What to look for, in a company

[mollykins]

What should I look for in a company that does gap years (or weeks) where you can go scuba diving and do marine conservation/ observation?

I'm looking to go for a few weeks in the summer between a-levels and uni so I can get a bit of marine biology experience.

I know you should go with an atol protected holiday. And because it's scuba diving I should probably look to go with padi if i can, or bsac if I can't find a padi holiday I like. But what else should I look out for? Some of the companies don't include flights or travel insurance, when adding up the total I need to find out roughly how much they'll be.

[Zeuhl]

What a brilliant idea molly.

I got into scuba first on The Barrier Reef when I was young then waited too many years to get into it properly with certification etc - wish i hadn't wasted so much time!

As Gap Year companies are essentially Tour Operators I don't know how you distinguish between the good ones and the cowboys.

Maybe you could attack it from another angle.

e.g. contact Marine Biology depts at some unis and see if they can recommend some schemes or operators. If the uni won't officially endorse anyone try the uni scuba club which will probably include a lot of MB students, post grads and teachers and you can ask about their experiences in this area.

Have you done any training yourself yet? If not, the padi Open Water course only takes 4 days give or take. Check how easily you can do that as part of the project or whether it's better to have it before you go. There seems to be a strong correlation between Marine Biology and scuba schools because the world's Dive Centres are staffed with thousands of young people who did MB at uni and just like having a job in a warm climate that gets them under the water.

Hope that helps.
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[mollykins]

Thanks zeul, I have a padi open water licence. BUT t's a junior one and I need to find out what i need to do to make it an adult one.

I just thought that even if I didn't do a whole gap year, just a few weeks on one of these holidays, it gives me more experience. This means that i'm more employable, and hopefully if i'm more employable, getting a uni place will be just that little bit more easier. And it sounds fun.


I'd love to got the g.b.r. it sounds and looks amazing, my brother's been snorkling there and took some brilliant pictures.

[Zeuhl]

Good idea Molly.

I think you can always find out a lot by snooping around and talking to people.

I would definitely phone some uni MB depts (unless they are all on hols now) and maybe talk to some scuba clubs here in uk - members often include MB students and grads particularly near unis where they teach MB.

I have Greek friends who spend their summers teaching padi in Greece or Pacific and most of them did MB at unis such as Aberdeen and Plymouth.
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