Michael Tham shares with SmartDory on How to Dive Deeper for Career Advancement.
Contents
Sacking the Boss
Many divers dream of throwing in the towel. Give up that desk job.
Whenever you’re on land and back to the office, it feels like trading your fins for a ball and chain.
In Malaysia, the employees dream of “sacking the boss”. Dive Deeper into the story.
You want to trade up. Turn your vacation into a permanent vacation?
If you have these thoughts, then a career beneath the seas might just be your call.
Finally, you are now certified as an OWD. Great!! Diving in Malaysia is not like diving in the United States, Japan, Thailand, or Korea. The divers there are professional commercial divers.
How cool is that? Well, fear not, let’s starts somewhere…
How Many Levels?
Level 1 – OWD (Open Water Diver Certification)
Level 2 – AOWD (Advance Open Water Certification)
Level 3 – Rescue Diver & First Aid and Medic
Level 4 – Dive Master
Level 5 – Assistant Instructor
Level 6 – Instructor
Level 2 – AOWD
The AOWD has two mandatory Specialities, namely:
a) Deep Dive
Upon completing this specialty, the Open-Water Diver will be able to dive to Depths NOT EXCEEDING 130ft or 30 meters. Deep-dive safety Rules and regulations must be adhered to.
b) Underwater Navigation enables a Diver to reach the Diver’s destination Point A to Point B Straight Line Navigation or return to the Diver’s initial dive entry point.
Square and Triangular Navigation are also taught in this course.
The other two Divers can choose from, but many Divers would prefer to go for:
c) Night Dive is a very interesting Course to select. Normally, the Dive Operator will take the Diver on a day tour of a site and return to the same site in the evening/twilight to see the different marine life during the day and the night.
d) Peak Performance Buoyancy: This enables a Diver to suspend himself/herself above Corals and Marine Life.
If a Diver would like to learn Underwater Photography, this course will enhance the Diver’s ability to “Hover” above the subject and take the best shot of Marine Life.
The simplest of them all is Photography of clownfish swimming amongst the Sea Anemone.
Level 3 – Rescue Diver & First Aid and Medic
This course will teach a Diver how to Rescue Divers in distress and, after the rescue, perform First Aid and Medical Aid when called upon to.
Level 4 – Dive Master
A Dive Master is a Diver who is training himself to move up to Assistant Dive Instructor.
When an instructor is teaching, he is on hand to assist the instructor or perform the exercises for the students.
To perform kit up of dive gears while the Instructor is narrating. In the Open Water Assessment of Students, the Dive Master is on standby in case of an emergency to aid the OWD student.
Level 5 – Assistant Instructor
To assist the Dive Instructor in teaching and demonstrating to the Student Divers procedures for performing a certain exercise. To teach Confined Watercourses in the presence of the Instructor.
Level 6 – Instructor
A Diver Instructor can certify Students from OWD, AOWD, Dive Master, and Asst. Instructor. The Instructor can assist an Assistant Instructor to help him through his / her Instructor Development Course (IDC)
DIVE INSTITUTIONS IN MALAYSIA
In Malaysia, many Dive Institutions encourage their Divers to advance their Dive Careers.
By the time a Diver reaches the Level of a Dive Master, he or she can consider this as a full-time Occupation.
At resorts, Dive Masters act as Dive Guides for an experienced group of Divers or as Sweepers at the back of the group of Open-Water Divers on an excursion while the Dive Instructor leads the group to ensure the safety of the entire Dive Group.
Dive Institutions in Malaysia: PADI, NAUI, SSI, and BSAC
Other courses are available, such as DAN O2 and Nitrox (Enriched Air) rebates.
Feature Photo: Ooi Hui Ling
