Advanced Diver
Location: Haad Yao, Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
Local Time: Jan 25, 2006 - 6:36pm
Well, I finished off two more dives today. A deep dive to 30m, and a multi-level dive, planned with the wheel, a plastic PADI device worth over $20CND that allows you to plan safe dives at multiple depths during the dive. That finishes the necessary dives for my course, so now, I'm an Advanced Diver.
I'm feeling very advanced.
Seth and I were talking to the dive instructor, Michel LeBlanc. He has been living in Thailand for 6 years now. Originally from Holland, he had a middle management troubleshooting job, but decided he liked living in Thailand better. Now he's a dive instructor. He lived on Ko Tao for 2 years, and on Ko Pha Ngan for 4 years now.
Apparently PADI (the dive organization that arranges the criteria, materials and testing) has changed the rules starting this year. The dive schools use to have a bunch of books and so forth that they used for giving lessons. If you really wanted, you could buy the books for yourself, but it wasn't necessary.
Now, starting this year, you must purchase the PADI materials, books, computers, accessories, etc, for each course. This will make each PADI course more expensive as the dive schools will pass this cost on to students, and, if you are like me and travelling for an extended period of time, you will end up with a bunch of materials that have to be discarded or shipped home at more cost.
Bit of a pain in the butt. Reminds me of working at Creo. During my last year there, it was always about how we could charge the customer for something. The idea of service had been abandoned in favor of more money.
Apparently some people feel PADI stands for Put Another Dollar In. I always thought it was Pay And Dive Immediately.
Local Time: Jan 25, 2006 - 6:36pm
Well, I finished off two more dives today. A deep dive to 30m, and a multi-level dive, planned with the wheel, a plastic PADI device worth over $20CND that allows you to plan safe dives at multiple depths during the dive. That finishes the necessary dives for my course, so now, I'm an Advanced Diver.
I'm feeling very advanced.
Seth and I were talking to the dive instructor, Michel LeBlanc. He has been living in Thailand for 6 years now. Originally from Holland, he had a middle management troubleshooting job, but decided he liked living in Thailand better. Now he's a dive instructor. He lived on Ko Tao for 2 years, and on Ko Pha Ngan for 4 years now.
Apparently PADI (the dive organization that arranges the criteria, materials and testing) has changed the rules starting this year. The dive schools use to have a bunch of books and so forth that they used for giving lessons. If you really wanted, you could buy the books for yourself, but it wasn't necessary.
Now, starting this year, you must purchase the PADI materials, books, computers, accessories, etc, for each course. This will make each PADI course more expensive as the dive schools will pass this cost on to students, and, if you are like me and travelling for an extended period of time, you will end up with a bunch of materials that have to be discarded or shipped home at more cost.
Bit of a pain in the butt. Reminds me of working at Creo. During my last year there, it was always about how we could charge the customer for something. The idea of service had been abandoned in favor of more money.
Apparently some people feel PADI stands for Put Another Dollar In. I always thought it was Pay And Dive Immediately.
posted by Jaye | 5:00 PM
1 Comments:
Hey Jake - e - poo. It's anonymous Gord.
Sounds all too familiar. Try the Salad Hut at Haat Salad for awesome food...I recommend Paulo Coelho's 'The Pilgrimage', as a most awesome read for the beaches. It's an amazing true story..
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