After wandering around, talking to three shops, and getting freaked out by the weird high-volume approach of the shops near the pier, I settled on an SSI course at Princess Divers.<\/p>\n
Prices are all fixed on the island. Ostensibly, this is… Well, actually, nobody ever gives a reason why, neither plausible nor implausible. As I’m finding out, it’s ultimately because the entire island is run by the Chinese mafia (well, a mafia composed of Chinese people, I don’t want to necessarily assert that there is ONE mafia of Chinese origin and that this is it).<\/p>\n
I went for SSI rather than PADI because PADI forces you to buy the book. “But you might want to review the book if you haven’t dived for awhile!” I hear you say. Ah, but I had a look at the book. It makes even the most retardedly simple grade-school science book look brilliant by comparison. I refuse to believe it contains anything that I couldn’t find on the Internet within five minutes.<\/p>\n
There’s a pattern here. Much like motorcycle education in the US, which is controlled in a rather underhanded way by the MSF corporation, it sometimes seems like so much in life is controlled and doled out by one group. As an American, I’m accustomed to at least the *illusion* of choice and competition.<\/p>\n
Incidentally, getting back to the subject of this note, since I chose a dive shop off the main drag, I’m the only student in my class. The instructor is very experienced and, so far, it’s been a really amazing (and only slightly tedious) experience!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After wandering around, talking to three shops, and getting freaked out by the weird high-volume approach of the shops near the pier, I settled on an SSI course at Princess Divers. Prices are all fixed on the island. Ostensibly, this … Continue reading