Divemaster Internship
Archive Blogs of our PADI Divemaster Internship in Tenerife
Dan Lambert
During my PADI Divemaster Internship in Tenerife I had to answer quite complicate questions, such as: What kind of cheese do you use to coax a bear out of a cave? These are the kind of questions we ponder whilst bouncing around on the boat, on our way to my favourite turtle dive site. Upon arriving, I spend the next 40 minutes as the safety diver on a guided dive. The day before, I was helping run an Open Water course whilst the Atlantic rays swam beneath me. And the day before that, I was in the pool trying to throw a frisbee underwater during the Bubblemaker course. Let it be known that the life of a Divemaster intern is constantly varied, usually a challenge, and always huge fun!
The DM training I have received so far with Paradise Divers has been of the highest quality. Whilst ticking boxes is indeed important, I have also been pushed (and continue to be pushed) to develop skills and knowledge that are truly applicable and relevant in the life of a professional diver. For example, the EFR course turned out not to be my strong point, so the whole team spent an afternoon giving me practice scenarios and feedback over and over again, until my performance improved. So now I have both the card that says I am qualified as well as the confidence to act on this qualification.
So if you are an aspiring diver seeking a place not only to get your Divemaster signed off but also become well equipped for life as dive professional, I cannot recommend Dan, Kieran, and Shona at Paradise Divers highly enough.
Oh and in case you didn’t know, Camembert is the cheese you’ll need.
Fabio Gunnerson
Floating with ease… neutrally buoyant… those have been the last 2 months of my Divemaster Internship in Tenerife at Paradise Divers.
Dan and the instructors here are really patient, kind, funny and straight up professionals. When I came here I had no experince and took my open water and advanced open water courses with Dan and since then I have become better than I could ever imagine, they have tought me so much and I am planning to come back at the end of this year to do my instructor course with them because i wouldn´t want to do it anywhere else.
Being here have brought me to the level that I can call myself a Padi Pro and that is all Dan to thank for. Me and the other interns might be hard to handle at times but that is just because being here has made us all a very close group and good friends, keep diving and remember the 2nd rule in diving!
Hayden
Yesterday was my last day with Paradise Divers, and what a day it was! I didn’t dive since I had to fly first thing this morning, but Armande and I guided snorkelers and I did my final Divemaster task in the renovated pool: a Scuba Review! It may sound like a small thing, but watching Dan sign off on my paperwork really put a smile on my face.
I have to thank the marine life for an amazing last day in Tenerife. That snorkel trip was probably the best one I’ve ever been on. The water was so clear we could see down to the sand at 23 meters. The famous sea creatures of Escalera de Palm Mar put on an excellent last show, with an Atlantic ray, bull ray, and green sea turtle swimming in majestic circles under us.
Now that it’s over, I have nothing but appreciation for the time and effort Dan put forth to develop my skills and turn me into a PADI Divemaster. After two solid months of challenges, mistakes, and triumphs, I can confidently say that I am able to lead in and out of the water, and most importantly, help keep my fellow divers safe.
I could see myself working with the Paradise Divers team for longer than these two months, but unfortunately my time is up! It wasn’t easy saying goodbye, not knowing when I’ll see these new friends again.
I’ve had some really magical experiences in Tenerife, and I already feel the pull that will bring me back.
