PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC) around Thailand: Looking back at a busy and successful 2011

Busy it was indeed, I conducted 16 PADI IDC's this year with a total of 59 candidates! On both accounts a record. Last year saw 12 IDC's and 27 candidates, a big difference. So far it looks that the road I took seems to be the right one and after 11 years teaching on Koh Samui, out of which 8 years as a PADI Course Director, the change did do me right.

On top of that I could welcome students from 5 countries that I never had in my classes before; Argentine, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia and the Philippines.

I conducted my first ever IDC outside of Thailand on Malapascua in the Philippines, back in February , which resulted in contacts that lead to me conducting the first ever Western IDC in South Korea in July (hi Allen!) and a cooperation with Chris Heim and Sea Explorers in which we schedule 4 IDC’s for next year in the Philippines, evenly split between Dauin and Malapascua. There's even a new website dedicated to PADI IDC's I conduct in the Philippines.

In Thailand I conducted this year IDC’s on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta and in Khao Lak.

More stats are here;

16 IDC’s in 2011 with 59 candidates and 2 IDCS candidates;

10 IDC’s in Thailand with 36 candidates (compared to 27 candidates in 2010) including 6 IDC’s on Koh Samui, Thailand with 21 candidates (compared to 17 candidates in 2010)

1 IDC in the Philippines with 5 candidates

1 IDC in South Korea with 6 candidates

4 IDC’s in Indonesia with 12 candidates

It was a great year and I like to express my gratitude and best wishes for 2012 for all the people who made this possible;

Paul and Sarah at 'The Dive Academy' on Koh Samui, Andrea and Richard at TSD on Malapascua, Mellisa at Blue Planet Divers and Saffron at Scubafish on Koh Lanta, Sander and Simone at Oceans 5 on Gili Air in Indonesia, Allen in Osan, South Korea, Guenther and all staff at Sea Dragon in Khao Lak, Chris Heim and all the folks at Sea Explores in the Philippines and of course to all my candidates. Thanks for being there and making things happen.

All this and on top of that I had the chance to dive at some great places and get to see many 'firsts' especially in the macro field. Oceans 5 house reef on Gili Air is one to keep an eye out for! Thanks for the great dives I had on and around Malapascua, Gili Air, The Liberty on Bali, Chaweng Beach on Samui (an all time favorite), the Hardeep in Pattaya, the Sattakut near Koh Tao and a great live aboard North of the Similan islands.