| Costs | £2335 / $4553 (US) / €3316 |
| Group Size | 1 - 6 |
| Countries Visited | Venezuela |
| Dates | 21 Oct to 17 Dec 2008 05 Jan to 02 Mar 2009 02 Mar to 27 Apr 2009 27 Apr to 22 Jun 2009 22 Jun to 17 Aug 2009 |
- 20 Jul to 14 Sep 2009
- 28 Sep to 23 Nov 2009
Train to be a Divemaster & Learn Spanish in Venezuela
Full Itinerary
Get a PADI Professional Qualification, dive in some of the best diving spots in the world, have 80 Spanish lessons, sea kayak, abseil down waterfalls, explore pristine beaches, swim in beautiful crystal clear waters and see an amazing spectrum of marine life that includes sea turtles, manta rays and morays! If you have scuba diving qualifications already then don't worry we will change the activities to suit and reduce the cost of the trip dramatically!
- If you have scuba diving qualifications already then don't worry we will change the activities to suit!
If you have PADI Open Water already then instead
Two day kayaking expedition to neighbouring islands, experiencing the local culture. All food and activities included.
Then continue from Advanced Open Water qualification.
Cost £1864/ $3635 / €2647
Note: To ensure you have 60 dives when completing the course (PADI requirement), you should have 30 dives logged when starting this course. If you have less than 30 dives then don’t worry you have the opportunity to catch up. Extra dives will be charged at £17 / $33 / €24 per dive.
If you have PADI Advanced Open Water already then instead
Two day kayaking expedition to neighbouring islands, experiencing the local culture. All food and activities included.
Four pleasure dives.
Then continue from Rescue Diver qualification.
Cost £1800/ $3510 / €2556
Note: To ensure you have 60 dives when completing the course (PADI requirement), you should have 35 dives logged when starting this course. If you have less than 35 dives then don’t worry you have the opportunity to catch up. Extra dives will be charged at £17 / $33 / €24 per dive.
If you have PADI Rescue Diver already then instead
Two day kayaking expedition to neighbouring islands, experiencing the local culture. All food and activities included.
Eight pleasure dives.
Then continue from Divemaster qualification.
Cost £1731/ $3375 / €2458
Note: To ensure you have 60 dives when completing the course (PADI requirement), you should have 40 dives logged when starting this course. If you have less than 40 dives then don’t worry you have the opportunity to catch up. Extra dives will be charged at £17 / $33 / €24 per dive.
Venezuela
Weeks 1 and 2 - Learn Spanish and become a PADI Open Water Diver
Our plane touches down in Barcelona, Venezuela, where a Yomps representative will take us to our new home amid the coconut palm trees of the Playa Colorado. Here we will spend the opening fortnight of our adventure learning Spanish, completing the PADI Open Water qualification and having amazing dives in the warm Caribbean waters. Each weekday morning four hours of intensive Spanish tuition will be fitted around the best diving times of the day. The lessons are designed to teach Spanish in a natural and spontaneous fashion, by imitating the way people acquire their mother tongue. Each lesson is comprised of four 45 minute sessions with 15 minute breaks and focuses on developing student comprehension of the four main language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Speaking Spanish from the very first day and practising it in specially designed exercises such as role plays, situational dialogues and work projects, will not only improve vocabulary and accent, but also give students the confidence to actively use and improve their Spanish outside the classroom. Visiting the area’s vibrant markets and beautiful surrounding towns will provide us with the opportunity to interact with native speakers whilst immersing ourselves in the area’s colourful South American culture.
After our Spanish lessons each day we will head to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean to scuba dive. The first fortnight will be spent learning the PADI Open Water diving qualification in the form of lectures, skills exercises, and qualifying dives at sea, covering subjects that include hand signals, equipment set up, buoyancy control and over 20 other skills. Once we are qualified we will then be able to relax and hone our scuba diving technique in plenty of fun dives amid the startling mass of marine life that the Caribbean contains. At night we can relax at our beautiful lodge by swapping stories, telling bad jokes and falling asleep to the sounds of the sea beneath the glittering array of Venezuelan stars. When we are not learning Spanish or diving we can explore the area, play sport on the beach, swim in the gorgeous warm sea, water-ski, abseil down waterfalls, kayak to over 30 stunning surrounding islands of Mochima, and soak up the colourful culture, impressive weather, amazing scenery, and gorgeous wildlife of Venezuela.
Venezuela
Weeks 3, 4 and 5 - Continue to learn Spanish, qualify as an Advanced Diver and Rescue Diver
During our third, fourth, and fifth weeks we will continue our Spanish course to expand our vocabulary, hone our grammar, improve our confidence, and become more and more fluent in the wonderful language every day. You will still spend time learning Spanish, and will concentrate even more on your diving. We will learn new skills including underwater navigation and deep diving, as well as the responsibility that comes with being a diver by completing a PADI Rescue Diver course. The Rescue Diver course will teach us how to assist both conscious and unconscious divers on the surface and under water by administering first aid and sustaining lifelines. There will be theory lessons, practical sessions and tests, which will all prove invaluable in gaining important lifelong life-saving skills. We will also go on dives to see the amazing array of marine life the Caribbean waters contain, including soft/hard corals, sponges, tube worms, spaghetti worms, Christmas tree worms, large hermit crabs, manta rays, cleaner shrimp, spotted morays, large snappers, groupers, trumpet fish, spotted drums, angel fish, and a whole host of other tropical reef fish. If we are lucky, we will also swim with majestic sea turtles in the crystal waters and catch a sighting of a butterfly fish stealing eggs from the sergeant major fish. After diving we can doze in our hammocks, snorkel in the shallow waters and go kayaking around the surrounding islands, to relax before our final and most challenging adventure… gaining the Dive Master qualification.
Venezuela
Weeks 6, 7 and 8 - Be a Divemaster intern, assist instructors in teaching clients, and qualify as a Divemaster.
The final three weeks of our Yomps adventure will be the most challenging to the mind and body but ultimately the most rewarding, as we will learn and acquire all the skills and knowledge to be a fully fledged Divemaster. Working hand in hand with experienced dive professionals, we will concentrate on our internship and learn how to run a successful diving centre. This includes seeing to the maintenance of equipment, helping clients with their dives, aiding the everyday running of dive operations, and helping with a variety of other courses at the dive centre. To compliment this learning we will also have specific Divemaster courses in order to pass our Divemaster qualification. Lessons cover a variety of subjects including physiology, physics, dive equipment, teaching skills, decompression sickness, how to map a reef, and even about the diving business. By acquiring an increasing number of diving skills, as well as honing the knowledge we have already developed, we will be able to assist instructors once we have qualified.
Putting our knowledge to the test, we will lead dives to explore the clear waters and see the beautiful array of Caribbean marine life. Our instructors will oversee and review our progress, providing a constant source of information, support, guidance, and safety. The final three weeks will conclude with a celebration to rejoice that we have (hopefully!) passed all the required exams and practical tests to make us qualified Divemasters. As the sun sets on our amazing aquatic adventure, we will depart with a fantastic knowledge of the Spanish language, life-saving skills, reputable diving qualifications, cameras full of photos from this stunningly beautiful part of the world, and the memories of a lifetime!
We will complete three phases in the PADI Divemaster programme:1. Watermanship and skills assessment
2. Knowledge Development
3. Practical Application
This involves training activities using various structured training sessions, simulated scenarios and internship sessions with actual PADI programs. These training sessions enable you to gain practical experience as an instructional assistant and a supervisor of open water diving activities, both as a coordinator and as an underwater guide.
- Extra Activities Available During Course
At a reduced price, you have an opportunity to experience the fantastic Orinoco Delta. Kayak into a remote jungle areas for amazing wildlife and indigenous Indian encounters. You will be able to book this at the camp.
- Qualifications Needed Prior To Trip
Prior to going on this Divemaster course you will need to obtain a PADI EFR (Emergency First Response, first aid) qualification in your home country. This can be obtained at any PADI dive centre for approx £60.
- Malaria Awareness
Travelling to long-haul destinations can be a wonderful and exciting experience. Before you go, make sure you take the right travel advice about visiting Malaria risk countries. At Yomps we are committed to stopping traveller deaths from malaria which is why we support the campaign being run by Malariahotspots.com. Click here to download our free guide about Malaria Awareness (opens in a new window).
