PRO INTERNSHIPS

Dear future Dive Master:
Are you seeking challenge and adventure? Maybe looking for that change of pace from the 9-5 “rat race”? Perhaps even a total change of lifestyle that will give you the opportunity to live and work all over the world? At SCUBA ELITE Dive Center in Sosua, Dominican Republic, we not only specialize in training you up to internationally recognized PADI standards, we make sure you are at the top of your game so you get that job of your dreams! So contact us today and you’ll be training with us amongst the palms and under the Caribbean sun before you know it!

What is a Dive Master?
A Dive Master is one of the most essential and fundamental cogs of the recreational diving industry’s wheel. Dive Masters are responsible for leading certified divers, organizing the logistics of each day of diving on land and on the boat and assisting instructors on certification courses. A Dive Master has mastery of not only his own diving and water skills but can also demonstrate these skills in a manner that even a new diver can learn from. They exemplify confidence, safety and leadership. As a Dive Master, you are not only a role model to other divers, but you are an integral piece of the industry’s backbone.

Why choose PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors)?
That’s easy. PADI leads the industry in innovative teaching techniques and course materials. Everywhere you go to dive, you will see almost 100% of the dive centers flying PADI colors. PADI professionals are the most in demand and there is always work to be found.

Why go with SCUBA ELITE Dominican Republic?
We have dedicated ourselves to specializing in the training of PADI Dive Masters. Going with SCUBA ELITE means that your professional development from day one is our pride and focus. Our system is designed to build you from the ground up, or from your current level of experience, and to ensure that you have the utmost exposure to how a real, busy dive center operates. Being an intern with us means you get REAL experience, NOT simulations.

If you have been previously certified as a diver (non professional), we recommend you are with us for two to four months though if you are up for hard work, we can have you on your way in as little as one month. If you are starting with no previous diving certification, you must be with us for a minimum of 6 months. The structure of our program is designed so you don’t just learn skills and theory, but you get the opportunities to use what you’ve learned in real life diving circumstances. Regardless if you are a beginner or a rescue diver, whatever level you are currently at, you are constantly under the wing of one of our many experienced instructors so you are constantly learning and being moulded into the industry from your first day onwards.

As an additional bonus and part of our on going commitment to you, we also include several sales seminars that are run by our instructors. You will be able to tap into all of our experience and wisdom so when it comes time for you to get your first job, you will excel from the start. As you will learn, sales are a huge part of being employees in this industry and the techniques we teach you will make you as well-rounded as can be.

We can accommodate you “all inclusively”:
We understand it is difficult moving to another country for any length as it brings to light many challenges. One of these challenges we help with is helping you find safe, comfortable and fully furnished accommodation and this is all included in your tuition! Upon registering with us, all you have to do is fly in, and move straight into your pre booked suite.

Courses, Equipment and Tuition:
Getting started and setup as a professional diver is never cost friendly. Courses are expensive, training is time consuming, accommodations are costly and every professional diver must have their own equipment if you want to be taken seriously. Fortunately since making you your very best is what we do best, we are able to offer you everything that you will need for the time you are with us and beyond in one very well priced package.

Enforcing our dedication to the industry by training top quality Dive Masters and our reputation as a top quality instructional institution, we also offer our interns 5 specialty courses of their choosing free of charge. Why? Because the more experience you have and the more you know, the more well rounded you will be and therefore you will be an asset to any dive team. Areas of specialization can include Wreck Diving (penetration techniques), Enriched Air Nitrox Diving, Underwater Photography, Underwater Search & Recovery Diving, Underwater Navigation, Underwater Naturalist Diving and much more!

Assuming you are starting your training from the Open Water level, the mandatory courses you will need to take and the order you will need to take them in are as follows:

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
PADI Specialty Courses commence at anytime beyond this point
Emergency First Response (EFR) C.P.R. & 1st Aid
PADI Rescue Diver
*PADI Dive Master Trainee (DMT) status starts here and ends when you complete all requirements of the course
(i.e. graduation and one heck of a party!)*

There are a lot of different makes and models of all types of equipment in this industry. We stock a variety of brands as well as grades. Everything you will receive as part of your package is good solid equipment and it will keep you going strong for years provided you maintain it properly. Our goal is to provide you with reliable, durable and functional gear. That being said, you are welcome to upgrade all or any part of your equipment as you see fit at limited cost and you will also receive a life time 20% discount on any extra materials purchased from the center. Once you are ELITE, you are family so we do what we can to help you get the most for your money. As part of our standard package you will receive the following:

B.C.D. (Buoyancy Control Device)
First Stage and Two Second Stages (regulators)
Mask
Fins
“Shorty” Wet Suit
S.P.G. (Submersible Pressure Gauge) with compass
Dive Computer
Equipment Travel Duffel Bag

As far as tuition goes, it is different for everyone since everyone’s needs and times are never the same. Our price flexible system ensures you get the most for your money and we customize your package for you. Here’s an example and breakdown of a popular option:

3 month internship
Fully furnished apartment
Utilities are included
Training from Open Water Diver to Dive Master
Approx. 50 fun dives (needed to meet minimum experience requirement for completing the Dive Master course)
Standard equipment package (as listed above)

Total cost for this internship package is $5465.00 US.

***Please note this is all inclusive; there are NO hidden costs.***

Is there anything else you should know about us?
Yes! Everything being said, diving here brings you some incredible and unique experiences. Whales are seasonal visitors to the bay area and we have the odd manta ray and whale shark as prized visitors as well. The water here is blue and the coral life is bountiful as well as beautiful. We have great depth, a very good shipwreck, caves, caverns and so much more so it’s very hard to get bored of the diversity and the experience you gain as a diver is priceless. Furthermore, the bay area here in Sosua is now a protected sanctuary and the marine life reflects that. You will also get a chance to work aboard our liveaboard catamaran “The Salty Cat” which will take you out to Paradise Island with clients for some world class diving!

We are also pro-active in protecting the environment as we participate in beach clean-ups. We also donate 2% of our intern proceeds to Project AWARE; that way we get everyone pitching in to help conserve our reefs and oceans around the world.

If I enrol, when will I start?
We run our program year round so interns can come and go as they need. Space can fill up quickly so this is not something you want to leave to the last minute.

Take the next step, become elite and Go Pro!