Earn your PADI Divemaster certification while exploring the waters surrounding the islands of Fiji and Thailand AND get career training from Conservation Careers!

This six month apprenticeship puts you on the fast track to earning a living as a divemaster in any top diving destination your heart desires. It includes three months of intensive training in the South Pacific isles of Fiji and a three month placement at a dive centre in Southern Thailand.

Start your dream career of diving and traveling the world by earning your PADI Divemaster qualification. First, journey to the rural village of Silana located in the Dawasamu District Fiji to start your theoretical and practical training. Here you will receive the Coral Reef Research Diver Distinctive Speciality segment of the PADI Divemaster course. This unique offering by PADI teaches you about best practices when conducting underwater coral reef surveys. This is offered to participants staying for 2 weeks or longer. This will allow you to assist the permanent team stationed on the island with long-term locally led ocean conservation efforts aligned to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14, Life Below Water.

Afterwards, you will join a dive centre in Thailand, where you will perfect your skills and complete your PADI Divemaster qualification. Using these qualifications you will also act as a recreational dive leader. The apprenticeship is designed to give you an intensive and comprehensive introduction to professional diving with the opportunity to experience two of the world’s most popular diving locations.

Highlights

• Get a PADI Divemaster qualification: Gain diving skills while conducting underwater marine conservation surveys in dives sites across Fiji and Thailand.
• Explore Fijian coral and culture: Experience the warm waters and vibrant cultures of two of the world’s most beautiful countries – Fiji and Thailand.
• Kick-start your career: Participate in three months of intensive fieldwork training to ensure you’re ready to launch directly into your conservation career.
• Get a job placement: Work for a conservation partner for three months to get real practical experience and build a network of industry contacts.
• Fast-track experience: Join a targeted career-readiness program that’s based on two decades of experience to grow your leadership and career skills.
• Career guarantee: Our comprehensive apprenticeships guarantee a job offer within 18 months upon completion of all program components and meeting eligibility criteria.
• Advance your career: Gain international experience, receive four recognised qualifications and get a LinkedIn reference to boost your CV.
• Get the edge: We know what it takes to work in conservation – that’s why our apprenticeships qualify for preferential recruitment when applying for vacancies.

Our Award-winning Partner

Conservation Careers has teamed up with an award-winning, mission-driven organisation with a team of passionate experts across the globe who will make your experience a truly unforgettable one.

Founded in 1998, they run programs in 26 locations, in 22 countries around the world, each aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the objectives of local partners. They welcome participants from all around the world and help facilitate their development into global citizens. This is how they achieve their mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Their commitment to running high-quality sustainable development and experiential education programs has earned them recognition from numerous organizations such as Panthera, the Seychelles Parks & Gardens Authority, as well as Stanford, NYU, Duke, and Ohio State.

If you register your interest below, you’ll put you in touch with our partner to take the booking and to plan your trip!

Explore all our Conservation Careers Internship opportunities.

Life On Base

Located in the town of Ban Chong Pli, within the picturesque Krabi Province, our research station offers easy access to the vibrant town of Ao Nang, just a short 15-minute drive away.

Krabi Province, located on Thailand’s southwest coast, offers a wealth of natural beauty with its stunning beaches, limestone cliffs and lush forests. You can enjoy activities like rock climbing and kayaking, or go for a hike in nearby national parks such as Khao Phanom Bencha and Than Bok Khorani to spot wildlife and take in the scenery. Immerse yourself in the local culture with visits to temples, shopping and nightlife.

As a volunteer in Thailand, you’ll have the chance to see incredible species like turtles, dugongs, whale sharks, gibbons, woodpeckers and hornbills. Don’t miss out on Krabi’s attractions, including the Emerald Pond and Tiger Temple Cave. And make sure to explore the Andaman islands for their marine life.

Activities

Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program include:

• Fieldwork training: Learn how to identify species and conduct surveys so that you can contribute to data collection efforts and help build an inventory of marine species in Dawasamu.
• Lead conservation surveys: Assist with benthic (coral), fish target species, and other marine species surveys. The data you collect in the field will either be for your individual research project or for ongoing flagship research initiative.
• Support community conservation: Deliver lessons focused on environmental awareness in local communities in Fiji and Thailand, and participate in community-based work, such as improving water security and sustainable fishing practices.
• Leadership and fast track training: Get additional training in Impact and Ethics, Intro to Project Management, Effective Communication, Leading Teams for Impact, Off-Site Safety Management, Participant Management, Self Leadership & Wellbeing, and Policies and Procedures.
• Leadership responsibilities: Take on additional responsibilities such as entering data, writing reports and summaries, and updating species lists and fieldwork checklists.
• Personal project: Work on an individual project that aligns with your personal interests.
• Mentorship: Meet weekly in a small group with other interns and an experienced mentor to receive project guidance and feedback on your leadership style.
• Work placement: Complete a work placement in Thailand, where you will work directly with customers, gain practical experience with equipment, and lead and guide dives.
• PADI Advanced Open Water: Gain more diving experience and sample different types of diving with 5 adventure dives: deep water, underwater navigator, peak performance buoyancy, underwater naturalist, and AWARE fish identification.
• PADI Emergency First Response: Learn primary and secondary care theory and then practice applying 8 skills in role playing scenarios designed to improve your first aid skills and prepare you for an emergency.
• PADI Marine Megafauna (MMF): The MMF Distinctive Speciality, enhances diving skills for marine megafauna conservation projects (available for 4+ week programs).
• PADI Rescue Diver: Increase your awareness of diver safety, manage more complex situations and apply direct intervention techniques via role playing rescue scenarios. Only applies to programs longer than 8 weeks.
• PADI Divemaster: Organise and direct a variety of scuba diving activities, including classroom presentations, pool sessions, ocean training sessions, and assisting on courses and guided dives.

Skills

• Data entry
• EMR training
• Marine conservation
• PADI
• Species identification
• Survey research
• Report writing
• Presentations
• Health and safety
• Impact evaluation
• Fundraising
• Advocacy/Social media
• Leadership
• Project management
• Critical thinking
• Creativity
• Resiliency
• Time management
• Volunteering
• Cultural awareness
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Easily adaptable

Register your interest below to learn about upcoming start dates, durations and costs.

What’s excluded

• Flights
• International and domestic airport taxes
• Medical and travel insurance
• Visa costs
• Police or background check
• Personal items and toiletries
• Additional drinks and gratuities

Reserve your place or ask a question