Hey Cristiana! Cayman will be very expensive compared to the other two and also the crowd is a tad older. I’d narrow your search to Koh Tao or Gili!

Hey Dee! I wish I could help but it’s really hard for me to have input on the comparison as I’ve ever been to Tenerife Dive Academy. While I haven’t personally dove with Crystal, I did partner with them for part of my retreat this year and they have an excellent reputation! Good luck — I know firsthand how agonizing the decision can be!

My research on finding good Divemaster internships brought me to your page and I’m loving everything in your blog! I am planning on going for a DM internship sometime around March/April. Do you have any suggestions for a good place? I came across Tenerife Dive Academy and Crystal Dive in Koh Tao and other 20 odd ones. Your suggestion will help me breathe better with the decision.

I know what you mean, Jon — when I was looking into where I wanted to do my divemaster, I was dying for more first hand accounts of what the course was like and how it went for various people. It’s really hard to find reviews of any kind when it comes to continuing give education! Happy to fill the gap however I can!

Hope I can come and dive with your outfit in Gili Trawangan one day!

Hi Sascha… personally I would not. I cannot imagine how it’s physically possible to fit in all the divemaster requirements into one week, and even if it is so, I can’t imagine it would be enjoyable or pleasant or that you’d leave with the confidence to start working and leading divers. I would take some of the time you planned to do season dive work and devote that to a more intensive course instead. Good luck!

What a great article about the DM. You wrote that six weeks were the absolute minimum of time to complete your DM. Right now, I also would like to accomplish my DM and do some seasonal working in the diving scene afterwards. Unfortunately, i just have one week of holiday left but the dive store offered me to do my DM in this week if I finish the PADI elearning before. What do you think about it? Shall I go for it or not?

Hey there! No reason not to go ahead and dive into the reading material, however what usually takes the most time with the DM course I think it actually the training dives rather than the exams. So it might not help you finish any earlier, but I’m sure it will help you to have more time to absorb the material! Best of luck!

I’m currently doing my rescue diver course. I have read all the material now just need to complete one more pool session then the two open waters dives. My questions is, shall I start doing the reading now for the DM course? Makes sense to me, it should give me a head start to pass the exams early on.

What do you think?