NOV 16, 2022
Amazing aerial view of Maldivian islands.
Generally there are 3 types of operations in the Maldives that provide job opportunities for dive instructors.
a. Dive centre in a luxury resorts
b. Dive centre on a local island
c. Liveaboard
I had only experienced the first two types of operations.
After working at several locations/countries(Malaysia,Indonesia,Thailand,Philippines,Cambodia) with different dive operations,
I can say that Maldives was the best place for me to work as a dive instructor. Out of all other locations, Maldives not only offers the highest earning income potential with reasonable physical stresses but also other experiences I may not find at other locations. Working in the Maldives however has its own downsides.(for me at least) Nothing is perfect. See the "pro & cons" at the end of this blog.
I was lucky to be able to work in the Maldives because I think it is not easy to get it. Mainly because Maldives is
a so-called "dream job" location for many dive instructors?
Thanks to my limited ability to speak some chinese dialects and the abundance of chinese tourist bombarding the beautiful country located in the Indian Ocean, I managed to work in the Maldives with 5 different dive operators at 5 different atolls.
(Atoll : a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral.) Maldives has about 26 atolls (according to old atoll names)
List of atolls in the Maldives that had I spent some time working as a dive instructor :
a. South Ari Atoll
b. Haa Alifu Atoll (way up north)
c. Gaafu Alifu Atoll (way down south)
d. South Male Atoll
e. Raa Atoll
To me, without a doubt, all the atolls are beautiful. In terms of SCUBA diving, atolls which are furthest to the north/south
offer more pristine coral reef condition and rare marine life encounters. (my personal experience)
Before packing your bags and fly to the Maldives for the "dream" job, have a look at my perception about working in the Maldives below.
Working for a Luxury Resort Dive Centre in the Maldives
The pros :
1. Work permit/visa covered by employer so that you dont have to feel like a criminal working in a foreign country.
2. Accommodation (usually shared) and food covered by the company.
3. Higher than average income earning potential in the industry.
4. Not as busy compared to typical dive centre that caters to the mass tourism. (eg. Koh Tao) Therefore, less stress.
5. More ethical kind of operations. Safer/newer equipments, lower instructor to student ratio, for example.
6. Have extra staffs to help with equipment/tank loading.
7. Uniform provided with free laundry services.
8. Complete amenities for staffs such as, gym, TV room, laundry, staff cafe/bar.
9. Flight allowance / bonus at the end of contract.
The cons :
1. Feeling of isolation and loneliness. Most resorts don't allow staffs to wonder around the island freely. Staffs are only confined to staff area during non-working hours. The nearest town sometimes takes hours to get there by boat/plane. This is by far the biggest challenge for me working in the Maldives.
2. Dealing with staffs of different nationalities and different level of sanity (including your manager). Just imagine most of the staffs are confined in one island, sometimes for months. You need to have a good communication skill and high level of empathy to survive.
3. Dengue fever is still a risk in the Maldives. I was hospitalized once because of the fever.
4. Grumpy Maldivians. Not really a cons but you need to know. They may look grumpy most of the times but once you get to know them well, you will be fine. Expat workers from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladeshi, etc are more hospitable.
5. Hard to get your favourite shampoo or snacks?
6. Strict resort rules as if you are living in a prison.
7. You might not like the staff food in the staff canteen. (mainly caters to Maldivians/SriLankan/Indian/Bangladeshi)
Working for a Dive Centre on a Maldivian local island
The pros :
1. Work permit/visa usually covered by employer.
2. Accommodation (usually shared) and food even provided by most companies.
3. Experience the real Maldivian culture.
4. Free to walk around the island or visit nearby islands.
5. More laid back working environment.
The cons :
1. Still has the feeling of isolation and loneliness after a while but not as much as working in a luxury resort.
2. Average salary.
3. Dengue fever is still a risk.
4. Still grumpy Maldivians. Slightly better than luxury resorts. Make friends with the friendly expat workers from Sri Lanka,
India, Bangladesh, etc.
5. You have to do most tasks because there is no extra helper in the dive centre.
6. Mostly Indian/Maldivian/SriLankan/Bangladeshi foods. There are western foods but be prepared to pay a premium price.
If you think you can handle Maldives, I wish you good luck.
One man's poison is another man's meat.
Some photos from Maldives
Grumpy Maldivinans can be friendly too once you get to know them well.
The luxury resort dive centre where I work in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.
Conducting dive briefing on a "Dhoni - Maldivian style boat"
A public beach in Male, the capital of Maldives.
Local island on a beautiful day.
A typical dive centre on a local island.