Did you know that both owners of Xtreme Gap are Divemasters? My name is Debby and I am one of the two.
I had the most amzing time when I did my Thailand Divemaster course in 2007 on Koh Tao. I had done my openwater before but now wanted to do the full course. Not so much because I wanted to work as a Divemaster but more because I wanted to dive as much as possibe for a long duration of time.
The first group I guided under water
This is why our Divemaster course is streched out over 12 weeks and during there 12 weeks you can make up to 5 dives a day. We know other companies offer Divemaster programmes too, but never 12 weeks and sometimes with less limited amount of dives.
The instructors at the five star padi resort we work with are great. I stayed there for 12 weeks and had a ball. I met so many nice people at this programme. People from all over the world. Not scary at all to be alone, because you never really are. The best place to meet after a day of studying fish in the tropical waters, is at the Dive Bar at the resort. You can cath up with other travellers and decide where you will go out for dinner. I have been to many many restaurants with great food!
The evenings are such a big social event. This is also why we have decided not to include food. This would ty you down to one and the same restaurant while all your new mates go to nice different places all the time. The food in Thailand is cheap. You pay like 2 euro for a nice curry with chicken and fresh veggies in a nice restaurant or at a beach bar.
Koh Tao is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand and it has a special feel to it and even though it is really small, you will never get bored. There are many great beaches, you can do some yoga or try out some Muay Thai moves. There are great option for rock climbing, but believe it or not, you will probably be to busy for this all.
I was always so busy…getting up early sort out the new arrivals, because as a divemaster you assist your instructor with helping out new divers, or people that are just there for a few days doing their open water. Than you get on the truck, to the boat. After a month or so of training you can do the briefing to the new divers and sometimes the instructor lets you lead the dive.
Two dives in the morning and than back for a chilled lunch. Believe me you will be so hungry! And then back to the oat for the next to dives. And in the evening the option to do a night dive. We work with this dive school because they are quite big and have two boats. The benifit of this is that you can always join at any time. If one boat is full, they let the other boat go out too. With smaller schols, you will not get the opportunity to dive this much because there will be limited space, and the more you dive, the more you learn.
The dive gear is included. Not for yours to keep, but if you travel on afterwards you do not want to pack it all and take it with you anyway.
The accommodation we have selected is great too. The resort has various options for t=rooms but I stayed in the standard room and tht is perfect. Ok you do not have view at the pool, but rooms are spacious, and you have your own bathroom. There is a fan to keep you cool and a shower to keep you cool. Yep, no warm water, but you will probobaly not miss it because it is so hot and humid in Thailand that you prefer to have a cold shower anyway.
To make the travel easier for you we have included a night in Bangkok and we have pre arranged your bus and boat journey to Koh Tao. On koh Tao our rep Sarah will pick you up at the pier take you to the resort and in the evening she will take you out for dinner and introduce you to all trainers and other travellers.
If you have any questions regaring the Thailand Divemaster programme, just drop me an e mail: [email protected].
