Does your dive career ever stop? I guess you are the only one that knows, personally after diving and teaching for a few intensive years I am now only diving on holidays when the situation arises. I sometimes wish that I had bought the dive centre that I ran in Phuket but sometimes am just thankful for my diving diving and teaching. Would I do it again, in a heartbeat. Would I do it again for longer and experience more diving all over the world, if I had a chance I would love to.
Here is a recent request and reply concerning the dive career choice of a dive instructor (MSDT)
Enquiry from Dive Instructor: So sorry in being slow to react to your emails regarding the PADI IDC items that I purchased of you on eBay a month ago…. I am actually an MSDT and have done most of my diving in Thailand over the last 10 years including certs etc… At the moment I am back in the UK working whilst deliberating whether to go back and work another season which is getting quite repetitive now and complete my staff instructor while out there….. At the moment I am in London working and studying for my black cab etc… so i may decide not to actually work seasonally in Thailand and maybe do just a month or two out there for work and Staff IDC thrown in during that time which is easy to do and plan for myself as I would say that I am very comfortable in that country and have many place where to go and do this Thai style hahahaha….
But on a serious note , I purchased your literature and DVD to go along with all of my stuff that I have collected over the last few years etc to help and prepare me for eventually doing my staff IDC. So my dilemma at the moment is to whether or not to try something different and do my Staff IDC in another part of the world and experience the pleasure of doing this in another location possibly over say a 10 days pre IDC and Staff IDC and the rest of the time after possibly spent diving in around this location for say a month to 6 weeks including the Staff IDC…
So really stuck and undecided what to do any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated LOL LOL
Reply from IDC Guide: Im jealous of your situation, I wish I was back in your situation, I wish my dive career was longer but I cannot really moan as I ran a dive centre in Phuket for 18 months and had the time of my life. I ended up doing my Staff Instructors and really liked that part of the dive education system when you are actually working as a Staff Instructor.
You can obviously do your Staff Instructor course anywhere in the world but if you want to work after then you should start narrowing down your choices and making enquiries (possibly looking on the PADI Pros job boards. Regardless of the work I would jump at the chance if I was you to get your Staff Instructor and experience that side of it. Perhaps you can negotiate to staff the IDC after your one for free with the Course Director. Plenty of top class Course Directors on IDC Guide – but where do you fancy going?