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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Happy Songkran !
Its nearly here……. no not a Day’s Diving, we have that here everyday at Scuba Cat Diving…….
Songkran!
What is it?
April 13th is the traditional Thai New Year’s Day, which is celebrated throughout the country by all Thai people, whether young or old, of all walks of life including the Thai Royal Family. April is also the time when farmers are free from their normal farming duties allowing them the time needed to take part in the annual tradition, which involves the deeply important task of paying respect to their ancestors and elders.
The tradition was adopted from India, the ancient Brahmins, who believed that the sun finished its orbit round the earth on April 13 and re-entered Aries.
The significance of Water
Water is traditionally used during the Songkran festival, to gently wash the hands of elders and monks and bathe Buddha images.
Soft chalk power called “Din Saw Phong” is traditionally applied on the face or body. To touch others without their permission is considered an ill manner by civilised Thais. Therefore you should not offer unrequested help with this.
Proper bathing is divided into two categories:
- Bathing of elders (according to tradition ago 60+) as a tribute of respect and for blessings. Youngsters pour scented water onto the hands of the elders. In return the elders will grant their best wishes upon them.
- Traditionally, upon the bathing ritual, elders are given toilet items: clothes, “Pha-nung” (loin cloth), handkerchiefs, towels, soap, perfumes and powder.
- Bathing for peers or juniors. Permission should be asked for before gently pouring the scented water over their shoulder and down their back whilst giving a blessing for the New Year. However close friends, can enjoy splashing water on each other as they wish still with appropriate manners and moral.
The water used for bathing and splashing is regarded as sacred. It must be clean water or scented water with floral pedals, and NOT dirty water or ice.
The highest form of respect is made by bowing with pressed palms, arms and forehead touching the floor in front of the person or the image paying respect to.
To bathe the Buddha image or any idol, it is appropriate to pour the scented water on other parts of the Buddha image but not the head.
If you are in Patong, Phuket for Songkran:
- The streets become crazy! Thai’s arm themselves with water guns, hoses and buckets to soak anyone and everyone they see. YOU WILL GET WET if you go onto the streets and perhaps be smeared with white powder. Keep your temper and smile. Unlikely as it seems this is part of the ancient tradition of paying respect to elders.
- White tops will be pretty revealing when wet. Do you really want to become a participant in a Wet T-shirt competition, wear dark tops if you don’t want the unrequested attention.
- Remember Thai’s and Tourists alike will consume lots of alcohol at this time. The streets will be crowded, you will get soaked and painted with white powder. Remember it is one big party atmosphere, everyone just wants to have fun so take it all in good spirit.
- Protect your cameras and mobile phones; electronics don’t work after they get wet! If you want to get photos of this festival then make sure you have waterproof protection for this or buy a camera that is waterproof. Don’t don’t wear your best clothes. Leave all-important documents in the hotel safe.
- IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET WET STAY INSIDE YOUR HOTEL ROOMS! Movies, room service food, snacks and a good book will keep you entertained.
- Jungcelon and Central Festival will all be open all through Songkran. You WILL get wet on the way there and back. Think about getting a taxi if you don’t want to get wet, you will be an easy target in a tuk-tuk.
- If you hire a car during Songkran don’t expect to keep it clean: it is will get white clay and water smears on it . Make sure that you have topped up your windscreen wipers with plenty of water. Some people may even try to open your car doors, unless you want to get wet keep them locked and windows closed.
- If you hire a scooter take great care, bike accidents soar during the festival period.
There is so much more to the Songkran festival than just water fights. Make sure you take the time to see the more traditional side during your stay with us in Phuket.
MSDT – What is this and why should I become one?
This months MSDT Program at Scuba Cat Diving starts on 24th April 2012.
So you have passed your PADI IDC and IE are are now looking to start working in your dream job.
First – you look at the various diving job websites
Next – you post your CV onto the PADI pros website
and then you wait…………… realizing that there are many new PADI OWSI Instructors each month actively seeking work……….
You want to stand out from the crowd, how do you do this?
Easy, Continue Your Education to Master Scuba Diver Trainer :
This rating sets you apart from other dive instructors by showing your commitment to continuing your dive training and being prepared to help others continue their training as well. You also get to teach PADI specialty diver courses – which opens the door to lots of fun while working.
To qualify as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, you must:
- Be a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
- Have five PADI Specialty Instructor certifications
- Have certified at least 25 PADI Divers
How can we help you achieve this?
At Scuba Cat Diving we have two methods you can do this, individual courses or as an all inclusive MSDT internship.
Each month directly after the IE we hold the MSDT prep program. This comprises of 5 speciality instructor certifications. This is the first step required in obtaining your MSDT.
During each of the 5 Speciality Instructor Courses you will:
- Present a knowledge development presentation from the specialty diver course outline.
- State the purpose and goals of the specialty diver course.
- Explain the course standards and procedures from the PADI Specialty Course Instructor Guide.
- List student diver and instructor equipment requirements.
- Explain the specialty diver course open water training considerations.
- Demonstrate mastery of all knowledge development and water skill performance requirements for the specialty diver course.
- Conduct an open water teaching assignment and demonstrate all open water performance requirements for the specialty diver course. Skills may be combined as appropriate for open water training dives.
- Describe how to conduct all course segments in a manner that enables divers to meet course performance requirements.
- Describe successful marketing and promotional techniques to promote specialty diver training as part of the PADI System.
- Determine costs involved in the pricing of specialty training.
After successful completion of the 5 specialty Instructor rating you will require 25 certifications in order to apply for the MSDT.
At Scuba Cat Diving we have a work experience program which is designed especially for New Instructors. You will gain the 25 certifications required for the MSDT whilst working along side our team of experienced PADI Instructors, benefiting not only from the certifications and the knowledge you will gain from them but from being part of a working dive centre, gaining a valuable insite into how you will be able to use your personality to best fit into your new role.
Career Internship
Simon Lomas ……..The story so far
Back in October 2011 I arrived in Patong, Phuket with the intention of spending the next 5 months diving and completing as many PADI courses as I could in the time. I was an Advanced Open Water Diver and I had the ambition of going up to my Master Scuba Diver Trainer with an Internship at Scuba Cat Diving.
Pre Dive Safety Check
Things started well after a few days to recover from the flight, I had a couple of days fun diving as I had not been in the water for over a year. Then I flew through my Emergency First Responder Course with the excellent instruction of Tony Lock, one of Scuba Cat’s Managers and Core Instructors.
Next: my PADI Rescue course. This was a great follow up to the EFR and under the instruction of Vince Moy, another great PADI Instructor. This course was very physically demanding and covered all scenario’s you will ever encounter and many you will never see too. After a few days I was exhausted, but was pleased to be told that I had passed with flying colours.
This was proved after meeting other instructors, who been working with other companies, that my course was much more in depth and I came out tired but much more confident.
Vincent Moy was again my instructor for my PADI Divemaster course. This I planned to do over a couple of months, so I could get experience as well as instruction. The Divemaster course is mentally demanding as well as physically as you need to learn all about Dive theory: physics, physiology, RDP and equipment as well as how go run safe guiding sessions.
Hover
Assisting instructors, with real courses and with simulated courses, does this. The simulated courses lets you see and deal with things that can happen so you can learn to deal with them and the real courses helps with the real world teaching and how different instructors teach in different ways. This course was good as it let me learn and dive at the same time.
I had great fun with a Chinese family who were with Tony one day. They all hit the water and got excited. They all swam off in different directions some could swim other could not. Wow, trying to hold two with my hands then towing a third who was holding on to my fin whilst I was finning with the other was something I wont forget in a hurry!
After completing my Divemaster course I went under the instruction of Big Vince, who’s job was to get me ready for the PADI IDC, bridging the gap in my Dive Theory getting me to a level where I could confidently demonstrate skills to a very high standard comfortably and confidently.
At first I was annoyed at this, as I believed I had already done this and was now wasting my time. I was wrong. Big Vince got me up to a very high standard, which came in so useful later.
Pool Skills
Now to my IDC……..hmmm where to start.
Since my time with Scuba Cat I had seen two IDC courses before mine and I saw the stress levels of some students, so I was a bit nervous. This was now not about skills but how to teach them. The others had far more experience than me but after my time with the Vinces’ I was confident.
Classroom
The classroom sessions were fun but very well run. We learned all we needed to and more. Both Sarah, PADI Course Director and Sean, PADI Master Instructor were hard on us and as a result our standards were far higher than the other candidates when it came to our PADI IE.
I was appalling at physics, even after passing with both Vincent and Vince but with Sean going over it everyday in different ways I got the hang of it with 12 hours to spare.
The Open water skills were good fun too, as we now had to teach. Sarah gave us problems which we had to over come that were far harder than any we encountered on the PADI IE. This made us so much more aware of problem spotting and solving than any we would got in the IE.
All in all the IDC was a hard two weeks but good fun as well.
I believe I coped far better than most of the other students I had seen from previous IDC’s, I was shaved and I only lost a few kilos and always slept well compared to many others who were up all night.
Thanks Scuba Cat for the preparation.
Now to the final IE this gave us a sleep in as it did not start till 3-4 pm which meant I could relax and have a few beers the night before, get up late have a good breakfast and a massage before getting ready. The Friday afternoon for me was the most nerve raking, the written theory exams, all 5 and the PADI General Standards. It was only Physics that bothered me. I did the exams well within the time, well actually with an hour to spare, sorry Sean I did try to slow down! I got them marked there and then. I did not look at the mark, only to make sure the examiner drew a “P” on them for pass then walked out.
Passed
The next day, Saturday was confined water skills and presentations. Easy. We got to the pool, in, did the skills, out, all passed no make-ups necessary in minutes.
That afternoon, knowledge development presentation which Sarah and Sean had prepared us so well for during the IDC, again we flew through.
All that was left was the open water sessions on the Sunday.
Rescue-scenario sped through – thanks guys.
The teaching scenarios were good too as Sarah had made the standards so high in our IDC it meant that actual IE was simple.
On top off all this I also managed to do 5 specialities towards my PADI MSDT which will be done when I return. This was great for me as I now have a the skills to work well and on top of that I also came out of my internship with a job offer too.
….Thailand here I come.
A big thanks to all at Scuba Cat, Sang, Jack and all in the shops, Akiko for getting me hooked on Diving with my Open Water Course a couple of years previous, Tony for so much help, encouragement and advice throughout. To Nat, who helped me so much with my guiding and how to find so many things. To Vincent Moy for all his help on my Rescue, Divemaster and photography courses .To Big Vince for his frowning, head shaking and low scores throughout his training of me, which has now got me to the standard needed for the IDC. Last but by no mean least, to Sarah and Sean who taught us, laughed at (with) us and made the IDC fun as well got me to become not just an instructor but a GOOD Instructor.
Now as I was told throughout my IDC stop talking or you will lose points if you are still going after the sun goes down.
Thanks to you all.
See you in October for the next chapter in my story.
PADI IDC Theory Preparation – Why?
So you have decided to come to Scuba Cat Diving on Phuket to complete you PADI IDC, great choice……. so why should you prepare yourself before?
The PADI IDC is NOT designed to re-teach you the skills and knowledge needed to become a Divemaster. All the skills and theory learnt then, should be reviewed BEFORE the start of your IDC.
Would you head off to university to complete a degree and expect to be retaught your previous education?
During the PADI IE you are required to sit 5 theory exams:
- Physics
- Physiology
- Equipment
- RDP
- General Skills and the Environment
These exams were part of the OLD PADI Divemaster Course (Pre 2011) They are not part of the new Divemaster Course (2011 +) So if you took the new Divemaster course you will need to fill this gap in your knowledge.
You may have decided to cross over from another Scuba Diving Organisation to become a PADI Instructor, this will bring you up to speed with the required theory.
The biggest hurdle faced by many candidates who took the old Divemaster Course or are new to the PADI system is that there is a gap between when they last completed the theory exams and now.
How can you get help to do this?
If you are feeling uncomfortable in this area and feel like you would like some extra tuition, then we recommend:
Dive Theory On line – E learning
PADI have devised a revision tool for you for your dive theory
– 6 separate video presentation’s cover all the theory plus your diving skills.
For example:
The Physics of diving video presentation is 39 minutes long, and comprises of 68 different slides.
The areas covered are:
- Heat light and sound in water
- Buoyancy
- Pressure and Water
- Pressure Volume and Density relationships
- Gases underwater – partial pressure
- Gases underwater – Gas Absorption and elimination
You get the opportunity to test your understanding throughout the sections and then when you are happy, complete the final exam for that section.
Self study
The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving and Diving Knowledge Workbook. These are great for people who don’t have regular internet access, they can be used either as standalone revision or to compliment the e learning.
An IDC Staff Instructor, James Brabyn, who has worked with Scuba Cat Diving for a number of years has put together an IDC & IE Revision Guide DVD that can also assist you with your preparation, contact me for more details. This again is best used with the Dive Theory online.
Dont forget that the professional IDC team here at Scuba Cat Diving, PADI 5 * CDC are always here to help you prepare as well. So if there is any theory you just cannot understand then please give us a call or send an email. We will arrange a private tuition session before the start of the IDC to help you review the theory .
Your success in the IDC is directly linked to the amount of effort both you and our Staff put in prior and during your training here.
Ensuring you are fully prepared before arriving in Thailand will help you to succeed, and I dont mean just pass the IDC/IE but to become a fully rounded highly employable PADI Instructor.
Ursula’s Story – After the PADI IE
HI!!
It’s morning. I am still stunned. Sarah, the PADI Course Director told us that there is usually a “24hr Shock period” before we get back to normal. Yup, she’s right!!
The last few weeks were really strenuous, as you know!! Not only on us, but on Sarah and Sean the Master Instructor too! They kept on telling us that a pass is not only an evaluation of the candidate’s abilities but also a reflection of their teaching!!
Can you say “pressure on everyone”!!!
I remember Sarah telling me that she would not let me participate in the PADI IE if she didn’t think I could do it! So She was a solid support for me throughout.
A pass seems all that is important to the team, to the Course Director and to PADI and Sarah told me I was ready. But I worried about passing. A lot.
When the PADI Examiner told me my score on the open water presentation yesterday…. I could only hang my jaw open! 2 water Skills, each with a briefing & debriefing. 2 scores, no make-ups. Anything lower than a 3.5/5 was a fail. I know it is not really important, but Wow! I got a 4.2 and a 4.6 on the open water skills! I was truly ecstatic! Same-same when I heard my physics exam score (92%) and the classroom presentation, no make-up: 4.7/5!
See, Saturdays confined water (pool) presentation score was a 3.6/5 So, ya, I worried!
In the end, the scores really don’t matter… I passed & got the handshake….. but when the Examiner said: You showed a strong performance throughout the IE…. I don’t think there could have been better words to let me know that not only do I pass, but I passed WELL. He saw it!
Passed
THAT….. is something to me.
Is not so easy to change your life direction at 44. All of you played a part in this.
Ursula and Sarah
Thank you.
Now…. I have to pack for Fiji!
Love you all.
PADI IDC – April 2012
We still have space for you on the April PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) that starts this Sunday (8th April 2012) at Scuba Cat Diving in Patong Beach.
come and join us..........
Sarah Kench, PADI Course Director is assisted by Sean Porter PADI Master Instructor. Their diverse teaching styles means the IDC is designed for the candidates with passion for diving and who wish to become the best. You wont just pass the IDC but will be ready for “real life” teaching once the PADI IE is finished. If you’re aiming to be the best and love to be challenged what are you waiting for, come and join us………
Thanks Ursula...
Sarah has just received a Certificate of Excellence for her IDC’s from PADI.
