I recently had this thought myself, and after searching all across the globe and making enquiries with many dive centres I decided upon Georgia at Oceans Unlimited, Costa Rica. This was a tough decision which required a certain amount of trust and I guess some good fortune. From my first email I was pretty certain that I would not regret this decision and as it turned out I got a whole lot more than I first expected.
My intention upon arriving in Costa Rica was to enjoy a leisurely but thorough Dive Master experience over a six week period. The first week went according to plan with a typical day as follows:
7:30am - arrive at shop, get all my gear ready before clients arrive, check the dive plan for the day.
7:45-8:00am – greet clients and help with equipment needs, load up the truck and get down to the wharf.
8:30am – 12:30pm – Double boat dive. Chat to divers on the way out to dive sites, get an idea of experience levels, anxieties, discuss dive site, what to expect, etc. Typical dive boat chat. During the dives I would follow behind and keep group together or buddy up with a nervous diver.
12:40pm – back at shop and unload truck, wash out gear but not all of it surprisingly. I was pretty happy to hear Georgia tell me to go and get some lunch and leave that for the paid staff!
1:30 – 3/4pm - Now for the fun part. Classroom time. Lectures, theory, presentations, tests, etc. All the stuff that you need to know and can’t escape no matter where you go! The afternoons was also the time for getting the pool work done, sitting in on open water courses and DSD’s, also working on demonstration skills and rescue practice. Some afternoons were spent just checking out the dive shop, getting to know how things operated and getting to know the other staff. Some afternoons were free and were well spent checking out local life around town.
Now that was the easy first week, but then things got a little mental...
There happened to be another guy who was due to start the IDC. After some thought and discussion with Georgia about the possibility of fitting this into such a tight schedule, the decision was made to take on the IDC. My theory was that it made sense to continue to the IDC while the DM was still fresh and also from the impression I had already developed of Georgia’s ability as an instructor. I also had a chat to one of her previous students who had passed his exams with flying colours and convinced me to do it.
Georgia then went away and came up with a plan off how this would all happen. From this point on it was go go go! Mornings were spent the same way and in order to get my 100 dives up I was in the water everyday which was fine by me. Free afternoons were a thing of the past and Georgia and I were spending up to five or six hours either in the classroom, the pool or a combination of both. 12 hour days were not uncommon. This was a big job for Georgia to take on which she managed to do easily whilst also keeping the training interesting and entertaining. It was not all fun and games though and I was pushed hard when needed. “Feeling a bit hungover and tired hey? Too bad, have to do this exam”! Or Georgia’s favourite trick – the impeccably timed stamina tests which always seemed to coincide with my biggest nights out! So yes, she could be tough and uncompromising, but only when it come to standards which had to be met. In general though the day to day structure was flexible and relaxed. As long as I kept up with the work there were chances to take a day off or miss the afternoon lessons and go for a beer. But honestly, you may as well make the most of this opportunity and take in as much as possible!
This pattern continued over the remaining few weeks with each little theory, technique, demonstration, lesson or aspect of the course drummed into me until I could do it with my eyes closed. By the time I got to the instructor exams I had complete confidence that I would pass.
The highlights – diving every day, meeting new people, a great experience in a faraway land and becoming a dive instructor.
The lowlights – pushing yourself to sit through one more lecture after a long day, 2x800m stamina tests while sporting horrific hangovers.
So if you are reading this and are deciding whether to take the plunge and become a dive master or instructor, DO IT!
If you are deciding whether to trust Georgia with your hard earned cash and future livelihood, ABSOLUTELY! I found Georgia to be very thorough and professional in every aspect of the training. We got along great which was very important considering the amount of time spent together over six weeks. This also included after work drinks and Friday nacho nights, as we both recognised the importance of the social side of diving.
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