Home

Facebookfans



Cool Stuff

Select Language

English

CB Login

My Alexa Data

presented by camp26

Week of Words

Divemaster Internships

Life in the Dominican Republic is relaxed and slow. The cost of living can be cheap depending on where you choose to eat and if you want to club and drink the night away you will spend more money.

Our internship programme provides free accomodation (only electricity costs you pay) and you also earn 10% commission so you only have to pay for your food costs/transportation ( cheap) and general costs of living. As a Dive master you can easily find work in practically any country in the world and the income allows you to travel the world. You can also progress to do your Instructor course and actually teach Students on your own.


Are you seeking a 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 Hippocampo Dive Centre 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!


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 days 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 Hippocampo Dive Team, Dominican Republic over others offering similar internships.?

Because we do not offer the same as others as we have dedicated ourselves to the training of  PADI Dive Masters. Enrolling with us 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 dive center operates. Being an intern with us means you get REAL experience. We recommend you are with us for a minimum of two to a maximum of around 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 experienced instructors so you are constantly learning and being moulded into the industry from your first day onwards. 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. That is where you ..the student helps us in return for your training...... SALES.


If available,we can accommodate you for free here in Sosua at the Dive centre. Our H.Q. is not only a dive center; it also has a studio top floor apartment. It is a two minute walk to the beach and good times are never far away since Sosua is a popular night life location. If our accommodation is full or if you would prefer not to stay in our H.Q. we will do our best to help you find accommodation suitable to your needs at a budget you can afford.

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


PADI Open Water Diver.
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!)*


NOW YOU ARE ASKING ..OK..WHAT’S THE CATCH..NOTHING IS FOR FREE.....I MUST HAVE TO PAY SOMEHOW.?????


Yes ..you are right..We ask that students pay for all necessary PADI materials for each course and also, before embarking on the Divemaster course ..that full equipment is purchased from us at a beneficial discount on retail prices. If you already have your gear then the sales quotas will be adjusted accordingly.( Not much)  That is it for your financial responsibility. As far as course tuitions go, we offer training for every course you see above for free. What we ask of you is that  you go out and sell for us and for this you will receive a 10% sales commission.. Depending on how  out going you are and how much you can sell, you can finish your courses within a 2-3 month period..


Thats right..You can be trained in another occupation as a professional in as little as 2-3 months. Alternatively you can stay with us for 6 months and enjoy the kicked back lifestyle Cabarete and Sosua have to offer. It all depends on you. Our system ensures you get the most from your time with us and we get increased revenues from your sales. Here’s an example and breakdown of our most popular option:

3 month internship.( can be longer)
Free Accomodation (if available...you pay only electricity costs)
Training from beginner to Dive Master.
10% commission on your sales.
Free 30 fun dives (if you need them )to meet minimum experience requirement for completing
the Dive Master course which is 60 dives). If you are short a few dives then the remainder will be heavily discounted to achieve the 60.
Standard equipment package to be purchased when starting Dive Master course.
You need to achieve a sales quota in order to proceed with each course. As soon as the quota
has been reached we begin the course for you. The sales numbers are as follows and are per
person, although we can give a bit of leeway sometimes if there is more than one doing the same
course.....


Open water course...2500 US
Advanced course.....2600 US
Rescue and EFR......2800 US
Divemaster..........4000 US


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. 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 is starting to reflect that. We are also pro-active in protecting the environment as we participate in beach clean-ups. 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 internships year round so generally people 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. We look forward to hearing from you, so please direct all of your questions to or  give us a call at +1-809-571 0834 and we’ll take it from there.

See you in paradise!

EMAIL US: info@hippocampo.com



Newsflash

Why don't you come aboard and experience a new adventure with us!

Welcome to Black Pearl Diving
Stoplight Parrotfish - Sparisoma viride PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andreas Ackerl   
Thursday, 02 September 2010 12:53

Common Name: Stoplight Parrotfish

Scientific Name: Sparisoma viride

Description: The Stoplight Parrotfish changes colors quite dramatically throughout it's life. Juvenile and young adults are red and brown in color while fully mature males become bright green and blue with pink highlights and a very distinctive bright yellow stop on their tales.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scaridae
Genus: Sparisoma

Maximum Size: 64cm

Habitat & Range: Stoplight Parrotfish are found throught the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from Bermuda to Brazil. They inhabit warm tropical reefs do a depth of approximately 18 metres (60 feet). They are normally sited during the day as they spend the night sleeping on the sandy bottom.

Diet: Stoplight Parrotfish eat mostly algae but are also known to eat live coral.

Lifespan: Approximately 10 years.

Predators: Carnivorous fish such as snapper, jacks, and moray eels.

Red List Status: Not Evaluated


 
Manta Ray - Manta birostris PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andreas Ackerl   
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 11:57

Common Name: Manta Ray

Scientific Name: Manta birostris

Description: With a black (and sometimes blue) back and white underside, the Manta Ray is shaped like a large flat diamond. Manta's are easily distinguishable by their large "horns" which protrude from the front of the head. These horns are often white or silver in color. The Manta Ray respires through five pairs of gills on it's underside.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rajiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Manta

Maximum Size: 760cm

Habitat & Range: Manta Rays are found in tropical and warm temperate seas all around the world. Manta's are most commonly encountered by divers at reef cleaning stations - areas where smaller fish (commonly cleaner Wrasse) clean Manta Rays by feeding on debris on the surface of their skin and in their gills.

Diet: Manta Rays are filter feeders, feeding on plankton, fish larvae, and other small water-borne organisms.

Lifespan: There is no certainty about the Manta Ray's lifespan but it is thought to live approximately 25 years.

Predators: Manta Rays are primarily threatened by large sharks and occasionally by Orcas.

Red List Status: Near Threatened


 
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andreas Ackerl   
Monday, 30 August 2010 13:05

Common Name: Hawksbill Turtle

Scientific Name:Eretmochelys imbricata

Description:With a similar appearance to other sea turtles the Hawksbill can be distinguished by it's elongated head that ends with a hooked beak that gives it it's name. Measuring in at up to a meter and weighing 80 kg on average, the Hawksbill Turtle can also be distinguished by two claws on each flipper.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Eretmochelys

Maximum Size: 100cm

Habitat & Range: Although found primarily around coral reef, Hawksbill Turtles have a wide migratory pattern and can be found as far north as Canada and England and as far south as South Africa and New Zealand. Nesting sites are found throughout tropical waters.

Diet: Sponges make up 70-95% of the diet of the otherwise Omnivorous Hawksbill Turtle. The Hawksbill is also known to eat Algae, Jellyfish, and Anenomes.

Lifespan: Thought to reach maturity at 30 years of age, Hawksbills are believed to live from 30-50 years.

Predators: The Hawksbill Turtle's main predators are sharks and humans.

Red List Status: Critically Endangered


 
Bottlenose Dolphin - Tursiops truncatus PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andreas Ackerl   
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 13:01

Common Name: Bottlenose Dolphin

Scientific Name: Tursiops truncatus

Description: Obtaining its name from its beak like snout, the Bottlenose Dolphin is primarily gray, darker gray near the head and lighter towards the tale. Their underside it a very light gray or white. Bottlenose Dolphins have a distinctive dorsal fin that is located immediately behind their blowhole.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Tursiops

Maximum Size: 400cm

Habitat & Range: Bottlenose Dolphins are often found in shallow inland and coastal waters. They can often be found in lagoons and rivers as well as near tropical reef. They are found throughout the world in warm and temperate waters.

Diet: Bottlenose Dolphins live on a diet of approximately 6-7 kilograms (12-15 pounds) of shrimp, squid, eels, and small fish a day..

Lifespan: Females live to approximately 40 years of age while males live to approximately 30.

Predators: Despite their main predator being large sharks, Bottlenose Dolphins seem quite adept at defending themselves from even the largest predators as they travel in pods and have been known to overcome large sharks. There have been few cases of dolphins being attacked by Orcas.

Red List Status: Data Deficient

 
Zebra Shark - Stegostoma fasciatum PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andreas Ackerl   
Sunday, 29 August 2010 14:21

Common Name: Zebra shark

Also Known As: Leopard shark

Scientific Name: Stegostoma fasciatum

Description: Zebra sharks get their name from their juvenile appearance: dark bodies with yellowish stipes. As they become adults their coloring changes to a light tan with small dark spots. This adult appearance leads to them often being mistakenly called Leopard sharks. The Zebra shark has a distinctive long tail that is almost as long as the body and prominent ridges that run the length of the body.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Stegostomatidae
Genus: Stegostoma

Maximum Size: 235cm (possibly to 354cm)

Habitat & Range: Zebra sharks are found in the Pacific Ocean, between Japan and Australia and in the Indian Ocean, between the Red Sea and Australia. Zebra sharks live in tropical waters and inhabit sandy or coral bottoms between 0 - 206 feet (0 - 63 metres) deep. They are usually encountered by divers while resting on the bottom and can sometimes be seen swimming slowly (particularly at night).

Diet: Zebra sharks mainly feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and small bony fish. Their flexible body allows them to work their way into narrow coral channels and crevices to search for food.

Lifespan: Zebra sharks live to approximately 9 years when held in small tanks and up to 25 years when held in large aquarium tanks. It is believed that they live to 30 years in the wild.

Predators: Zebra sharks may be vulnerable to other large sharks, but are most threatened by humans.

Red List Status: Vulnerable

 
«StartPrev12345678910NextEnd»

Page 2 of 24

Polls

How much do you know about Black Pearl Diving!
 

Who's Online

We have 18 guests online

Comments

RSS

CB Online

None

Booty Store


List All Products


Advanced Search
Show Cart
Your Cart is currently empty.

Backlinks

Feed Display

USATODAY.com Money News
http://www.usatoday.com/money/default.htm
USATODAY.com
Main page Contacts Search Contacts Search