Dive Courses In Phuket

[Renegade]

Hey all, I'm looking for some good companies to do a dive course in Phuket for a few months - possibly internship. I've only dived once in Australia so would be looking for a complete beginner course possibly up to divemaster.

I can see a lot of these for Koh Tao but I'd really like to do it in Phuket as it's bigger/more to explore/more beaches and I've been there before and loved it.

Done quite a bit of googling but can't really find anything as good as on Koh Tao - anyone know of any?

Thanks,

Steve

[ScubaBuddha]

I'm based in Phuket and have done some diving off Koh Tao. Tao may be cheaper, but as you said there is less "there" there. I get a lot of flack from my Koh Tao compatriots but IMO the diving in the Andaman is much much better than in the gulf. Granted you will find the Phuket based people agreeing with me and the Samui/Tao based people not.

10 years ago I did exactly what you want to do. I have since worked for quite a few dive companies in Phuket, some good, some not. If you are going to do your DM one thing you definitely want to make sure of is the company either has a boat of their own, or is based literally on a diveable beach. This way you get unlimited free diving. There are two shops I recommend, both of which I have worked for, which you never seem to hear anything bad about. Phuket Scuba Club and Calypso are both located in Kata. Both have been operating here under the same owner/management for over 13 years. PSC has two beach locations and Calypso, also near the beach, has their own boat.

If you want to know what shops to avoid, you can PM me, as naming and shaming is not allowed here.

Good luck with your ventures. It will change your life. It did mine.

Edited September 7, 2011 by ScubaBuddha

[Renegade]

Thanks for the info but they only seem to be doing courses for a few days or weeks? If I'm going to do it I'd really like to spend a few months there which is why I liked the look of the internship courses.

I just got a very interesting e-mail from Merlin Divers or Kamala Diving Center basically saying they offer all of the training for free as long as you work for them for a while afterwards. I'd still need to pay for the PADI course material and accommodation which wouldn't be much but it does say I'd need to pay for or rent my own gear - how much do you think this would be? Any experience with them/is Kamala beach good for diving?

Thanks

[ScubaBuddha]

Any dive shop, including PSC and Calypso, regularly teach DM in house. (Every PADI instructor is certified to teach up to and including the DM course) Just click on "PADI courses" on either of their websites. And they are both affiliated with IDC schools (Instructor Development Course) if you want to become an instructor as well. PSC also teaches SSI courses, another popular certification agency.

If you are really on a tight budget then the internship option may be for you, but the problem is they often hold back actual certification until you have fulfilled your work obligation, and "for a while" is a pretty vague time frame. Holding back the certification is not unheard of but is a flagrant violation of PADI standards and can get both you and the shop in trouble. The last thing you want to do is be in trouble with PADI before you are even certified!

I have also seen certifications withheld due to personal differences between student and the dive shop owner. It took some calls to PADI to straighten out.

You will also want to ask about a work permit, as that will be required before you can work as a dive professional in Thailand. It used to be no problem working without a work permit, but times have changed. Checks do occur. Last year I had immigration officers take my picture at the pier so they would have a record of familiar faces. After that I started wearing my WP in a clear dry bag around my neck.

I also recommend you check out tripadvisor. Lots of customer reviews of Phuket dive shops there. Remember that the shop that has the biggest internet presence doesn't mean it's the best shop.

Sorry, I don't have anything useful to add about the shops you mentioned. Never dived off Kamala Beach before. Not sure if you can. Kamala is a bit far from Chalong Peir IMO, which is where the daytrips depart from.

Good luck and enjoy.

.

Edited September 7, 2011 by ScubaBuddha

[Renegade]

Thanks for that, I will check about the dive permit and they set out the terms quite clearly in the e-mail - even if I wanted to leave the prices aren't too bad if I HAD to pay.

The course and working time is all done in 3 months, so it's not a major commitment. I read a lot of reviews on tripadvisor and some other sites for them and everyone has positive things to say - it's definitely making me want to go!

Even with food, accommodation, PADI materials, dive equipment all included it would be a lot less than the internship packages on Koh Tao for example. I just need to figure out whether I'd want to stay for Christmas or not as I was planning to go back home then to the UK!

[stevenl]

In general on Phuket you will not find the internships you can find on Koh Tao: do your course and work to pay for the course. Also on Phi Phi you will find these courses BTW.

We don;t offer these internships for several reasons, and only offer: pay for the course, and we'll pay you for work. As a divemaster though you will not find work on Phuket. Legally not possible and there is no demand.

Also, I would not recommend any commitment to a 'zero to hero program' before you know if you even like diving. First do an open water course, and see if you like that enough to commit to anything.

SB: Calypso same owner for many years? Agree they are not bad though.

[limbos]

In general on Phuket you will not find the internships you can find on Koh Tao: do your course and work to pay for the course. Also on Phi Phi you will find these courses BTW.

We don;t offer these internships for several reasons, and only offer: pay for the course, and we'll pay you for work. As a divemaster though you will not find work on Phuket. Legally not possible and there is no demand.

Also, I would not recommend any commitment to a 'zero to hero program' before you know if you even like diving. First do an open water course, and see if you like that enough to commit to anything.

SB: Calypso same owner for many years? Agree they are not bad though.

Steven, both shops mentioning a free internship are based on Phuket, if I understand the OP correctly in post #3, On Koh Tao you will not find internships where you can work off your courses, to the best of my knowledge. It's all pay and do your courses.

[limbos]

Thanks for that, I will check about the dive permit and they set out the terms quite clearly in the e-mail - even if I wanted to leave the prices aren't too bad if I HAD to pay.

The course and working time is all done in 3 months, so it's not a major commitment. I read a lot of reviews on tripadvisor and some other sites for them and everyone has positive things to say - it's definitely making me want to go!

Even with food, accommodation, PADI materials, dive equipment all included it would be a lot less than the internship packages on Koh Tao for example. I just need to figure out whether I'd want to stay for Christmas or not as I was planning to go back home then to the UK!

Be very careful with such internships, ScubaBuddha pointed out a few very good things already to watch out for and at the end of the day, doing such an internship where you work off your courses is illegal in Thailand without a work permit.

[stevenl]

In general on Phuket you will not find the internships you can find on Koh Tao: do your course and work to pay for the course. Also on Phi Phi you will find these courses BTW.

We don;t offer these internships for several reasons, and only offer: pay for the course, and we'll pay you for work. As a divemaster though you will not find work on Phuket. Legally not possible and there is no demand.

Also, I would not recommend any commitment to a 'zero to hero program' before you know if you even like diving. First do an open water course, and see if you like that enough to commit to anything.

SB: Calypso same owner for many years? Agree they are not bad though.

Steven, both shops mentioning a free internship are based on Phuket, if I understand the OP correctly in post #3, On Koh Tao you will not find internships where you can work off your courses, to the best of my knowledge. It's all pay and do your courses.

No, there are no shops here mentioning a free internship, only 2 shops by SB offering an 'internship, pay for your course.

[ScubaPaul]

If you are really on a tight budget then the internship option may be for you, but the problem is they often hold back actual certification until you have fulfilled your work obligation, and "for a while" is a pretty vague time frame. Holding back the certification is not unheard of but is a flagrant violation of PADI standards and can get both you and the shop in trouble. The last thing you want to do is be in trouble with PADI before you are even certified!

I don 't agree with the point mentioned above - to quote the PADI Instructor Manual " Issue certification if the student diver has met course requirements and any agreed-upon financial arrangements."

If the agreed financial arrangements include 3 months of internship, then it is not a violation of PADI standards

[limbos]

In general on Phuket you will not find the internships you can find on Koh Tao: do your course and work to pay for the course. Also on Phi Phi you will find these courses BTW.

We don;t offer these internships for several reasons, and only offer: pay for the course, and we'll pay you for work. As a divemaster though you will not find work on Phuket. Legally not possible and there is no demand.

Also, I would not recommend any commitment to a 'zero to hero program' before you know if you even like diving. First do an open water course, and see if you like that enough to commit to anything.

SB: Calypso same owner for many years? Agree they are not bad though.

Steven, both shops mentioning a free internship are based on Phuket, if I understand the OP correctly in post #3, On Koh Tao you will not find internships where you can work off your courses, to the best of my knowledge. It's all pay and do your courses.

No, there are no shops here mentioning a free internship, only 2 shops by SB offering an 'internship, pay for your course.

In post # 3, Renegade states he received an offer from a shop on Phuket that offers free internships, if he works for free after wards. No money involved;

I just got a very interesting e-mail from Merlin Divers or Kamala Diving Center basically saying they offer all of the training for free as long as you work for them for a while afterwards. I'd still need to pay for the PADI course material and accommodation which wouldn't be much but it does say I'd need to pay for or rent my own gear - how much do you think this would be? Any experience with them/is Kamala beach good for diving?

Edited September 10, 2011 by limbos

[stevenl]

In post # 3, Renegade states he received an offer from a shop on Phuket that offers free internships, if he works for free after wards. No money involved;

I just got a very interesting e-mail from Merlin Divers or Kamala Diving Center basically saying they offer all of the training for free as long as you work for them for a while afterwards. I'd still need to pay for the PADI course material and accommodation which wouldn't be much but it does say I'd need to pay for or rent my own gear - how much do you think this would be? Any experience with them/is Kamala beach good for diving?

You're right, I thought you were referring to the 2 DC's SB mentioned.

Merlin Divers does offer this, Kamala DC not as far as I know. That does not change the fact that this is illegal in Thailand, and very risky on Phuket. Besides that there are the reasons already mentioned by SB why I would not recommend this. IMO any DC offering this should be strongly recommend against.

[limbos]

In post # 3, Renegade states he received an offer from a shop on Phuket that offers free internships, if he works for free after wards. No money involved;

I just got a very interesting e-mail from Merlin Divers or Kamala Diving Center basically saying they offer all of the training for free as long as you work for them for a while afterwards. I'd still need to pay for the PADI course material and accommodation which wouldn't be much but it does say I'd need to pay for or rent my own gear - how much do you think this would be? Any experience with them/is Kamala beach good for diving?

You're right, I thought you were referring to the 2 DC's SB mentioned.

Merlin Divers does offer this, Kamala DC not as far as I know. That does not change the fact that this is illegal in Thailand, and very risky on Phuket. Besides that there are the reasons already mentioned by SB why I would not recommend this. IMO any DC offering this should be strongly recommend against.

I had to re-read the post! He mentioned two shops but says only one offered the internship. he didn't specify which one. Many reason against such programs. I'm not a fan of them.

[ScubaBuddha]

If you are really on a tight budget then the internship option may be for you, but the problem is they often hold back actual certification until you have fulfilled your work obligation, and "for a while" is a pretty vague time frame. Holding back the certification is not unheard of but is a flagrant violation of PADI standards and can get both you and the shop in trouble. The last thing you want to do is be in trouble with PADI before you are even certified!

I don 't agree with the point mentioned above - to quote the PADI Instructor Manual " Issue certification if the student diver has met course requirements and any agreed-upon financial arrangements."

If the agreed financial arrangements include 3 months of internship, then it is not a violation of PADI standards

True, but that line does not address the two issues I apparently did not do a very good job of explaining.

The recent case I had in my mind when I wrote this was actually from a paid internship where there was an apparent personality clash between the DM candidate and the course director shop owner. The candidate had been completely signed off. Calls and letters had to be sent to PADI to get the CD to complete the certification. TO be fair, there are two sides to every story and I only heard one side, but point is this kind of thing can and does happen with the "free" internship programs too.

Also, less scrupulous instructors may be motivated to keep you in "intern" status as long as possible. Free labor. This happened to me when I was doing my paid DM course. The shop owner had to step in and ask my instructor why I wasn't a DM after 8 weeks even though everything was completed. Only then was I able to get the instructor to send in the paperwork.

The second point I was making about legality and PADI standards violations depends on what exactly you are doing as an "intern." Sometimes uncertified interns, (a Rescue Diver or Master Scuba Diver) is put in an unsupervised leadership role when they aren't certified to do so. Or an instructor will fudge his or her instructor to student ratio's using the intern as if they are a certified DM.

Withholding certification due to personal differences or to milk an intern (of time) is a violation of standards. Using them in certain capacities before they are certified is a violation of PADI standards and Thai labor laws. I don't mean to scare anyone off, but it's good to be aware that these things can happen. Clarify first, and get in writing everything you can.

SB: Calypso same owner for many years? Agree they are not bad though.

Actually, I said owned/managed. Point was Steffen and Stephan owned Calypso and their boat, the Greta, since the late 90's until a few months ago when they sold it to an American who is not involved in day to day. Much staff has remained the same. TJ is the office manager and has been for at least 4 or 5 years now. He has been involved with Calypso on and off since 2001. Pom, the office secretary is very good, been there for years. The boat captain Ann has also been the captain of the Greta for over a decade. He is one of the most senior captains in Phuket and is very highly respected. And they have, by most accounts, always had pretty good tour leaders.

[ScubaBuddha]

Steven, both shops mentioning a free internship are based on Phuket, if I understand the OP correctly in post #3, On Koh Tao you will not find internships where you can work off your courses, to the best of my knowledge. It's all pay and do your courses.

No, there are no shops here mentioning a free internship, only 2 shops by SB offering an 'internship, pay for your course.

Yeah, sorry if I didn't make that clear. I haven't heard of shops in Phuket using the free internship method for years, but I am sure it still happens. Places like Tao, Phi Phi etc. still have a bit of a "wild west" feel. Anything goes. The internship program that I see on Phuket you pay for. Conversely, some people don't have the time for an internship and so spend 6 days a week for 3 weeks getting the boxes checked. For most people I would say 3 weeks is not enough time, it is the PADI minimum. I did mine over 7-8 weeks, but I was also taught a lot of extra stuff like how to tourlead, run the office, etc. It's a better experience.

[stevenl]

Actually, I said owned/managed. Point was Steffen and Stephan owned Calypso and their boat, the Greta, since the late 90's until a few months ago when they sold it to an American who is not involved in day to day. Much staff has remained the same. TJ is the office manager and has been for at least 4 or 5 years now. He has been involved with Calypso on and off since 2001. Pom, the office secretary is very good, been there for years. The boat captain Ann has also been the captain of the Greta for over a decade. He is one of the most senior captains in Phuket and is very highly respected. And they have, by most accounts, always had pretty good tour leaders.

There are significant changes noticeble though since the new guy took over, and for the good so far IMO.

Ann is very well respected, I totally trust him.