Location
  • Cook Islands

Program Details

Language
Spanish

Pricing

Starting Price
500
Nov 21, 2017
Mar 10, 2013
1 traveler is looking at this program

About Program

The Pacific Divers internship program in the Cook Islands is designed for all skill levels and backgrounds, even if you're never dived before! The program operates on a rolling basis and can be started anytime for new interns. This divemaster internship is a great way to get you career started in diving and meet new people. Visit the Pacific Divers website to lean more!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • The Pacific Divers internship program is focused on delivering results to divers at all skill levels, instructors will work with everyone individually.
  • The program cost includes equipment and training, all you have to do is show up!
  • The program lasts for 4 months and can be taken on part time of full time basis. The full time program is recommended for international interns.
  • The location of the diving center is on the beautiful Rarotonga Island, giving you the opportunity to relax on the beach and explore the island during your free time.
  • Visit the Pacific Divers website to learn more about the available internship options.

Related Programs

Program Reviews

3.25 Rating
based on 4 reviews
  • 5 rating 50%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 25%
  • 1 rating 25%
  • Growth 3
  • Support 3
  • Fun 4
  • Housing 3
  • Safety 3
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Default avatar
Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun and Fabulous Work in Paradise!

My experience with Pacific Divers was one of the highlights of my life thus far. To this day the back of my mind is plotting a plan to return to Rarotonga to live permanently.

I researched for a long time before applying to do my internship with Pacific Divers. The owner, Steve, helped me arrange my housing and one of the instructors was there to pick me up from the airport in the middle of the night. I was in a shared house with other interns right down the street from the shop.

I found the staff at Pacific Divers knowledgeable and highly professional. The shop was a relaxed environment but we still worked hard. Duties included helping in all aspects of the business. I worked with guests at the shop, on the boat, and in the ocean. I became very comfortable assisting divers, and could answer questions and solve problems with confidence. The shop was busy, tourists were mostly from New Zealand - they are friendly, kind, and a pleasure to take diving.

You are given plenty of opportunities to dive, and the diving is stunning! Visibility is off the charts, and there was rarely a dive that I did not encounter something to get excited about. The shop was very supportive of my interest in marine biology and environmental stewardship. I was able to learn the majority of the local species, any guests with questions about marine life got pointed in my direction. Steve is very active in environmental issues on the island. We took part in a reef clean-up and a lagoon education day while I was there.

The training was thorough and hands on. The instructors were helpful and supportive. They were flexible with their training schedule when I had personal issues that arose and had to take time out of the water. I have worked as a Divemaster since Pacific Divers and feel I gained plenty of experience to stand my ground in a competitive industry. I since have done more specialty training on the west coast of Canada and will be starting my Instructor Development Course this week!

Living on Rarotonga is a lifestyle most only get to dream about - a tropical paradise with friendly warm hearted people. I found the island extremely safe and full of culture and community. I knew my neighbours well and they were always bringing me fresh fruits. In my free time I would visit the market, go for hikes, or simply relax on the beach. Some interns joined sports teams or tried out kite boarding and other activities. Small restaurants and bars dot the island and pizza at Trader Jacks, dancing at Whatever Bar, and karaoke Wednesdays were some of our nightly activities.

I made amazing friends with staff and fellow interns. Most of which I am still in contact with almost 3 years later. Two of those friends have now gotten married (a wedding I most definitely did not miss)... so don’t be surprised if you find love on the island! Everyone is spread out across the globe and still very active divers. As a bonus, I now have dive connections all over the world!

I would highly recommend this internship to individuals with outgoing personalities, who are passionate team players and put their heart into everything they do. I have stayed in touch with Steve and Pacific Divers over the past few years, and will be returning very soon for a visit!

45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mitchell
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Shroomsy says:

Choosing to do a six month internship at Pacific Divers in Rarotonga was definitely the best decision I could have made during my gap year of 2012.
Fresh out of home/high school it took me a few alienating weeks to settle into the routine at the shop and on the boat, but not only have I walked away with my DM; I've also walked away knowing that I've learned more than I could have hoped for, SCUBA related or otherwise. There was always something new to learn with the boss man Steve and the other various mentors I discovered during my stay.
Diving with fellow work mates on an almost daily basis, meeting people from all around the world, and ofcourse after 6 months in a far smaller social environment, I left with friendships outside of shop life too.
It's easy to develop some truly memorable friendships there and I had some amazing times during my internship. All of which I've gained, I feel, a vast amount of knowledge from.

Thanks Pacific Divers!

What would you improve about this program?
Perhaps a new van? :P
42 people found this review helpful.
Response from Pacific Divers

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are happy to hear that you have enjoyed your experience at Pacific Divers and not just achieved but exceeded all you expected to out of the internship. Congratulations on completing your Divemaster and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours!

Read my full story
Default avatar
TufftyDiver
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

There are better options out there.

A lot of my Dive Master internship at Pacific Divers consisted of sitting in the shop, sitting on the boat and cleaning. I wasn't allowed to learn on the job. It was more of a course that you pay for by working than an internship. The living conditions are ok, nothing flash but expensive compared to staying elsewhere. Social scene is good. I was lucky that I learned a lot from one of the instructors (unofficially), because Steve the owner likes to teach the DM students and he's a bit (sorry I probably can't say on here). One word of warning, no matter how quickly you do the course you will not be signed off until your last day working. So if it's not for you, decide early on, or you end up stuck like me. By the end I really hated the owner of Pacific Divers and I had stay to get my certification.

46 people found this review helpful.
Response from Pacific Divers

Hi there. We're really sorry to hear that you didn't feel like you got the most out of your internship, but we thank you for your feedback so we can continue to develop our programme. With regards to being in the shop and on the boat a lot of the time, this is true in the first few weeks as your diving skills are still developing and it would not be safe to 'throw you in the deep end' so to speak. However, by the end of the course you leave with a minimum of 60 dives, which is hardly a small number. Living conditions now are arranged by the Divemaster interns themselves, with help from the team here, to overcome issues of satisfaction or cost. We also have two new instructors who have taken over a lot of the Divemaster training and share the teaching so you can receive and observe different styles of diving, enhancing your learning experience. With these changes we hope to ensure that the programme overcomes some of the areas you highlighted and satisfies future expectations.

Default avatar
divebabe
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Not suitable for female students

I wanted to learn to be a PADI Divemaster with the support of a professional team. How wrong was I to book an an internship with these guys. The owner spends most days either drunk or shouting at the staff in particular any female students. It's a really unfriendly atmosphere.

47 people found this review helpful.
Response from Pacific Divers

Firstly please let me apologise for the way you feel about your time here. Almost a year on, a lot of changes have been made. We now have a new team of instructors that have taken over a lot of the Divemaster training to ensure you receive a thorough and professional experience whilst making it personal to your needs as well as enjoyable. These instructors are both male and female to overcome any perceived gender issues and together create a very friendly and family-like team. We apologise once more for your experience and can assure you that your initial perceptions are no longer the case.

Questions & Answers