PADI IDC July 2014 Phuket, Thailand with Scuba Cat Diving
Claus Rasmussen, PADI Master Instructor and myself, Sarah Kench PADI Platinum Course Director welcome both Matt (UK) and Nicolas (Switzerland)
The PADI IDC July 2014 is here at Scuba Cat Diving.
Both Matt and Nicolas have been with us here at Scuba Cat Diving for several months now to embark on their journey to PADI MSDT (Master Scuba Diver Trainer)
So how did Matt decide on Scuba Cat Diving for his PADI Gopro courses?
Matt and I emailed back and forth many times over a few days until he had enough information to make a fully informed decision. I would like to share with you a few of the questions that he asked me during this process.
Matt’s first email correspondence with me:
“I’m looking to become a PADI DiveMaster and wanted to find out whether it would be possible for me to do so with Scubacat during my time in Thailand
I should have my visa back on Friday and then I fly out to Bangkok on the 7th April which would give me 60 days from then until I would have to leave the country and return although I am going to see if I can extend my visa for another month whilst I’m there.
Of the limited research that I have carried out so far I have read differing prerequisites in regards to the number of logged dives that I must have prior to starting the Dive Master course, some say 20, 40 and 60, I’ll assume it’s 60 but if you could confirm this for me I would appreciate it.
To confirm I am currently a PADI Advanced Open Water certified diver with 20 logged dives all completed during February and March of this year in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga.
From the information I have read so far then based on my current experience I would be required to undertake the following as far as I can make out;
Dive medical
Emergency First Response course
PADI Rescue Diver course
PADI Dive Master course
I have also read that there are other things to consider such as equipment, learning materials etc. so what I would really appreciate is for someone to get in touch with me over the next few days if that’s possible and confirm exactly what I will need to do in order to become a Dive Master, the costs involved and the duration of each course. Is it possible to have a dive medical in Thailand and is there any medical centres that offer this service close to where you guys are based?
If it’s unrealistic to complete everything that I would be required to do so in the 60-90 days that I have in Thailand then I would consider undertaking the EFR and Rescue Diver course and then get myself geared up to go through the Dive Master course at a later date should that be the best approach.
Any feedback, advice and suggestions that you can offer me will be greatly appreciated and if you feel that you could put together a programme to fit the requirements that I have to become a Dive Master then I would love to hear about that. “
The emails with Matt were great, he was doing his research well into the service he would receive with the Divecentre he chose for his PADI Gopro Courses. He kept me busy with great questions!
The following email questions led to a great Skype conversation to finalise the course arrangements.
You mentioned being able to price up the courses and accommodation for just the Rescue, EFR and Dive Master so could I ask you please to let me know what the overall cost would be but also without accommodation to?
“Ok the prices of the individual courses are 19,500 Baht for Rescue and EFR,(normally 20,500 Baht) the Divemaster Course is 37,500 Baht as a standalone but you need 40 dives prior to starting the standalone course. In addition you will need to pay the PADI professional fees for this which are $165 Aus.
Need more logged dives?
You told me that you only have 20 logged dives so you would require 20 more dives prior to starting. You would be eligible to log 2 dives from your rescue course, this would mean you would need 18 more. If you were to do these as standalone day trips the cost would be 23,400 Baht plus 3000 Baht for the equipment rental. However as you would be doing your dive master course with us I can do this package of dives plus the Divemaster Course for 50,000 Baht.
I would be happy to confirm two Thailand liveaboard trips on board MV Scuba Adventure which would increase your number of dives by 25.
The trip departure dates are
15th to 19th April 2014 this is 4 days 4 nights 14 dives in total to Similans, Koh Bon Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock,this trip is nearly full so I would need confirmation from you as soon as possible
or
21st to 25th April 2014 this is 4 days 4 nights 14 dives in total to Similans, Koh Bon Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock
then
25th to 28th April 2014 this is 3 days 3 nights 11 dives in total to Phi Phi, Koh Haa and Hin Dueng Hin Muang
or
30th April to 3rd May 2014 this is 3 days 3 nights 11 dives in total to Phi Phi, Koh Haa and Hin Dueng Hin Muang
The normal retail prices for these trips are 23,000 Baht and 18,000 Baht respectively, I would include these trips and the rental equipment in your course package for you, the only thing you would need to pay would be the National park fees (for diving in the Marine Parks)
So the EFR, Rescue and Divemaster Courses including the dives you require payable to Scuba Cat Diving would be 69,500 Baht
If you want the accommodation option, I can do this using the guesthouse we normally do at a cost of 12,000 Baht per month, I suggest maybe you go here for a few days first as you may be able to get cheaper around.”
One potentially prohibitive factor in the equation for myself is the cost of completing the courses and whilst I do not want to substitute quality of service at any point throughout the process of becoming a dive master I simply cannot afford to go for the all inclusive option that you have provided. As much as I want to do so it’s simply not a viable option so taking this into consideration it’s currently looking like I would need to go for the Rescue, EFR and Dive Master courses with or without accommodation but also without equipment.
That is not a problem, see above.
I noticed on the list of courses you included EFR/CFC Instructor so are these options that you have included must haves when considering a career in diving?
The instructor courses offered are not courses you must have as a Divemaster but make you far more employable as you can teach courses even before you are a full time instructor. You might also like to be able to teach EFR and Care for Chiildren to business outside of Diving such as Hotels and Schools? Here is the link for the EFR/CFC instructor course
If there are any creative ways in which you might be able to further reduce the costs involved for me then I’m very keen to hear from you as to what they might be as I do want to undertake all of the courses you have suggested?
Maybe this is something we can talk about once you are here, different options etc. I could do this before you agree to any of the courses with Scuba cat it is just so much easier face to face as their are quite a few options I could think about doing.
In regards to the medical do I have to have one from a GP or is it the same as when completing the medical forms each time you undertake a PADI course that there would only be the requirement to do so if you answer ‘YES’ to any if the questions on the questionnaire?
The PADI one is fine for courses in Thailand, however as this is a professional course this would need to be signed by a Doctor, Dr Watanna here charges 500 Baht
Below are a list if questions that I have put together which are designed to help me build up a picture of what it would be like for the next few months if I were to sign up to become a Dive Master with Scuba Cat;
To date I have completed recreational courses with there being only two left before that section of the certifications is complete save for all of the specialties I wanted to ask for your opinion as to what the fundamental differences are between recreational and professional courses? How much of a step up is it and how much of a difference does it make to your skills as a diver? It could be that the Master Scuba Diver course is where I should be focussing but I am currently of the opinion that by becoming a Dive Master it will make me a better diver than if I stopped at the Master Scuba Diver stage. I’ve had a lot of fun diving to date and I guess that I have some reservations about moving into the professional side as so far I haven’t had to do any work so to speak and perhaps what I should be asking you is if you can be specific as to what work I will be expected to undertake if I chose the Dive Master route?
Recreational PADI courses are more instructor lead for the knowledge development if that makes sense, you spend more time with the instructor completing knowledge reviews etc, where as with professional courses there is a lot more emphasis on self study, this is not saying the instructor is not there for you, exactly the opposite, he?she will be more of a mentor to you helping you to develop, rather than a teacher. 
Did you go to University? It is very much like the difference between school and Uni? The skills need to be demonstration quality, it is areas like this that you will spend a lot of time developing that process, you have already learn those skills and can do them (otherwise you would not be diver) now we spend time developing them to a quality where you can help recreational divers to learn from your demonstrations. The difference between PADI Master Scuba Diver and PADI Divemaster depends on you and your future plans. From my personal experience I achieved Master Scuba Diver first. This took me to the “top” level of recreational diving, developing myself as far as I could go. It means that you have acquired significant training and experience in a variety of dive environments. If you are not planning on working in diving professional this is a great thing to do instead of Divemaster. (My personal opinion) Divemaster is much more focused on your role when assisting instructors and other certified divers in a working environment. During the course you will learn dive leadership through classroom and independent study, you will learn leadership dive theory too, complete water skills and stamina tests in confined and open water, there will be training exercises to test organisational and problem solving abilities and a series of practical training exercises. We do have an internship for the PADI Master Scuba Diver and at the level you are now this would be a route I would seriously consider. I again can look at the costs for individual courses if this is your preferred route.
As I am travelling over to Thailand on the 7th April would I be able to start the courses straight away or within a few days of me being there? I would be travelling from Bangkok and would look to fly and it would appear to take under 1 1/2 hours so I would arrive into Phuket between the 7th to the 9th April I would suggest depending on flight availability and suitability.
You would be able to start the courses at the best time to suit you, if you want to start these straight away no problem, if you need a few days to relax again no problem, please come and see me when you get here (maybe call me first) we can meet and arrange everything.
How many people work at Scuba Cat? and of those how many are PADI instructors?
OK, people working at Scuba cat Diving, wow where to start! I hope you don’t want the individual names of all the thai shop staff, drivers and Boat crew, there are about 22! in terms of the Instructional Team
Myself (42)- PADI Platinum Course Director (full time teaching professional courses and General manager and Owner!)
Claus (40)- PADI Master instructor (full time with Scuba cat and coordinates and runs the professional and recreational internships)
Debbie (43) – PADI Master instructor (full time with Scuba cat, however she is 7 months pregnant and will be going onto maternity leave in May)
Kath (51)- PADI Staff instructor (full time with scuba cat diving, liveaboards Maanger onboard MV Scuba Adventure)
Gary (60)- PADI Staff instructor (full time instructor, also teaches the Disabled through an organisation DDI, for which I am an Instructor trainer)
Julie (40) – PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (full time instructor and tourleader on boar MV Scuba Fun, day trip boat)
Kris (45)- PADI Master Scuba Diver trainier (full-time instructor plus videographer on board MV Scuba Fun)
Tanny (22)- PADI Divermaster (full time)
Then Freelance, our main freelance instructors -Bryan (40), Joe (26), Dave (45) David (28), Dan(30), Corey (52), (these guys are all in Phuket full time however are not employed directly by Scuba cat, they work for many companies
Do your instructors commit to a certain period of time working for you, e.g. 3 months, 6 months? I ask these questions as given what I am looking to undertake the last thing I would want is for my mentor to leave and then someone else would have to pick up where they left off. I will need consistency throughout the training and development and this includes making sure that my instructor remains the same.
The full-time PADI instructors would be here for your entire stay, Claus would be your main instructor throughout your courses, he would also be your mentor.You can meet him upon you arrival in Phuket.
Of the current package that you have put together for me are you able to confirm by reply what isn’t included, if anything, and that I will need to have in place so as to proceed with the courses.
If you go down the dive master route, you will be required (by PADI) to own your own RDP table, (came with your open water course),Diveknife, SMB (Surface Marker Bouy), Whistle, Compass and timing device. As a Master Scuba Diver you are not required to have any extras.
If I opted not to purchase my own equipment will Scuba Cat provide all of the necessary and required equipment to allow me to complete each of the courses? I assume that is is the case but wanted to make sure.
Rental equipment is included for you, a full set is:
* Regulator
* BCD
* Wetsuit
* Mask and Snorkel
* Fins
In regards to the accommodation I read a few details on your website about what is on offer but I wanted to find out some more about it and ask questions such as, Is the WiFi included in the cost of the accommodation? Are the toilets and bathrooms all shared or are their en suite options? Are their laundry facilities on site? Is their a communal kitchen? Do you cook with gas or electricity, or both?
Sonyas is a guesthouse directly opposite our facility. The rooms are mainly ensuite, if I request this now for you you will get it, WIFI is included as are electric and water, she has got a kitchen downstairs, however it is her own. Sometimes she lets customers use it, that sounds strange but Sonya is a friend of mine, the rooms used to be part of her home she converted them for me, the kitchen is her own, treat her with respect and friendliness she will treat you like family. Laundry is not included, she does not have facilities on site, intact no many people I know here do their own it is so cheap and laundry shops are everywhere. The kitchen at Sonyas has a gas hob and microwave, we do not have ovens in thailand. It is very rare for us to cook in too, Street food is so cheap and exceptionally good. It is more expensive to buy ingredients and cook !
For the dives what size group bookings do you take? What are your minimum and maximum limits for these groups? If I am training and learning to become a Dive Master then whilst I appreciate that if I progress with a career in the industry that it could mean dealing with large groups my preference would be for there to be small groups, making it more enjoyable, manageable as well as personal.
We definitely specialise in small groups! Maximum 4 customers to 1 dive master on the day trips, maybe 5 on the liveaboard. Minimum 1 diver? Depends on bookings on the day. Same on courses too.
How many dive sites do you have? Are any of these exclusive or are they used by all of the dive operators?
There are many dive sites, non of which are exclusive sorry. have a look at
Daytrips
Liveaboards
Sorry their are too many for me to list individually, there are more than this too.
How far away are you from the shortest dive site and the longest? I’m looking to ascertain the journey times on both land and sea that I would be experiencing which is why I ask.
The boat leaves from Chalong pier which is 20 minutes by car, we provide the transport for our customers, time to dive sites varies from 1 hour 20 to 3 hours on the day trips from Phuket
How far is the dive shop and all of the equipment from the boats that you use for the dive trips? How long does it take to get there and then back again?
20 minutes by Car (we provide this)
What is Scuba Cat’s company ethos/mantra? Are you a young, senior or a mixed group of people? What nationalities do you currently have working for the company? I ask these questions so I can build up a mental picture of how the company is shaped and what type of personalities you have working there. Obviously I would need to meet everyone face to face before making a final decision but if I have an idea of who works at Scuba Cat then this will help me gain some kind of understanding about who you are.
Having just put the ages to all of us I guess you would put us in the older group! As an employer I believe you get better instruction from the more mature (I prefer this description!) than the younger holiday instructors.
Of the dive sites that you work and operate out of what would you consider to be your top 5? I appreciate that this might be a tricky question to answer but you guys must be able to agree on a few sites which you all really enjoy over and above others.
Tough question every dive site offers something different to everyone, me I like shallow reef dives, Claud loves deep wreck dives, Debbie just can’t wait to dive again once she has the baby! I have posted that question on the Scuba cat Facebook group to ask customers what they think for you.
https://www.facebook.com/IDCPhuketThailand
https://www.facebook.com/PhuketThailandLiveaboard
https://www.facebook.com/PADI5STARCDCCenterPhuketThailand
Life on Land, what’s it like where you are? Could you give me a brief intro into what facilities and services there are available so markets, post offices, banks, ATMs, hospitals, doctors, bus stations, train stations, airports etc.
Phuket has everything from quiet secluded beaches to large towns and facilities, the accommodation is in Patong, there are markets, supermarkets, post offices, banks, ATMs, hospitals, doctors etc. The bus station is in Phuket Town and the airport is on the island too. There are no trains on Phuket.
Nightlife, is there any where the accommodation is located or close by? I am referring to both restaurants and bars when I ask about this. Whilst I’m not looking to go out partying every night I will want to relax and unwind over a few drinks on some evenings.
Patong is the main nightlife hub of the Island, with bars starting a 10 minute walk away ! You can go quiet or as mad as you want in this town, the variation is fantastic.
Job opportunities, of those divers who you train do any of them end up working for you? Or do they typically head elsewhere to find work after completing their courses? Do you have relationships with other dive companies both in Thailand but also other countries which you sometimes refer dive masters to for work?
Due to the work permit laws only Thais can be dive masters, however we have relationships with other companies in other countries for employment opportunities.
After a further email and a couple of Skype conversations with me, Matt asked me what he should bring to Phuket with him….
Things to bring with you, umm tough one…. we can get nearly anything we want to on Phuket its just the price that can vary a lot from home. Main things would be special foods or drinks you cannot live without! Some people miss all sorts of things from home…. me it Ribena and Marmite! I can get them here but they are about 3 times the price of the UK, for others its teabags and liquorice! If there is anything you will miss from home please bring it, no matter how silly you may think it is!
The other thing that is so useful to bring is a waterproof jacket, during the summer we can get sudden downpours and a jacket is always useful. They sell plastic “condoms” here and trust me that is what they look like! Yes you might not get wet from the rain but you will sweat so much inside it you will be soaking wet anyway!
Matt arrived in Phuket as expected on 9th April….with a rain jacket ! Welcome to the PADI IDC July 2014…….
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