Thailand | Nov 2023 - Apr 2024 |
In an interesting change of events, I became a scuba instructor in Thailand.
Going Under
Prior to doing my PADI Divemaster Training (DMT) in Komodo in April 2023, I had no clear plan to do the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC). But that all changed, and in June that year I completed the one-month IDC with Blue Marlin Gili Trawangan. Post that, I still had no clear plan to pursue working as a dive instructor. Frankly, at age 58, prospects seemed pretty low for getting started as a newbie in what is typically viewed as a young person's game. And regardless, I was feeling some anxiety about my (former) career, and was toying with the idea of re-entering the corporate world, perusing job ads in Singapore and elsewhere. In parallel, I was also making some inquiries for dive jobs listed on PADI.com - and wasn't having much luck; all these roles required some combination of prior experience, signing a contract/long-term commitment (1-2 years), and most were looking for speakers of multiple languages. But, lo and behold, I did hear back from a dive center in Koh Chang, one that I dived with in January 2023. I had a call with the shop owner, and soon thereafter made a commitment for a 6-month instructor role. One of the last questions I had on a call with the dive center owner was "will I have the opportunity to certify some divers as an instructor?"Read on...
Starting out as a Dive Instructor
Prior to arriving in Koh Chang I envisioned myself starting out as an assistant instructor and dive master, allowing me to get up to speed on teaching techniques and local dive sites. So, I was a bit surprised when I had a group of 4 open-water students assigned to me on my first day at work - trial by fire, so they say. Within a week I had certified multiple divers and guided recreational divers on most of the major local dive sites. And things progressed at that frenetic pace and in my first 90 days on the job I had instructed 40 divers and guided just as many.
Being an Instructor
If you are a dive junkie, being an instructor is not exactly "work" - it's living the dream. Especially if you are based in a place like Koh Chang - you're on the boat, in the water, diving every day, meeting new people, diving for free/actually getting paid to dive. And there's a certain prestige that comes with the role, as you are helping people fufil a challenging certification that opens the door to a whole new world, underwater. While you do have the odd difficult student(s) and sometimes work for literally weeks on end without a day off, it's very gratifying and never boring (thus far; I have only done it for 6 months as I write this). Few people complete a dive course without a sense of elation, gratification and thanks to their instructor - it's not like, say, teaching an evening class of bored teenagers as a language instructor (based on my prior experience, a long time ago). While I didn't take up the role as a lifetime career option, or for the money, the lifestyle I attained in Koh Chang was very comfortable - more than I expected. And of course, it's a very sociable pastime, where you get to meet new and interesting people from all around the world, every day - many who happen to be attractive woman in bikinis.
A Day In the Life
My standard workday in Koh Chang involved an 8 am start at the shop. Students and divers roll in from about 8:15, many needing to be fitted with gear by their instructor or guide. We head out for the boat at the pier at 8:45 for a full day on the boat or a few hours in the pool (with newbie students). A standard day is 3 dives each day, usually 2 coral sites, along with the HTMS Chang shipwreck.
Diving in Koh Chang
Overall, the diving in Koh Chang is very good. The local dive sites are close by, the coral is healthy, fish and sea-life life is wide-ranging and abundant, and the HTMS Chang is one of the best wreck sites in SEAsia (that I have seen, and I've seen a few). I dived (dove?) in Koh Chang with the same shop in January 2023, and that was a hook for me wanting to work as an instructor in Koh Chang.
Why Koh Chang?
Simply put, it's one of the last examples of "old" Thailand beach life. I was lucky to first vist the island in 1993. While it's obviously much more developed now, it still has a great vibe = there are no major hotel chains, no airport, and it's not a major destination on the backpacker trail, like, say, Koh Tao or Pai. Proximity to Cambodia also makes it a great location for visa renewals, just a 2-hour scooter ride to the border.
