Starting my DM course soon - does this price seem ok?

[soldave]

Well I'm out here in Okinawa, Japan, working as an English teacher. I got certified as a Rescue Diver a few months back and now am getting ready to take a step up to Divemaster level. Given the complete lack of non-military English speaking instructors on Okinawa, I have to go to one place to get my certification. The instructor is going to give me IDEA and PADI Divemaster certification for $650. It's a little expensive, but if I want to do the course while I'm out here I don't have much of a choice. How does this price sound?

Also, any advice as I go into this course would be much appreciated. I want to get all the help/advice that I can!

[Ferg3333]

Does that include certification and manuals? In the uk my LDS charges £250 and £300 seems a round about figure but that doesnt include certification which you pay to padi direct. Hope this helps

[soldave]

I'm pretty sure that includes manuals and certification. I thought it was a little high, but I suppose this guy has a captive market out here.

[Ferg3333]

check about cert as it is paid directly to padi and most let you pay as its your first years professional membership

[soldave]

How much would that first year's professional membership cost if I had to pay it myself? I am getting 2 certifications here which is something else I have to consider (even though IDEA isn't too well known in the world)

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by soldave

How much would that first year's professional membership cost if I had to pay it myself? I am getting 2 certifications here which is something else I have to consider (even though IDEA isn't too well known in the world)

Can I be inquisitive and ask why you see DM as the way forward?
What sort of diving are you doing?

[soldave]

Of course you can ask - I would appreciate advice in the matter anyway

I see DM as the way forward as eventually I would like to get an instructor qualification. I am an English teacher in Okinawa, and was in the Maldive as an English teacher a few years ago. I would ideally like to get the instructor qualification so I can go somewhere and do part time dive instruction with part time english teaching.

I'm (relatively) young and have these crazy pipedreams!

[Terrible_Ivan]

Originally Posted by soldave

Well I'm out here in Okinawa, Japan, working as an English teacher. I got certified as a Rescue Diver a few months back and now am getting ready to take a step up to Divemaster level. Given the complete lack of non-military English speaking instructors on Okinawa, I have to go to one place to get my certification. The instructor is going to give me IDEA and PADI Divemaster certification for $650. It's a little expensive, but if I want to do the course while I'm out here I don't have much of a choice. How does this price sound?

Also, any advice as I go into this course would be much appreciated. I want to get all the help/advice that I can!

Mate, whether the price is right depends a lot on what you get for your money. Are there any trips included or just shore diving? Is there an "apprenticeship" included or bare minimum? If he's throwing in live-aboards or nice trips, the course is worth more money than if you're just diving in his garden pool.

I did mine for a slightly lower price in Singapore and it included three weekend trips to Malaysia, trips that I normally paid about US$130 or so for. The prices in Australia also varies a lot depending on what's included. (Tell me again why I moved to the UK?)

Some DM courses lasts quite a while - a month or so - where you get to come along on many trips, help out in the shop (free labour) and so on. other courses are bare minimum, just crank out the skills in a pool and go through the open water things as quickly as possible. I guess you can do this in 7-10 days. It's a bit up to yourself, what you want to do. If you're young, living in the tropics, out to see the world, and have the spare time, I assume a longer course is more interesting and fun. If you want to work as a DM afterwards, I believe it's worthwhile to have worked as "an apprentice" in his shop and company as well, not just getting it over with as quickly as possible.

Think of it this way.... what skills do you need to work as a DM in your area? Boat handling? Equipment repairs? Shop assistant? Will you get these skills through your course? Do you want them, or do you just want the black cert?

Cheers
Ivan

[soldave]

I'm not sure about boat trips, but a couple may be included in it. It would last a while, but that is mainly because I will only have weekends and a few evenings free to do the course. I want to spread it out though and help out at as many lessons as I can. The guy doesn't have a shop (he's recently sold the shop part) but has a dive equipment storage area that is fine for working out of. I'll make sure I get up there quite a bit and learn the ins and outs of it. I will be out here for another year at least and probably 2, and would like to get my instructors certification while I'm out here.

The skills I need to work as a DM here are probably equipment maintainance & repairs, maybe shop assistant, Japanese (it always helps!), and the dive skills. I should probably get those through the course - minus the Japanese which I'm trying to pick up anyway.

Thanks for the thoughts - any more qould be appreciated