Diving Internship FAQS Frequently Asked Questions

A PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center is a dive business that has met all the requirements set down by PADI to be able to offer a high level of diver service with regard to facilities and offer PADI instructor-level courses and training. A PADI 5 Star IDC center is committed to offering further training beyond the IDC to PADI instructors up to IDC Staff level. By offering PADI instructor-level training, PADI Five Star IDCs take on the responsibility of developing qualified PADI instructors – benefiting PADI Members, dive consumers and the dive industry as a whole.

No. Unlike other internships around the world, where you get extra fees put in on you after you have started them all diving related costs such as your manuals, fees to PADI, air fills, daily diving and course fees are covered unless you have specifically opted out of manuals. Accommodation is provided for the length of the internship if you include it in your package, as is a complete set of brand-new scuba diving equipment. What you should account for are your costs away from the dive center in your day-to-day living such as your water, meals and electric.

The average cost of living / month is around $500 US (with your accommodation included in your package). It all depends on how much you are out and about, what activities you are doing etc. You will be studying some of the time and diving a lot of the time but bear in mind what you want to do with the rest of the time and budget accordingly.

No. Flights are not included. We can advise you on who to fly with and agents to use. We can pick you up from Mombasa airport if you let us know your arrival details

PADI Instructor-The PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) rating is the first PADI Instructor level attained by dive professionals. During their training (either an Instructor Development Course or OWSI Program), instructor candidates review PADI Standards, procedures, philosophies and teaching methods as well as hone their practical teaching ability, watermanship, and diving knowledge. After successfully completing a PADI Instructor Examination (IE), OWSIs take responsibility for introducing people to scuba diving through various PADI programs and courses. Teaching status PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors may conduct the entire range of PADI programs from Discover Scuba Diving up to Divemaster (except for specialties, which require specific Specialty Instructor ratings).

PADI Divemaster- The divemaster rating is the first PADI Membership level. PADI Divemasters supervise diving activities for certified divers, assist instructors with training student divers, and instruct skin diving and snorkeling. This rating denotes an individual who has exemplary diving skills and role model behavior, solid rescue skills, professional level knowledge of dive theory, dive management and supervision abilities, and competence as a certified assistant.

We offer a variety of experience packages for new instructors following the successful completion of their Instructor Exam (IE) including the Experienced Instructor program, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and IDC Staff Instructor program. We encourage you to take advantage of these programs and build up your experience as an instructor before going out and working as one and also to get the opportunity to work with our really experienced instructors and learn from them to help make you a more confident instructor yourself.

All our dive staff are fully trained in First Aid and CPR. We have an emergency action plan enacted by all staff in the event of an emergency.
The nearest recompression chamber for Buccaneer Diving is just down the road in the Kenya Naval Yard in Mombasa. As a general note, it is a good idea to bring your own small first aid kit with you for dealingwith minor scrapes and illnesses. Other good things to bring include mosquito repellent.

Almost all the Kenyan banks now have ATMs at most branches. The most reliable machines for international withdrawals are acknowledged as being at the Barclays Bank, who have a large network of ATM in most Kenyan towns and support Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus International networks. If you need to get money sent from home then there are Western Union and Moneygram offices and it is always a good idea to have some international travellers checks in the event of an emergency.

After you contact us and state the requirements for your internship, we will email you a booking form with the balance invoice, course details and itinerary. The balance will be shown in Euros. From there you need to take the bank details that we provide you with to your own International Bank (HSBC, Citibank, RBS etc.) who deal with your account, to make the transfer of the deposit or the full amount depending on what you want. The full amount must be paid prior to commencement of the internship. You will inform the bank that you will be transferring the amount we told you and provide our account details. The bank will tell you how much you need to pay in your own currency for that amount to be transferred to us. Please make sure that all bank transfer fees are covered so that the correct amount reaches us. Once completed the bank will issue you with a slip detailing the transaction, which you will need to email or fax through to us. This is crucial as we need to track the payment and from then on we can start making the preparations for your internship, and issue the letter for your visa etc. If you have any questions about making the transaction then please feel free to contact us to make sure it is done correctly. Another way of doing it is via a Western Union Money Transfer. This is very easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. See the Western Union website and contact us for transfer details.

The deposit for the internship training is non refundable. We are completely flexible as to when you start your training and do not have a problem with you delaying your training commencement date. If you have a real problem then it is possible to transfer the deposit to a friend as a credit payment for dive trips, equipment etc. However we have to organize your accommodation and make sure that we have all of the equipment and materials in stock, and instructors scheduled for your course so there is no delay to your training.

Diving insurance can be provided through most travel insurance packages. Check how much you are covered for though. We recommend Divers Alert network (DAN), who can provide dive insurance packages up to professional level and the top packages will cover you for non-diving related conditions. Other companies include Dive Master Insurance and Dog Tag insurance in the UK. It is a good idea to carry insurance in the unlikely event that anything were to happen to you, you are definitely covered.

If included in your package then you will receive a full set of brand new scuba equipment on arrival to keep. You can also upgrade the equipment at reasonable prices to get the items you want. If you opt out of the equipment it is possible to rent a set of equipment from Buccaneer Diving however as you are going on to be a professional diver, it is fairly essential that you have your own equipment.

When in Kenya you should avoid carrying anything valuable when you are out and about. Anything of serious value we can keep for you in a safe at the office such as passports, and you should not carry too much cash on you at the risk of pick-pockets. The best course of action is simply to keep your wits about you, especially at night. But by and large Kenya is a fairly safe country by African standards. For more information see: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/kenya/practical-information/health

Wow where do we begin? There is so much to do in Kenya, starting from the famous safaris, which can be included as bolt-on or as part of your internships, to the famous games parks of Kenya. Obviously down here at the coast there are fabulous water sports, as well as cinemas, shopping areas and restaurants. If it is an outdoor activity then it can probably be done in Kenya and you should also take the time to see the wonderful Swahili culture, dating back to the Omani occupation hundreds of years ago.

With a number of the Buccaneer staff including the owner Bruce, being born and raised in Kenya we can definitely say yes to this. The Kenyan people are immensely friendly and it is a great environment to bring a family to. It is possible to find childcare here and there are also international schools and nurseries.

Assuming that you will want some time away from diving and a day or two off a week then you need to allow yourself time to fit in all of your courses and get the dives that you need in. The guides provided from each starting level for each internship give a good indication of how much time you will need although in certain cases they can be done quicker. The full Open Water to Instructor Internship lasts 7 months to allow you time to acclimatize when you arrive and complete your PADI Open Water Diver Course. There must be a break of at least 6 months between the completion of your Open Water course and your PADI IDC/IE so this allows you to meet this requirement if you are starting from the beginning.

Almost all visitors to Kenya now require a visa to enter including Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Aussies and New Zealanders. Contact your local Kenya embassy or consulate for visa information and costs.

You can start your training from any time that we receive the full payment for your internship into our account. You might want to bear in mind when you want to do your IDC/IE as you will want this to be towards the end of your internship. Click here for the IDC schedule. You can contact us for advice on how long you want your internship to be and recommendations for when to do your IDC.

The local diving includes some of the best diving in the world. The diving in the Indian Ocean in both Kenya and Zanzibar is superb with massive quantities of marine life including the giant whale sharks, which are frequently seen in the area and there is a project constructing a whale shark sanctuary on Kenya’s south coast. We also have wreck diving in the MV Dania, which was sunk by Buccaneer to create an artificial reef. Further afield there are also caverns at Vuma near Kilifi that can be dived.

Diving in Kenya can be done all year around. The rains can affect visibility as they wash sediments from Kenya’s rivers into the ocean, but this does not have much effect on the marine life. The best diving in Kenya is between October and April. Between May and September the conditions are rougher but we still dive daily and can learn lots.[/toggle_content}

Do the dive centre offer any rewards for working in the internship?

As it would be illegal in Kenya without work permits, there are not paid assignments when you are on your internship. There are chances to earn more PADI Courses, dive trips and equipment deals.

Yes, following the successful completion of your PADI IE you are entered into our Diver Job Program when we will provide you with advice, contacts, and CV assistance to help you find your first job as a diving instructor.

When you arrive here before you start your training you will be asked to fill out the PADI Medical Statement and before the professional courses, you will be taken to get a medical at a local clinic. It is a better idea to get the medical before you come. The PADI Medical Statement applies to every course and can be downloaded here. Genuine medical statements not copies have to be submitted to PADI for the IE and Instructor Application. If you do have a condition that you feel might affect your ability to dive then have yourself checked up before coming out. If you are reasonably fit then it is fair to assume then you should be able to dive no problems.

We recommend that you ask your doctor about this before coming. Generally Hepatitis, Typhoid, Polio and Tuberculosis shots are required. Yellow Fever inoculations are also required by many countries when arriving from Kenya so it is a good idea to have them. Also you might want to consider taking anti-malarial tablets for the duration of your stay. It is a good idea to consult your doctor about this 4-8 weeks prior to coming to Kenya. If you take prescribed medication then bring enough with you, clearly labeled with a doctor’s prescription, as although it is fairly easy to get most medicines in Kenya, it will provide you with peace of mind with proven medicines.

Kenya has a modern up to date communications network. When you get here we will take you to buy a local SIM card for your mobile, which can go into unlocked mobiles. You can buy mobile phones here fairly cheaply, if you do not want to bring your mobile from home. Those on International roaming can receive calls although this is more expensive and is not recommended as bills can skyrocket quickly. If you have a laptop with wireless connectivity then get Skype on it and you can use Skype and a headset to have free/ cheap conversations through the Internet in various hotspots.

Flight from the UK and Europe should be around £500 UK but this can vary depending on the time of year and how soon in advance you book it etc. Either go directly to the airlines in the links posted after or sites such as www.momondo.com The airport you need to fly to is Mombasa International (MBA). This normally means that you will have to fly first into Nairobi and take the one hour transfer flight, down to the coast. Airlines-Kenya Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France/ KLM, Royal Jordanian Airways, Gulf Air, Turkish Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Saudi Arabian, Jet Airways, Egypt Air, South African Airways, Air Kenya

Kenya’s voltage is 220-240AC, 50 Hertz. The plugs in are generally of a three-pin type with two parallel flat pins and a ground pin, the same as is used in the UK. Bring a universal adapter to run any electrical items if necessary.

For the professional dive internships Divemaster and above the minimum age is 18. For the Master Scuba Diver Internship the minimum age is 15 to do the Rescue Course.

Not all courses require classroom time but most of them do require a length of time to be spent in the classroom. However we have the latest interactive training aids with prescriptive learning guides, DVD players to give you the best possible learning experience. All courses require some form of independent study. It is not full time study here but make no mistake you do have to do some studying and homework to learn the material and prepare yourself for courses especially the Divemaster Course and the IDC. All courses have some form of independent study mostly in the form of reading and knowledge reviews.