Commercial Diver Crossover to PADI Divemaster

Commercial Divers without the doubt are among the most qualified and with highest level of diving skills out there. When the hard work pays off and the time comes why not think of another career change within the diving industry and become Professional Divemaster or Instructor? PADI recognises the skills and experience of commercial divers however dealing with recreational divers and dive emergencies that might arise commercial divers need to learn a new set of skills to safely enjoy and supervise those recreational divers. To crossover, proof of any diving certifications (commercial or military) beyond the entry level and at least 20 logged dives are required to get the equivalent rating of PADI Advanced Diver. The next step is going to be a Rescue Diver assessment and the best way to do it is actually participate in the whole Rescue Course during which commercial divers will be dealing with typical emergency situations that recreational divers may face. CPR and First Aid training from the last 24 months is required prior to the Rescue Course. After that PADI Divemaster Course begins during which candidates learn how to assist instructors with dive courses, polish their diving skills to high quality demonstration level and help dive staff with certified divers during their fun diving trips all over Mactan and nearby islands of Cebu. All PADI Divemaster Courses are run exclusively by PADI Master Instructor and TDI Instructor Greg Maciejowski who has been living and teaching recreational and technical diving courses in the Philippines since 2005.

Prerequisites to get PADI Advanced Diver rating

• proof of certification beyond entry level + minimum 20 logged dives

Prerequisites for Divemaster

• Rescue Diver, 40 logged dives, CPR & First Aid Training in the last 24 months
• medical statement signed by doctor from the last 12 months

Duration of the Divemaster Course

• 3-4 weeks

Divemaster Internship

For newly certified divemasters Kontiki Divers offers free, unpaid internship for 1-2 months. During this internship all new DIVE PROs will be gaining more realistic, hands on experience at the dive center under supervision of our experienced dive staff. 

FREE Scuba Makeover

TDI Instructor Greg Maciejowski from Kontiki Divers is offering FREE Scuba Makeover experience for certified divers from any agency at any level who have difficulty with buoyancy, equipment and gaps in understanding dive theory. Sometimes student divers are rushed thru courses and have no chance to properly master all the underwater skills or understand how things work. Having the right knowledge and apply that knowledge is the only way to really take the most out of scuba diving. Sometimes it is just a matter of proper weight distribution or dive gear set up and sometimes problem could be more of a psychological nature like fear of drowning due to poor swimming skills. Whatever is the reason, Scuba Makeover will help you better understand all the aspects of diving. This half day experience includes basic theory review and 1 confined dive during which Greg will try to identify problems and give solutions.

Prerequisites

• certified diver of any age and agency
• proof of certification required

Inclusions

• basic dive theory overview
• equipment configuration
• 1 confined dive (problem finding & solutions)

Cost

• scuba makeover - FREE
• equipment rental - PHP380.00, full set incl. tank
• divers with own equipment - PHP100.00 for the tank
• facility fee - PHP100.00 per diver

Duration

• half day

Please email greg@kontikidivers.com for more details and schedule

IMPORTANT: Scuba Makeover is not a refresher course. Divers with many years without diving should do Scuba Review during which all basic dive theory and all basic diving skills are reviewed. 

Frogfish of the Philippines

Frogfish also known as Anglerfish is very special and hard to find by divers. As you see on the picture they come in different sizes and coloration which blends in to the surroundings. This predator can be found all over the Philippines in shallow and deep waters. Sometimes even in very unexpected places like under the pier or in some dirty shallow muddy places. Having a good local dive guide is a must if you really want to have those great pictures. Generally frogfish do not move much to our advantage when taking pictures however when disturbed the fish will move (hover) which is also very spectacular.

Nitrox Diving and Courses

For many years now Enriched Air (Nitrox) has been used by recreational divers all around the world. Majority of recreational training agencies offer 1 day nitrox courses. There is no doubt that diving with nitrox is beneficial. Lower nitrogen loading gives us longer bottom times and generally enriched air makes us less tired after multiple dives. PADI offers Enriched Air Diver course where after completing the course divers may use nitrox up to 40%. Technical Diving International (TDI) goes one step further and offers Advanced Nitrox Diver courses where divers may use up to 100% pure oxygen for added conservatism during their recreational diving and of course this course is a prerequisite for Extended Range Diver Technical course. There are some training agencies like Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) who use EAN32 (Nitrox 32%) as their standard breathing gas for recreational diving (no AIR diving). Standard regulator straight from the box may be used for diving with nitrox up to 40%. Oxygen cleaning is recommended for recreational nitrox use (up to 40%) and mandatory O2 cleaning is required for technical diving where up to 100% O2 may be used. Today all dive computers are nitrox compatible to at least 50% nitrox use and they are user friendly. Some divers may ask if there is additional work to be done prior to nitrox diving and the answer is YES but all we need to do is personally analyse the content of our scuba tank, put the sticker on it and off we go, that is it.

Scuba Diving and Courses with Kontiki Divers

Scuba diving and dive courses with Kontiki Divers Scuba Adventures all year round. We run PADI and TDI technical and recreational courses with small classes so the students can benefit the most out of each course. Conditions are great pretty much all year round with water temperature ranging from 26-30C and air temperature from 25C at night to 35C day time. Learning scuba diving with Kontiki is really fun. Good visibility and small classes make it easier and less stressful. Technical divers will love San Juan Wreck and Marigondon cavern. Kontiki House Reef wall is perfect for technical diver training. Beside courses we offer lots of fund diving on Mactan Island, Olango, Hilutungan, Nalusuan and Cabilao Island. For non-divers PADI Discover Scuba Diving is a perfect way to start underwater adventure. Divers who love makro will enjoy most. At Kontiki House Reef we still see school of sardines from time to time in shallow waters. Night dives are one of our specialties where we can see lots of crabs, shrimps, octopus and moray eels.

TDI Courses at Kontiki Divers

Kontiki Divers is offering TDI (Technical Diving International) courses which include the following courses:

Intro to Tech

This is an entry level no decompression technical course available for Open Water Divers with minimum 25 logged dives who like to learn fundamental technical diving skills which they can apply in their recreational dives and to gain more experience before enrolling in to TDI Decompression Procedures course. After certification divers can use double tank configuration in recreational diving. This course can be done in 2-3 days.

Advanced Nitrox Diver

This is a no decompression course during which you will learn how to use nitrox up to 100%. This can become very handy on some deeper recreational dives where you can use higher nitrox like 50% or pure O2 for additional safety in shallow water. This course is a prerequisite for Extended Range Diver Course. Advanced Nitrox can be done in 3-4 days.

Decompression Procedures Diver

This course is an entry level decompression diving course in which you will learn how to plan and execute a full deco dive under supervision of technical instructor. Maximum depth for this course is 45m. This course is a prerequisite for Extended Range and can be done in 4-5 days.

Extended Range Diver

This course further develops knowledge and skills of a technical diver. Maximum allowed depth is 55m while using air as a back gas and nitrox or oxygen as deco gases. Divers who graduate from Extended Range are ready to take the next step which is trimix or overhead environment courses. This course can be done in 4-5 days if all goes well.

Every scuba diving course is performance based therefore sometimes it may take longer to complete than the number of days listed above.