|
Posted in Unspecified
If you want things FREE in life, stop diving and change to Chess
I was there also, in the place where you think... "God I'm so smart I'm going to become the best diver in the world without paying a single dollar..."
I was also in the fantastic world where you do a FREE Divemaster course and everyone is smilling you at the dive center.
The reason? : You are the next slave!
The issue is, if you want a CHEAP sport, diving is not for you. Is better if you face it and you wake up.
If you are really poor and you really can't afford it: Don't do it.
Because diving is something that in the first years, it keeps getting more and more expensive.
I don't complain, but I assume the nature and the structure of the diving society. That's why you have to stop and understand what are the risks when you take any of this offers about FREE IDC, FREE Internships, etc.
The risks are the same as at any other industry. You stop being a client. You are just the "guy that is getting this for free". And let's face it if you are working for it... why people want to give you the course as fast as possible??? If you get certified, you stop working in your internship.
I heard all kind of crap. From... " it gives you a real concept of what a dive center is like..." or ..." you end with so many dives that you will be the best divemaster in town.."
This is 100% WHALE crap.
And not only that, is a mathematical point of view it is a bad business.
I know... you must think that this guys is crazy, that not paying is the best deal in the world. Really?
Well... how many people do you know that built a business without investing?
Let say you do a free internship for a Divemaster Course. In the normal diving world, this offers go for 6 months time.
Well, guess what. A normal DM course is 2 months to 3 months. So you already lost 3 months that you could be earning money, working for another dive center (or for the same DC you did your DM course with).
So, not only you loose time and money, you are subject to rules and conditions, that based on 10000 of cases that I know, gives you a course where the Instructor Staff is not 100% ready to help you with your course. Why should they? In their mind you are not paying... you are one of the group... part of the staff....
Just think of this:
This is a business. If you think people open dive centers and invest thousands and thousands of dollars, for their love to Flipper and to free Willy: You are wrong.
So if this is a business... and Divemasters earn so little (anywhere in the world) WHY a Divecenter needs to offer FREE DM courses?
Do you think they are going loose money? Do you think they accept you just on your AMAZING skills?
Almost eveyrone that apply to an internship gets accepted.
Is not like winning the Nobel price.
But again, I could be wrong. Just make the experiment. Take your sister, brother, cousin, girlfriend and do it. See how makes a better living between the 2 of you. The paid customer doing his Divemaster Course - or the cheap labour working for free during 6 months for a course that at the end of the day, costs less that 600 dollars.
So. Before you apply: Go running to McDonalds (or you can choose Subway) and work your ass for 15 days. Get the money. Pay the course. Enjoy the sun... and when you realize you did the best decision... send me a postcard saying "Who is the man? Gabriel from DiversJobs is the Man! )
5:34 PM - 10/24/2005 -
Ain't that the truth!
This post is right on the money. Pay the money, do the class and move on. I did the full DM Course and paid for it and I wouldn't do it any other way. I wanted the education and not be someones gear Sherpa. You learn by helping students and working with the instructors. Not by filling tanks and cleaning and putting away gear.
scottri - 11:56 AM - 10/25/2005
You get what u pay for full stop!!!
It really is about how much you can afford to spend but then qualifications are what you need at the end of the day. However if you just do the courses then you do not get the customer relations skills or the work experience that all dive centres would like. When do you see an advertised job stating "no instructor experience needed as we except all newly passed IDC candidates". Of course you do see adverts like this but again these companies pay shitty wages and expect all the long hours and getting bent every month is just part of the job right?? Believe me i have heard of 5 instructors from the same shop in the same month all being bent and ending up in the chamber! Now this could be over worked dive instructors or it could be the fact they to just done the courses and have no real experience. This it what alot of people forget is the shit that happens under the water and how to cope with it safely and without hurting yourself in the process. I am well on my way to becoming a trimix instructor but instead of just doing the trimix course and then craming in the dives then doing my exam i am sitting in on alot of courses so i can see what can go wrong and what does go wrong and how to deal with it in the correct manner. I done this also on my Tec Deep and the instructor i dive with is one of the only Tec diver/instructor that has never been bent so all in all you have to be seriously stupid or unexperienced to get bent recreational diving!!! So just think about it as in the long run internships might be expensive and it might be SLAVE labour but if you want a proper long term career in diving then they are a good form of getting your experience and staying alive in the long run.....Just choose a 5 star centre. I mean PADI is the best right? They are very good at getting money from you guys to!!!
Anonymous - 3:55 AM - 10/26/2005
About Free Internships and FREE diving courses
I ahve to disagree with you on this point.
I have worked in a dive center for five years now.
My first six months was for free(house and food included in my trainin)
At the end of the month they gave me a bit of money(200 euros)
They didnt have to give me anything but they did.
I learnt alot , yes includin cleanin ,filling tanks ,putting gear away.
But i also learnt about customer care , different equipment ,how a dive center really works and many many more things.
If you think that you are going to work in a dive center and not do all this stuff then you are living in a dream world.
A divemasters job aint well paid and all but it can be fun.
A two month course according to PADI standards includes minmimun one OWD course and the rest depends on your Instructor.
Who really thinks they are ready to lead after doing this.
Come on you need experience and the best way is to get the trainin in a dive center.
I run a the dive center where I work and I hire my "slaves"with good conditions.
They know that they will never get the cert if they are not ready.
I ahve over the 3years as manager here hired 7 or 8 " Slaves " and have certified only 3 of thema s the rest were just not cut out for this world.
Not everybody can be a divemaster.
You have to have special skills,be a people person and above all knowhow to work hard cause I can assure you that hard work forms a very important part oof this job
Please don't take any offense to anything I have written.
It is not an attack on you hjust an opinion.
Andy
Anonymous - 12:14 AM - 10/27/2005
Rock hill - New York - USA
Hello All,
I often see trainee positions posted for diving with kids and uni students in the catskill mountains. Any comments about jobs in this region?
Anonymous - 3:13 AM - 7/22/2007
Untitled Comment
I'm just wondering who you dove with in Koh Tao to say the DM's don't care about divers...
I did my DMT there and I like to think I'm a damn good DM !!!
I take my time and have as much fun a s possible with fundivers. The word says it all FUN-Divers.
As a DM the customer related aspect of my job is to lead a safe and fun tour where we can see as much stuff as possible...
I'll have to agree that it's not the best diving around but then again it's nothing to look down at.
Anonymous - 10:15 AM - 5/16/2011
|
