Cheapest place in Europe for PADI divemaster

"Jon C" <news@jonnythan.com> wrote in message
news:6icjc.15560$X14.652@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> "oneone" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> news:yoajc.264447$oR5.216780@pd7tw3no...
> > Hi,
> > I was wondering if somebody can give me an idea about the cheapest(how
> much
> > should I expect to pay..) place in Europe/Eastern Europe/Turkey to get
my
> > PADI Divemaster certificate.
> > I am really short on the money so all I can afford is to somewhere
> > cheap..even though is not very nice:)
> >
> > your help is apreciated,
> > m.
>
> This is definitely the guy I'd want working on my boat..

Of course. He works cheap. What else do you want from a DM?

"Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> wrote in message
news:408d620c$0$21961$6c56adcd@news.qnet.com...
> "Jon C" <news@jonnythan.com> wrote in message
> news:6icjc.15560$X14.652@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> > "oneone" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> > news:yoajc.264447$oR5.216780@pd7tw3no...
> > > Hi,
> > > I was wondering if somebody can give me an idea about the cheapest(how
> > much
> > > should I expect to pay..) place in Europe/Eastern Europe/Turkey to get
> my
> > > PADI Divemaster certificate.
> > > I am really short on the money so all I can afford is to somewhere
> > > cheap..even though is not very nice:)
> > >
> > > your help is apreciated,
> > > m.
> >
> > This is definitely the guy I'd want working on my boat..
>
> Of course. He works cheap. What else do you want from a DM?

Coffee...

Well..if you assume that everybody is fortunate enough to be born in a
western country and have a decent salary..then yes, your answer is valid.

This question has been asked in order to help a friend from eastern
Europe, that IS a professional diver(he has experience more than
enough... a couple of thousands of hours underwater) but wants to become
a PADI instructor and eventually to get a better salary than he has now
(about 300 usd/month).
In this respect I wanted an answer, not just flames and "smart" answers.
There are NO local dive shops in his country, and the closest he can go
is Turkey, Bulgaria or Greece. So indeed, if you know of a good diving
company in those countries ..respond, otherwise hold on your horses for
something else.




"Jon C" <news@jonnythan.com> wrote in
news:6icjc.15560$X14.652@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

> "oneone" <nope@nope.com> wrote in message
> news:yoajc.264447$oR5.216780@pd7tw3no...
>> Hi,
>> I was wondering if somebody can give me an idea about the
>> cheapest(how
> much
>> should I expect to pay..) place in Europe/Eastern Europe/Turkey to
>> get my PADI Divemaster certificate.
>> I am really short on the money so all I can afford is to somewhere
>> cheap..even though is not very nice:)
>>
>> your help is apreciated,
>> m.
>
> This is definitely the guy I'd want working on my boat..
>
>

In article <CVejc.266117$Ig.192045@pd7tw2no>, noneyet <nope@nope.com>
wrote:

€ So indeed, if you know of a good diving company in those countries
€ ..respond, otherwise hold on your horses for something else.

None of the good diving companies are PADI, although PADI is definitely
the cheapest.

Sometimes, their the least expensive, too.

Coffee, boy, black, hot and now!

--
"I know we're going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something
about it."
-Tom Burnett, aboard United Airlines flight 93, September 11, 2001

>
> Scott wrote:
> > "DrYak" <DrYak@nospam.com> wrote in message
> > news:jfijc.370$NZ4.117@lakeread05...
> >
> >
> >>If you're in a business, your business model might not be to be the
> >>"best" but to be priced right. McDonalds and Starbucks and Microsoft
> >>aren'te the best, but they make billions of dollars. In my specialty,
> >>Harvard and Yale are the best, but most doctors went someplace else and
> >>do a very good job.
> >>
> >>Your friend might check out some of the dive operations in Thailand. It
> >>might be cheap enough so that even with airfare, it is cheaper than
> >>Europe. The other question is where you want to DM or instruct. You
> >>might check out what they look for. You might be able to trade some
> >>classes taken for working in the shop.
> >
> >
> > What do you call the guy who graduated *last* in medical school?
> >
> > "Doctor".
> >
> > No offence meant,
> >
> > "Dr. Yak" just doesn't fill me with warm and fuzzies.
> >
> > Not that anything does...
> >
> > I know the fucker, and I am tired of cleaning up after him.


First things first - How many languages does your friend speak???

Opportunities are better as in many resorts with international tourists the
need to speak German, French, Spanish etc

Divemaster course are about 25000 bath or about 350 pounds sterling.
To get from Divemaster to Instructor is about 1500 US dollars!

I work in Koh Tao, Thailand and its hard times, few tourists and the
violence is pretty bad down in the south at the malay border.

Honduras is a good cheap place to do your dive career with PADI. PADI isn't
the best training org. for divers but its the most worldwide and recognised.
However its a money making machine and contrary to what a lot of folk say
the instructors (out here in Thailand anyway) are'nt on much more than
Divemasters are on. Typically the jobs are either salary or day rate.
Salary is good for the slow months but shit for when its busy and you have
six to eight divers to take on.
Day rate is good when you have many divers diving each day (this is when as
a DM you can make serious wedge!) However when its quiet you end up on
'starvation wages'.
If your friend does go and complete his DM make sure he gets into his IDC
instructor course before the money runs out!

300 USD a month.... as a DM I make about that here in Thailand.
Instructors are on about 350 - 450 USD a month typically here in Thailand.
Sometimes less!
If you get in with one of the big factory churning dive monsters like BANs,
Big Blue, Easy Divers you can earn the big money. BUT you have to of done
all your training with them first though!

Best money is to made in the caribean but I'm told its more expensive in
many of the Islands as Knightsbridge, London!! Unless you time it perfect,
your visit to there will (initially) be tough and expensive!!

Close to him though is Cyprus, the cost of living (on the Turkish side!) is
cheap and the diving is above average!

In article <c6jqvd$bsi$3@216.39.146.232>,
Jammer Six <jammer@invalid.oz.net> wrote:
>In article <UBdjc.2194$IN6.243@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com>, Chris Guynn
><chris.guynn@sbcglobal.N.O.S.P.A.M.net> wrote:
>
>€ > Of course. He works cheap. What else do you want from a DM?
>€
>€ Coffee...
>
>Black, hot and now!

If he is really good he'll have the grill ready and sizzling when you
come up from the first dive.

-- mrr

In article <CVejc.266117$Ig.192045@pd7tw2no>, noneyet <nope@nope.com> wrote:
>Well..if you assume that everybody is fortunate enough to be born in a
>western country and have a decent salary..then yes, your answer is valid.
>
>This question has been asked in order to help a friend from eastern
>Europe, that IS a professional diver(he has experience more than
>enough... a couple of thousands of hours underwater) but wants to become
>a PADI instructor and eventually to get a better salary than he has now
>(about 300 usd/month).
>In this respect I wanted an answer, not just flames and "smart" answers.
>There are NO local dive shops in his country, and the closest he can go
>is Turkey, Bulgaria or Greece. So indeed, if you know of a good diving
>company in those countries ..respond, otherwise hold on your horses for
>something else.

I don't know about Bulgaria, but I have been pretty disappointed by the
quality of dive centers in Greece; still stuck in the old 70's macho
culture. It may be improving though.

Turkey is supposed to be somewhat better, but I don't have any firsthand
experience.

The comments about coffee is not that far off as you may wish. DM's mostly
work as guides in a service industry dominated by mass tourism. If your
friend really want to make a career out of this I also recommend that
he get certified as a boat captain. That would make him eligable for
the more high-paying jobs in and around the dive industry.

You didn't state what "this" country is BTW.

-- mrr

Morten Reistad <firstname@lastname.pr1v.n0> wrote:
>>This question has been asked in order to help a friend from eastern
>>Europe, that IS a professional diver(he has experience more than
>>enough... a couple of thousands of hours underwater) but wants to become
>>a PADI instructor and eventually to get a better salary than he has now
>>(about 300 usd/month).

That may be true, but was not stated initially, and we see far more
people interested who have 50 hours underwater.

>The comments about coffee is not that far off as you may wish. DM's mostly
>work as guides in a service industry dominated by mass tourism. If your
>friend really want to make a career out of this I also recommend that
>he get certified as a boat captain. That would make him eligable for
>the more high-paying jobs in and around the dive industry.

Knowing boat engines too would work. A DM with nothing more may not improve
much on that 300/month.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

Hi

The root of this thread has disappeared off my usenet list, so apologies for
replying in an inappropriate place.



The lowest priced I have seen listed is these guys in the UK (200GBP, plus
a few books and very cheap accomodation, if required).

http://www.divein.co.uk/

I have no experience of whether it is good or bad. I'm told that the lake
can be a bit murky, tho...


Nic


-------------------------------------------------
"Morten Reistad" <firstname@lastname.pr1v.n0> wrote in message
news:rrp08c.9p7.ln@via.reistad.priv.no...
> In article <c6jqvd$bsi$3@216.39.146.232>,
> Jammer Six <jammer@invalid.oz.net> wrote:
> >In article <UBdjc.2194$IN6.243@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com>, Chris Guynn
> ><chris.guynn@sbcglobal.N.O.S.P.A.M.net> wrote:
> >
> >? > Of course. He works cheap. What else do you want from a DM?
> >?
> >? Coffee...
> >
> >Black, hot and now!
>
> If he is really good he'll have the grill ready and sizzling when you
> come up from the first dive.
>
> -- mrr