[New Instructor] I checked out the pics but none of our IDC. Probably a good thing. I am still in Koh Samet as am having trouble finding anywhere that needs a new instructor, will probably be here until the end of June or the beginning of July. Have team taught a 3 person OW course and also taught my own Rescue Course (just one person). Have got another OW course coming up in about a week. But the pay is not enough to keep me going here as they are not that busy. How are things going for you down there? Any interesting goings on in the diving department?
[Dive Centre] Koh Samet? I had to look up that place as have never heard of it Glad you are getting on and teaching now. I do know you need to make sacrifices initially to get your name out there, I had to work for free once to prove I could do the job but that lead on to other things. If you were like me its all a bit daunting and confusing doing your first course, I dont think the IDC really prepares you for anything more than being good at presentations and demonstrating skills, you need a lot more organisation and people skills to get an Open Water course done correctly in 4 days. Its really hard to do it so the students really understand what it takes to be a good diver. I am not happy unless I know they have learned and understood what I am trying to teach them.
Have been on my first visa run to and now back in the dive centre, slowly been having course / work (I now do some of our website updates and marketing). Had to bribe the police the other day to ensure I could work while my idiot lawyer gets my work permit application finalised ( you can now do this yourself in Phuket, but as doing it with Dive Centre I am with has taken 8 weeks now ! ) The police were trying to get tough with me and askng for about $1000 I refused and was reluctant to give them anything but the lawyer said that they will put me in prison if I dont pay so I coughed up. Money is tight here so hoping for some business to come this week
[New Instructor] Koh Samet is definitely not on the diving hotlist. Visibility max. 5m and depth max. about 8m! Your bribe sounds like just a way in which the Thai Police are just trying making a little extra money. I am in a large hotel and just a little sideline to keep the guests entertained and happy to provide my diving instruction in return for some well needed cash.
I am shocked, no amazed that the dive centre owner has allowed you to tamper with his website and marketing. I would have thought that that would have been the Mr. ‘marketing genius’ own little baby, seeing as he puts so much effort into it. He must actually like you. Maybe he even respects you. He’s ok really, I think that I would probably recommend him actually.
Glad that you didn’t give them all the money as it sounds like they were just trying it on. How did they catch you? You should have just lied and said that you hadn’t started work there yet. Where else would you recommend I could teach diving?
What is the diving like in Mexico? I will probably leave Thailand at the end June beginning July and am thinking about looking for work in the Caribbean/Central America. Thinking about Mexico but not sure how much diving there is and whether it is any good.
[Dive Centre] Hello mate, hope all is well with you, Mexico and Cozumel very good diving, I done my DM course with a dive centre in Cozumel near Cancun but wouldn’t really recommend them apart from their Cave Diving instructor (lief) they are a bit slack and the owners are slightly strange to say the least. The diving is good and varied but Cozumel has world class diving (you can either stay there or go from Cancun as a daytrip)
I was caught by the police teaching in the swimming pool and they had videod me teaching I had the dive centre truck and their equipment and had paid the student fees with the pool for dive centre so there was little hope in denying it. Can you remember if I sold you my eRDP ? I cant find it anywhere so I am hoping and guessing I sold it to you. Anyway, things are a bit quiet here as it is raining almost everyday. Thought I had an open water course starting yesterday but it starts next week which is a shame as I need to get diving as Its getting a bit slow here.
[New Instructor] Cheers for the advice mate, I will check it out. I think you have been the victim of a sting operation. All the police seem to do in Phuket is harass the tourists. You think that they would be glad to have us there, making them money, they just seem to make it hard for you to bring in the tourists to do the diving, they are only interested in short term gain, they are too stupid to think about the long term implications of upsetting the diving / tourist trade. You did sell me you ERDP and I sold it to the IDC student from the Phillipines, it seems those eRDPs are just good for ‘education’ and not used in the real world. Have had an offer from a dive shop that is linked to a backpackers at a lake at altitude in Guatemala. Might give it a go but gonna try and have more of a look first.