Take your Divemaster course on Koh Tao and open up a whole new world of opportunities!

Have you ever been fun diving as a qualified scuba diver? Well, that person who organises your trip for you and leads you around the dive site is a Divemaster!  The Divemaster rating is the first professional level of scuba diving qualifications, and allows you to take people fun diving every day, showing them the beautiful underwater world while you experience it for yourself again and again… and get paid for it!

Divemasters are also allowed to assist Instructors when they are teaching courses, so you also get to help introduce new divers to the underwater world you love so much, watch their wonder and excitement as they see a new realm open up before them, and take pride in your work as their skill level and confidence grows.  The SSI Divemaster qualification is also the first step to becoming an SSI Instructor, so if teaching people to do what you love is your ultimate goal, this is the course for you. Even if working as a dive professional isn’t your current goal, the SSI Divemaster course on Koh Tao with Goodtime Thailand will significantly boost your dive skills, plus expand on your knowledge, confidence, and general comfort in diving. By becoming a better diver, you will enjoy your own underwater adventures even more, expand on the different types of dives you can do, and also the places you can go. One of the best things about your Divemaster course on Koh Tao is that it gives you the transferrable skills to go anywhere once you are certified!

The Divemaster Course

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There are three main aspects to the Divemaster program: theory, water skills development, and practical assessments. You’ll take the academic training with our Instructor Trainer or one of the experienced pro-level team members, but the bulk of your time will be spent in the water. You’ll assist on a variety of recreational level training programs, and also take part in instructor lead workshops where you practice existing skills and learn new ones. As you progress through the course you will develop the knowledge and experience you need to organise and direct a variety of scuba diving activities. When you are not scheduled for training courses, you get to fun dive with your fellow trainees and shadow our full-time Divemasters and their customer groups. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with more dive sites and marine life, and will also really help you develop your navigation and leadership skills.

The SSI Divemaster course can be completed in as little as two weeks, but we normally recommend spending around 6 weeks with us to get the most out of both your training at Goodtime and diving on Koh Tao in general. 

The Ultimate Divemaster Course!

If you are serious about working as a Divemaster then you need to go that extra step to stand out from the crowd.  In this case, you should consider completing our Ultimate Divemaster Course.

Divemaster Course Logstics

You can start the course at any time, although here are some factors to be aware of before you sign up.

Prerequisites
To officially begin your SSI Divemaster course at Goodtime you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Have already completed the SSI Open Water, Advanced Adventurer, and Diver Stress & Rescue courses (or equivalent from another recognized training agency).
  • Have logged at least 40 open water dives (totalling 25 hours or more).
  • Have completed either the full specialty programs, or have at least 5 logged dives in each of the following areas: Deep Diving, Night/Limited Visibility Diving, and Navigation.
  • Complete a medical questionnaire and submit a current diving medical certificate (dated within the last 12 months) signed by a physician. If you answer “no” to all the questions you can obtain your medical for diving on Koh Tao. However, if you have any pre-existing medical conditions we would recommend getting the certificate from a diving physician before you arrive.

    • If you do not already meet all of these prerequisites, don’t worry! We can help with additional fun dives, Open Water, Advanced Adventurer, and Diver Stress & Rescue courses and also any SSI specialty courses you need on arrival.

    Equipment
    We recommend that every dive professional should own a full set of their own equipment, and we provide a 15% discount on any purchases you make through Goodtime. However, we understand that not everyone who takes their pro-level dives courses on Koh Tao with us can continue travelling with lots of bulky equipment, and others may not be planning to work as a dive professional right away. So we do allow free use of our rental dive equipment for the bigger items. You do need to own or purchase the following items as a minimum however, as we do not have enough of these available for you to borrow on a long term basis:

  • Deployable surface marker buoy (DSMB)
  • Cutting tool (dive knife)
  • Audible signalling device (whistle)
  • Compass
  • Flashlight

    • For your comfort and safety, it is also recommended that every diver should have their own mask and snorkel, fins, rash guard or wetsuit, and dive computer. Remember that as an Aqualung Partner Centre we can help you get access to a wide range of top quality dive equipment at the best prices.

    SSI Divemaster Course Costs

    SSI-Divemaster-certification-card

    Becoming a dive professional on Koh Tao is significantly more cost effective than at most other dive destinations in the world. Plus the water is warm, the conditions are fantastic, and the lifestyle is enviable!

    Our basic SSI Divemaster course costs 30,000THB, plus 8,285THB for all the SSI materials and SSI Pro Registration.  The Ultimate Divemaster Course costs 55,000THB and is inclusive of all SSI materials and fees. 

    If you need any help with planning or budgeting for the rest of your stay, we are more than happy to assist you with information on long-term accommodation, scooter rental, etc.

    What’s Included in you Divemaster Course

    Unlimited free fun dives for the duration of your course (up to 2 months), with further diving on Koh Tao at basic cost price for the rest of your life.

    SSI Dive Professional fee (includes your first year’s professional membership)

    All instruction & training materials

    A 10litre dry bag

    A Goodtime baseball cap

    2 Goodtime T-shirts

    An eco-friendly aluminium water bottle and unlimited refills

    Discounts on professional equipment purchases

    Employment assistance for Divemaster work on Koh Tao, and other locations globally

    If you have any questions or would like any more information about Goodtime, the SSI Divemaster course, Koh Tao, or Thailand in general, or if you would like to sign up and start your professional dive career with us, please contact gaz@goodtimethailand.com

    What’s Next?
    Becoming a professional Divemaster on Koh Tao is only the first step in your diving career.  If you have a passion for teaching or want to increase your employment potential, then the next step is to take the Instructor Training Course to become a fully-fledged SSI scuba diving instructor!

    So what are you waiting for? Come and join us, and start your professional diving career in paradise!