotel work etc as a form of income - this is impossible. All service jobs such as these are STRICTLY reserved for Thais as they protect their labour force. All of these types of jobs are not available and if you could find one you would be breaking the law to work in this capacity. As for split payments throughout the course, this is not possible. In order to join the program the entire course must be paid for prior to course commencement. We accept 40% as a booking and deposit but the remainder must be paid on arrival.
Q. What do I do about visas for Thailand? A. Most countries' citizens are granted an automatic 30 days tourist visa on arrival, however as you have probably figured this will not be long enough for the dive programs. We need to assist you to gain a student / education visa for your stay here in Thailand. On booking we issue you a "Letter of invitation to study with us in Thailand" and also a copy of our "company registration document". Armed with both of these documents you will be able to use these to support your visa application and gain an education visa for your stay. A very good visa can be achieved easily with the correct paperwork which we ensure that you have. Please note that for those traveling with partners we will assist the partner with a visa also. Once here in Thailand you will need to make border trips to maintain a valid visa status - this is easy to do and having interns here there is always a travel partner. Basically you will be able to maintain 3 months in the country on a student visa but then you will need to hit the border to reactivate your visa (commonly called a "visa run"). Pattaya and Jomtien host many companies that make these trips daily. Generally a bus collects the "runner" early morning to make tit to the border and to return mid afternoon. For the more adventurous of us we turn these essential runs into a short break - Many of the interns take short breaks and a couple can be seen here - Alex's trip - Sonja's trip
Q. Will I need any inoculations (jabs) before my visit to Thailand? A.. Please do consult your local doctor with regards to this matter but generally Hepatitis, Typhoid, Polio and Tuberculosis shots are required. There is no risk of Malaria where we are based and hence there is no need for any Malaria pills. Japanese encephalitis is often mentioned by Doctors but this is not required for Pattaya/Jomtien. Pattaya has extensive medical facilities. All major chemists such as "Boots the Chemist" are here and hence any prescriptions and general medications can be found.
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