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Posted in Unspecified
Good article found in a great web.... DivePro Info
Posted by: tekstyle
Since even my English grammar is far from perfect I'm asked about my opinion from some nice members here ;-). As well I would like to climb up the ladder in the rating ;-)). So what about the following: Regarding that a quite a few members around this board which have been diving and working around this world, I guess its the one and only place where this is possible to ask for an opinion on the following topic. Great idea this board anyway. 
I always thought Dahab, Utila and Koh Tau-o are quite similar on certain things. First of all they all work on a specific market: much more backpacker related, rather then resort. There is a kind of gringo trail or traveling route and this places got a name for getting your diving card cheap and more or less safe as a part of your traveling experience, so why not ?
Actually i was working in Utila and Dahab, in Koh Tao I did just some diving, would never do this again b.t.w. ;-)
So what are the differences ?
Utila and Dahab ARE places where you can go as diver and divers do, in Koh Tao you will be disappointed as a already certified diver, giving they have 2 or 3 good spots, but the staff there don't care about divers. Its a open water license money making machine. Its maybe a good place to have a fun and party time as a dive master trainee, but later you come and want to work as a dm and say you did your training in koh tao most dive centers will not be greatly impressed lets say. Of course I met a few dm's and instructors which started in Koh Tao and they are big time pros, but they got a lot of experience later and had a certain attitude anyway.
Dahab is not so much a backpacker place since its not much visited from backpacker anymore. Starting in the end of the last century, when the problems in the middle east got worse. Actually I had a good time working there in the late nineties. Standards of the instructors been always up and big classes and good money you could make. Nowadays it became much more of a resort place, but still generally good standards for the courses and some awesome spots to dives, especially for the tekkies. The downside if you get your training there as a dm you get all the training for shore dives, what is a bit of a negative point when you look later for a job as a dm, but never dived from a boat .....most dives in this world a done from boats.
Utila, quite long time that I've been there, it was also known for the cheapest place in the world to get your "PADI" 
Most dm trainee get a lot of free fun dives in the packet, what is a great deal, thats the way its used to be, i don't now if still.
Also a places that got dive sites that are interesting for certified divers and the staff can deal with them. The time i was working there, I found the quality of the courses a bit lousy regarding amount of students in one class and the time the instructors spend with students in the water, but I thing and hope that changed a bit in the last years. From far it seems they working a lot forward and increased standards and service, due to a strong competition, what they didn't fight to much about cheap prices, smart asses ;-)
This is also happing in Thailand where the dc's have a little chat from time to time, that course prices are not going to much down.
This is a big Problem in Dahab, where the cheap competition backpacker prices have a big effect on the commission of the instructor, means the student get a cheap course, but a, lets say, not very motivated instructor, so standards a going down with the course price in my opinion. There are always exceptions, i know and paying for a expensive course is not a guaranty for a good course ;-).
But normally , it works like this: you pay sh*t, you get sh*t. same for the students same for the instructors, pay your instructor sh*t and your can turn a good instructor into a sh*t instructor.
So what is your opinion ? You think this three places are comparable ?
would like to hear your opinion .
If you are working in one of this three places in the moment, i hope you don't feel insulted, you find something good anywhere anyway, but i was always quite amazed how similar this places are.
Do you know another fourth place comparable to them ?
( maybe phi phi is a bit the same, no ?)
and b.t.w. yes i did work also at other places around the world 
So some awesome dives in the nearest future to everybody here
And yes, i did use the spell check 
4:04 AM - 3/20/2006 -
DivePro - Info
They actually moved to a new URL.
www.divepro-info.com
Anonymous - 9:18 AM - 9/18/2006
Hater?
unbelievable to find paradice three times and still be able to bitch
<br>
<br>Loser
Anonymous - 1:55 AM - 9/12/2007
Untitled Comment
i must agree, i did my DM and OWSI on Koh Tao and it has to be one of the places in the world that no one in the dive industry respects. Finding work in OZ was hard even though PADI recognised me as good enough to be an instructor.
Anonymous - 5:53 AM - 11/5/2007
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Anonymous - 8:52 PM - 4/29/2008
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