South Asia has always been a safe harbor for diving professionals. The simplicity of paperwork such as work permits and the low cost of living are the main factors here. In addition, the widespread diving tourism makes it easier to find a job. Today I would like to talk about being a diving instructor in Cambodia, its advantages, challenges and a little bit about the working environment.
My Cambodia story has been in two different locations under the same dive center for almost a year in total. I first worked on KohRong Sanloem Island and then on KohRong Island. Although both islands are close sister islands to each other, they have different characteristics. I will try to create a general picture.
There will be a more detailed article about Cambodia’s underwater in the blog, but the coral reefs are healthier for now because diving tourism has developed later and slower compared to neighboring countries. I say for now because this healthy coral structure may not last long if urgent protection measures are not taken and fishermen, dive centers and local people are not made aware of it. In general, there is a shallow diving profile, so there may not always be suitable conditions for advanced courses. But it can be a very enjoyable start for beginner courses and divers trying to gain experience, so it will be more efficient for instructors to turn to beginner courses in general. Divers generally do not prefer multiple dive packages because the dive sites are shallow and generally similar.
Dive boats are not very well maintained. I think the reason for that there are not many requirements to be a captain or a seaman. When this is the case, you should not expect too much about the boat. But we were lucky because we had a nice boat as you can see in the picture. Since there is no fresh water tank on the boat, there are always large water barrels ready on the boat, which are filled every morning. In the boat kitchen, it is always possible to find rice and immature mango fruit. It is among my favorites, but the sauce is a little bitter.
The boat staff are friendly and helpful as in almost all Asian countries. If you find the middle point, there is not much of a problem. If there is something that needs to be carried, it may create a more solid team environment to give a hand and say come on friends rather than telling someone to carry it.
In Cambodia, there are very limited opportunities to buy or repair diving equipment. For this reason, I think that every instructor should know at least enough about equipment maintenance and repair to be able to fix his/her own equipment, because if your equipment breaks down, you may have to take care of yourself. I always try to carry the most vital spare parts with me and I recommend you to do the same.
A good thing about Cambodia is that work permits and paperwork are easy because it’s not a big matter. But at the same time, this situation can create problems in terms of social security and job security.
In short, if you are at the very beginning of your career, Cambodia may not be a good start for your development. The reason, as I mentioned, there is not a suitable environment for all courses and diving competition is only based on prices. If you want to be a good instructor, it is useful to work in dive centers that compete for competition for better standards. But if you are an experienced instructor and looking for a little more calmness, Cambodia can be a good choice for you. If you go to Cambodia, I would say don’t leave the island without a scuba dive.
Stay in good health
