DIVE THE DREAM - LIVE THE LIFE

Have you dreamt of leaving it all behind? Are you fed up with the daily routine, the commute to work and the cold rainy days? Have you often thought of travelling the world, living in tropical places and diving every day with new people in exciting locations? Become a PADI Instructor and you can have it all.  It’s never too late

Exotic Dive Resort is the only 5* National Geographic Instructor Development Centre (IDC) on Malapascua Island.  We promise small, exclusive courses with hands on individualized service to guarantee your success. Our friendly experienced staff is dedicated to helping you prepare and succeed in both the instructor development course (IDC) and the instructor exam (IE). Our aim is not only to supply you with the necessary skills and knowledge to become a PADI instructor, but to ensure you become a confident and competent one. 

Teaching people to dive is a rewarding and enjoyable experience and we want to help you reach your dream

Exotic Dive Resort was the first dive shop established on Malapascua in 1998.  We pride ourselves on being the best in customer service and continue to set the standard with our PADI courses, IDC’s, divemaster internships and general knowledge of local dive sites. 

Set on a secluded section of Bounty Beach, Exotic Resort is the ideal place for conducting Instructor Development Courses.  Our quiet tranquil setting, away from the crowds and touts of the public beach, will ensure that all our candidates can find the necessary peace and quiet required to be able to focus and enjoy the course.

Our brand new custom built multimedia center was designed specifically for Instructor Development Courses and is the only one of its kind on the island. We guarantee a peaceful studying environment with all modern facilities and stunning panoramic views of Bounty Beach.  The classroom is available at all times for our candidates to utilize quiet facilities, internet service, dive library and PADI materials to help study throughout their IDC.

As the largest dive resort on Malapascua we have a fleet of 4 large dive bankas, 2 flat boats and the only speed boat on the island which allows us to have a dedicated IDC boat and crew available at all times.  There are a number of different dive sites that are suitable for conducting the in water sessions of the course and our experienced captains and crews will ensure the best locations at all times.

We are the only dive resort that can offer in house, budget accommodation at the best prices. Our specially designed Instructor and divemaster rooms are situated in the middle of the resort, about 100mts from the beach, in a tranquil setting.  The rooms were built with the budget traveller in mind, simple, private, quiet, individual fan styled bungalows, with shared bath that are only available to our Exotic IDC or DM candidates. We can guarantee you will not find nicer or more economical accommodation anywhere on the island. The rooms have guaranteed 24 hour power, clean facilities, security and a wonderfully relaxing environment.

For those who want something a little bit more luxurious it is also possible to arrange special accommodation packages in any of the Exotic Resort rooms, from standard fan rooms to the super deluxe air con rooms. All Exotic Resort rooms have private bath, balcony and 24 hour power.

We are very lucky to have 2 course directors available for instructor development.

Jonathan Vestil  has been running IDC’s for 10 years. He has been an active PADI member for 26 years and a PADI professional for 18years.  A wealth of experience has been gained from working with Coral Reef Hotel, Fun and Sun, Scuba World and PC divers. He now has his own PADI 5* IDC dive shop based in Mactan Cebu and is one of the most successful Course Directors in the Philippines having certified over 200 instructors. We are very proud to have him as a member of our IDC Team.

Tim Latimer, dive shop manager and Master Instructor has been a PADI diver since 1995 and a PADI professional since 2000.  He has worked at and managed PADI 5* IDC centers in Canada, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cyprus, Thailand and the Philippines and has a wealth of experience and knowledge that can be useful for all our IDC candidates.  Having certified over 1000 students ranging from open water to assistant instructor Tim is now gaining experience alongside Jonathan  and Raphael in preparation for his Course Director exam. 

Zoe Latimer, a PADI STAFF instructor and dive professional since 2000 is our IDC liaison. She will be your initial contact and will help create the ideal Instructor Development package for you.  As an experienced dive instructor and hospitality manager Zoe has a lot of experience in logistics and ensuring that the needs of all candidates will be met and that all queries and concerns will be addressed prior to your arrival at Exotic

We can offer it all to your here at Exotic. Our highly experienced dive team will ensure you have the best success in the Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam. Learn to teach in the only 5* Instructor Development National Geographic Dive Resort on Malapascua, yet at the most economical of prices! Our customized packages cannot be beaten, and if you cannot find it advertised we can of course create it, you just need to ask.

Living within a 5* resort will give you the benefit of witnessing how one of the most successful dive resorts in the Philippines functions. Exotic Resort was the first dive resort to open on Malapascua and continue to be the  leading dive resort. Learn from the experts as to what makes a successful business. Listen to and talk with the customers and resort staff after hours, over lunch or breakfast or just hang out on our private beach.

There is no need to carry a bag of books or your lap top, beach necessities and personal belongings around as your private room is 30 seconds from the dive shop and our multimedia classroom. The dive shop staff are always on hand and willing to help with your every query, concern or questions. Our aim is to make sure you have the most enjoyable yet educational experience possible. Whether you are here for a 2 week IDC or a 6 month instructor internship, you will be welcomed and made to feel like one of the team.

We guarantee the best facilities on the island, the nicest private beach, dedicated boats and instructors, highly experienced course directors and small classes to ensure the personal service that only we can offer in a 5 * establishment. We should be your first choice when considering an IDC on Malapascua.

COURSE OUTLINE
PREPARATION DAYS
ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR COURSE
INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT COURSE
EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDER INSTRUCTOR COURSE
INSTRUCTOR EXAM
IDC/IE SCHEDULE AND UPCOMING DATES
PADI MATERIALS
DIVE EQUIPMENT
PADI FEES
INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PACKAGES
PADI SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR & MSDT
PADI STAFF INSTUCTOR
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Here at Exotic we offer a more relaxed, yet comprehensive schedule that has been designed by our experienced course directors exclusively for Exotic.  We focus on realistic objectives and understand the need for time to relax.

When you first arrive at Exotic Zoe, our IDC liaison, will greet you and give you the full tour of the facilities, your accommodation, the dive shop, classroom and resort. She will review your package with you and explain the dive schedule, internet and other special features that you are entitled to. She will also be able to answer any questions that you may have regarding your package, diving or the island in general. Tim will then greet you and hand over your Exotic Instructor Development Pack, which contains all the necessary paperwork, outlines and guidelines for your course.

The night before the IDC is scheduled to start there will be a meal for all candidates and Exotic IDC staff, giving you a chance to meet your fellow students, instructors and course directors

The 6 P’s - Proper, Prior, Preparation, Prevents, Poor, Performance!!

Need we say more, our highly recommended yet not required, free preparation course takes 3 days and helps strengthen and review your knowledge of divemaster theory including physics, physiology, equipment, skills and the environment and the recreational dive planner, which are the 5 required exams to be sat during the Instructor Exam. 

A water day will give all candidates the chance to get wet!! It is important for you to acclimatize to the local waters, possibly test out new equipment and just do a relaxing fun dive to get to know the other candidates and instructors.  We will take you to Monad Shoal where you can witness the famous thresher sharks and possibly even encounter a giant manta ray.  A second dive at our private house reef where you can encounter mating squid, tiger shrimps, flamboyant octopus and more nudibranchs than you can imagine is the perfect dive to iron out those kinks and get fully relaxed.

These days will also give you ample time to practice your open water and confined water skill presentations and allow you the chance to gain hands on experience through our in house instructors.  There will also be a rescue clinic to ensure your rescue water skills are honed and fine tuned to perfection.  The preparation days will also introduce you to the layout of the instructor manual and give you time to ensure all 16 knowledge reviews are complete and that you are fully prepared to start the IDC.

We urge all candidates, especially those who have not recently completed their divemaster course with us at Exotic to partake in this course.  The right preparation will significantly reduce your work load during the IDC, giving you more time to focus on the task at hand and less time to stress about theory exams and water work.

We will tailor our prep course to suit each individual candidate’s needs and requirements, ensuring full confidence prior to the start of the Instructor Development Course.

The actual Instructor Development Course consists of 2 components. The AI – Assistant Instructor course and the OWSI – Open Water Scuba Instructor course. 

The Assistant Instructor Course is a 4-day course that begins the PADI instructor development process.  The course builds on divemaster training and introduces you to the PADI system of instruction. Through a number of different presentations, lectures and workshops you learn how to deliver knowledge development classroom sessions; to evaluate open water diver surface skills; to teach Project Aware, AWARE coral reef and peak performance buoyancy specialty courses and how to conduct discover scuba diver experience programs.

As a PADI Assistant Instructor you can teach limited PADI courses and also assist PADI Open Water Instructors with their courses.  Being an Assistant Instructor is a great way to gain valuable work experience before embarking on the full Open Water Instructor Rating.

Pre-requisites

• Be certified as a PADI divemaster or hold a leadership level certification with another diving organization
• Be 18 years or older
• Submit a current medical statement taken with the last 12months stating you are fit to dive
• Have been a certified diver for at least 6months and have a minimum of 60 logged dives with experience in deep diving, night diving and navigation diving
• Submit proof of current CPR and first training taken with the last 12months
• Submit proof of all PADI diving certifications from beginner to rescue diver or corresponding certifications from other diving organizations

Required PADI materials
Required diving equipment

The Open Water Scuba Instructor course is a 6-day course that follows on from the Assistant Instructor course.  It teaches candidates the ability to prepare academics; confined and open water teaching presentations; learn about business principles, teaching children, risk management, diving industry standards and how to successfully utilize PADI media, promote and advertise PADI and be able to teach the entire range of PADI programs efficiently and effectively.

To further ensure you are completely confident and ready for the actual Instructor Exam, we will hold a mock exam after successful completion of the IDC.  This mock exam will include all the components of the IE, from the 5 theory exams, the standards and procedure exam, a knowledge development prescriptive teaching presentation, a confined water teaching presentation, an open water teaching presentation with 2 skills, skill circuit and rescue assessment. Upon completion of the mock IE each candidate will have an individual consultation with Jonathan, Raphael and Tim to discuss strengths and weaknesses and to prepare mentally for the real thing.

Pre-requisites

• Be certified as a PADI Assistant Instructor or hold a leadership level certification with another diving organization
• Be 18 years or older
• Submit a current medical statement taken with the last 12months stating you are fit to dive
• Have been a certified diver for at least 6months and have a minimum of 60 logged dives with experience in deep diving, night diving and navigation diving
• Submit proof of current CPR and first training taken with the last 12months
• Submit proof of all PADI diving certifications from beginner to rescue diver or corresponding certifications from other diving organizations

Required PADI materials
Required diving equipment

INSTRUCTOR INTERNSHIPS

Upon the successful completion of your Instructor Exam we offer all candidates the chance to gain valuable work experience here at Exotic.  Enroll in our free 6 week instructor internship and work alongside our instructor team. Gain hands on experience under the direct supervision of our experienced instructors. Learn how to juggle multiple students and courses at once, learn the tricks and skills that our instructors have gained over years of teaching.

For more information regarding our internship packages please email us.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Upon completion of the Open Water Scuba Instructor course we offer a free CV and career counseling session. This session is aimed at helping you create your first professional diving CV and cover letter, choosing the ideal location for you to aim for and helping you navigate the PADI pros employment board. Learn from our experienced staff how to read between the lines of job applications and how to sell yourself to the diving community.  Exotic management team have had many years of experience in employing dive instructors in many different areas of the world, they will be able to offer you a valuable insight into the diving industry and what is required, wanted and expected from instructors in different diving regions.

Time is also available to just chat and gain knowledge from our staff about their experiences in the diving community and how to find the best job for you.

It is now mandatory for all PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors to be certified as an Emergency First Response Instructor.  We have incorporated this 1-2 day course into our IDC schedule.

As a divemaster you already have the knowledge and skills to be able to administer CPR and first aid. The Emergency First Responder Instructor course teaches you how to teach those valuable skills to a student.  There is also the option of completing the Care for Children course which is a separate course teaching instructors how to handle emergency and non emergency accidents with infants and minors including infant CPR.  This is a valuable course for anyone who has contact with children whether it be through work, friends or family.

Pre-requisites

• Have completed a sanctioned course in adult and child/infant CPR within the past 24 months.
• Have completed a sanctioned course in basic first aid within the past 24 months.

Required PADI materials

Once the Instructor Development Course has been successfully completed the Instructor Exam is a 2 day exam conducted by a PADI instructor examiner sent through PADI Asia Pacific Office. The exam will be conducted at Malapascua, Cebu City or Dumaguete depending upon numbers of candidates.  As all Exotic IDC candidates have already sat a mock IE there will be no surprises at the official exam as the set up, conduct and content are the same.

The Instructor Exam is a PADI program that has no affiliation with Exotic resort or any other dive center. It is entirely your choice as to whether you choose to sit the exam or not. At the end of our Instructor Development Course, Jonathan, Raphael and Tim will have a discussion with you and will help you decide if you are ready or not for the exam.  Here at Exotic we offer an IE pass guarantee, if we think you are ready we will make sure you are fully prepared to successfully complete the PADI Instructor Exam.

In order to pass an Instructor Exam and become qualified as a PADI Open Water Instructor each candidate must successfully complete each component of the course which includes –

5 part theory exam
PADI systems standards and procedures exam
1 knowledge development prescriptive teaching presentation
1 confined water teaching presentation
1 open water teaching presentation with 2 skills
Demonstration quality 5 skill circuit

Rescue an unresponsive diver at the surface to demonstration quality using either pocket mask  or mouth to mouth

Performance requirements needed to successfully pass the IE will have been met and exceeded throughout the course of your IDC and mock IE. 

Pre-requisites

• Successfully complete an OWSI program or full IDC within 12 months of the start date of the IE
• Have documentation of at least 100 logged dives including experience in deep, night and navigation diving
• Present the necessary certificates from the OWSI/IDC signed by your Course Director (given upon successful completion of IDC)

Once you successfully pass your Instructor Exam your PADI instructor card will be issued by PADI Asia Pacific along with your automatic PADI membership. Depending upon your postal address this will take from 3-5 weeks.

Our Exotic Instructor Development Team will help with all the logistics and planning for your Instructor Exam and if the exam is not being held here on Malapascua one of our Course Directors and team members will go with you to the exam destination.

Exotic Instructor Development Courses are scheduled to optimise your time over a 16 day period. Our aim is to offer you a relaxed IDC so that you can concentrate on the task at hand and not get stressed over the smaller things.

A more relaxed IDC gives you plenty of opportunity and time to focus on studying, preparation and gaining valuable insights from our Exotic IDC team.

We have a number of Exotic IDC scheduled for 2010. Dates may change depending upon candidate numbers and the Instructor Exam.

If you enrol in one our Exotic Instructor Development Courses 4 weeks prior to start date you will be entitled to our early bird discount. 

To participate in a PADI Instructor Development Course, for either the Assistant Instructor portion, Open Water Scuba Instructor portion or the entire course there are certain PADI materials that are mandatory. Each candidate must have their own complete set of these materials.

We can help you purchase your own set of PADI materials at special discounted prices. Either pre-order one of our PADI IDC Crew Packs with complimentary PADI backpack or order individual PADI items.

PADI CREW PACK BASIC

• Instructor Application, brochures and other course documentation
• PADI’s guide to teaching with hologram
• Positive Approach Selling DVD
• Aquatic Cue Cards for confined water
• Aquatic Cue Cards for open water dives
• Aquatic Cue Cards for adventures in diving
• Aquatic Cue Cards for rescue diver
• Aquatic Cue Cards for discover scuba diving
• Confined Water Lesson Preparation slate
• Open Water Training Dive Lesson Planning Slate
• Rescue Diver Final Exam booklet
• Divemaster Final Exam booklet
• Manual or CD containing – best of Undersea Journal, Children & Diving, Business of Diving
• Digital specialty course instructor manual
• PADI Backpack

You will also need a copy of the recent edition of the Open Water Manual, Adventures in Diving Manual, Rescue Diver Manual, Encyclopaedia of Recreational Diving, Knowledge Review Workbook and Divemaster Manual, most of which you may already have. If you have recently completed your divemaster course you will have all these materials plus the Instructor Course Manual. If you do not have these materials we can help you acquire them prior to your IDC.

Other recommend study materials which are available through our Exotic IDC library include-

• All PADI professional and diver DVD’s
• All PADI specialty diver manuals
• Discover Scuba Diving flip chart
• The Law and the Diving Professional
• The Best of the Undersea Journal
• The Business of Diving
• A.W.A.R.E. – Our World, Our Water manual

There are also mandatory materials for the Emergency First Response Instructor Course. We can again help you purchase these items at special discounted IDC prices. If you do not have any of the required materials already you can choose from one of our EFRI crew packs both of which come with a free EFR bag, or if you already have a few of the items we can help you gather the remaining things that you need.

EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE PACKAGE  BASIC

• Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care Instructor Guide & Care for Children
• Emergency First Response DVD
• Emergency Care at a Glance
• Pocket Mask

MATERIAL PACKAGE 2 DELUXE

• Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care Instructor Guide & Care for Children
• Emergency First Response Participant Manual
• Emergency First Response DVD
• Emergency Care at a Glance
• Pocket Mask
• Emergency First Response Care for Children Participant Manual
• Emergency First Response Care for Children DVD

As a PADI dive professional it is important for you to have your own personal set of complete dive equipment. There is a wide variety of dive equipment available on the market, some very basic and some with all the latest bells and whistles! The price varies greatly from one product to the next. If you are confused by the choice or just unsure what is the best option for you, then ask our experienced IDC team for their help. If you would rather purchase all your equipment prior to arrival we can still advice you on your equipment choices. If you would like to purchase your own personal set of dive equipment through Exotic Dive Resort then we can of course help arrange this at very reasonable discounted rates.

This is the list of required diving equipment needed to attend an Instructor Development Course

• BCD with Low Pressure Inflator
• Regulator with Alternate Air Source
• Fins, mask & snorkel
• Air gauge
• Depth gauge
• Timing device
• Compass
• Exposure suit
• Diving tool/knife
• 2 surface signals, 1 visual & 1 audible

It is also recommended to have either your own personal dive computer or RDP, blank slate and fish identification slate or book.

There are certain fees that need to be paid directly to PADI for the Instructor Development Course, Emergency First Response Instructor Course and Instructor Exam. Depending upon the type of Exotic IDC package you wish to take these fees can be included in the package price.  For those who wish to handle this aspect themselves that is also possible. We will provide you with all the necessary paperwork to make your payments to PADI.

As we are based within PADI Asia Pacific all PADI fees are based in Australian Dollars.

At Exotic we offer 3 different pre-arranged Instructor Development packages, each to suit the needs of different candidates. We also understand that not everyone fits nicely into a certain niche, therefore we are also able to create custom made IDC packages to suit individual needs. Please email us if the following packages do not suit your requirements and our experienced team will help create a unique package just for you.

INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE GOLD

Instructor Development Course and application fee
Emergency First Response Instructor course and application fee
Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor course and application fee (must hold EANX certificate)
On site accommodation in a standard room with 24 hour power for 18 nights
Roundtrip transfer from Cebu City to Exotic Resort
COMPLIMENTARY   6 dive package (scheduled boats only)
COMPLIMENTARY   breakfast and lunch for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   wireless internet access
COMPLIMENTRAY   tea and coffee for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   Exotic IDC t-shirt
COMPLIMENTARY   Exotic Thresher Shark Specialty Course – exclusive to Exotic.

INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE SILVER

Instructor Development Course and application fee
Emergency First Response Instructor Course and application fee
COMPLIMENTARY   lunch and breakfast for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   wireless internet access
COMPLIMENTRAY   tea and coffee for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   Exotic IDC t-shirt
COMPLIMENTARY   Exotic Thresher Shark Specialty Course – exclusive to Exotic

INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE BRONZE

Instructor Development Course
Emergency First Response Instructor Course
COMPLIMENTARY   lunch for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   wireless internet access
COMPLIMENTRAY   tea and coffee for the duration of your IDC (16 days)
COMPLIMENTARY   Exotic IDC t-shirt

Once you have successfully completed your Instructor Exam and are an official PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor you can begin teaching the PADI core courses. Most instructors will want to continue their diving education and will want to be able to teach more experienced level courses.

Welcome to the world of specialties.

Being a specialty instructor gives you that added boost within the diving industry and makes you more employable in a lot of areas. Purchasing the Specialty Instructor Manual will give you the outlines necessary to teach different specialty courses. Here at Exotic we can offer you specialty instructor courses in the following –

• AWARE Fish ID
• Boat
• Deep
• Digial Underwater Photography
• Drift
• Drysuit
• Enriched Air Nitrox
• Multilevel
• Naturalist
• Night
• Search and Recovery
• Wreck

For those candidates who want a bit extra we also offer the Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep course.  This course is based on 5 different specialty instructor courses and can take from 1 week to 6 weeks depending. The course is aimed to train instructors how to market, conduct and organize the chosen specialty courses. 

The Exotic MSDT Prep course includes all required PADI materials and application fees; numerous academic sessions and open water dives, the number of which will vary depending upon the specialties you are interested in taking. Candidates are taught how to conduct training dives, briefings and scenarios.

We understand the needs and requirements of specialty courses vary from region to region so it is important to choose the options that both interest you and will be a benefit in your intended work area. The most popular specialty courses include Enriched Air Nitrox, Deep, Wreck, Digital Photography and Night.

As soon as you have certified your 25th student as an OWSI you can then apply direct to PADI for your MSD Trainer rating. Having 5 specialty instructor ratings gives you a jump start in your diving career and will make you more attractive as a prospective employee.
Pre-requisites

• Must be PADI Assistant Instructor, PADI instructor or have completed a PADI IDC/OWSI within the last 12months
• Must be certified as PADI enriched air diver or hold a qualifying certification from another training agency (if choosing EANX option)
• Minimum age 18
• Proof of 10 logged dives in each specialty rating applied for

Required diving equipment

This course is aimed at already certified Master Scuba Diver Trainer’s to take you to the next level. As a certified PADI STAFF instructor you can teach all PADI core courses up to PADI Assistant Instructor. This 2 part course is designed to provide you with additional training so you can comfortably and professionally staff PADI IDC’s, act as a mentor and be a fountain of knowledge to Instructor Development Candidates. Holding the PADI Staff rating will also further your employability within the diving industry, a sought out professional, who will uphold all PADI standards and understands and agrees with the PADI philosophy.

Part 1 is a 2-3 day course conducted by our course director and covers dive theory including the 5 theory and standards and procedures exams, classroom presentations and in water presentations covering both confined and open water skills.  This portion of the course is conducted a few days prior to our scheduled IDC’s.

Part 2 is the practical application of the skills and knowledge gained in part 1, through staffing one of our current IDC’s. During this section of the course each candidate learns valuable hands on teaching experience and gets to see an IDC from a totally different perspective.

Pre-requisites

• Be renewed and in teaching status as a PADI instructor for the current year
• Hold a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating
• Agree to conduct all levels of diver training consistent with the standards and philosophy outlined in the PADI instructor manual
• Agree to use the PADI system and components entirely
• Minimum age 18

:: Malapascua is a gem of an island that is relatively unknown.  For this reason the diving community is small, the dive sites plentiful and the standards generally very high. Exotic was the first dive shop to open on Malapascua. We were the first to dive with the thresher sharks and discovered most of the popular dive sites around the island. Over the years Exotic has grown in size from a small PADI dive shop to an award winning 5* National Geographic Instructor Development Resort. We are proud to offer the best service and facilities on the best beach at the best prices.

:: Malapascua Island is not like Koh Tao, Puerta Gallera or Roatan. It is a small island with a small social scene. If it is the partying atmosphere that you are after then maybe this is not the right place for you. There is always something happening somewhere, but the island is not overrun by Irish Pubs, beach front bars or full moon parties!! Because of this it is a great place to complete your Instructor Development Course. Guaranteed small classes will give you the study and social group you need to help you through the course without being side tracked by all those parties.

:: As a dive professional it is important to have your own personal set of full diving equipment, as outlined in our equipment section.  As Malapascua is a small island, there are not many boutique dive shops offering an array of dive gear.  We can of course help you purchase you own personal set of dive gear at discounted prices.  We have a limited product range and may not always have your exact size, which means ordering from Cebu City which could take time. If you know what you want, or would like a copy of our product list email well in advance so that we can pre-order all the items for you, reducing the chance of disappointment.

:: It is possible to acquire all PADI materials in any language. If you would like for us to order you IDC materials in a different language than English, please give us plenty of notice. All our PADI materials are ordered from Cebu City, where in turn they are ordered from Australia. It takes a minimum of 12 days to receive materials from Australia but who knows how long to clear customs in Manila. The earlier you order your PADI materials the better.

:: There is not a plethora of shops on the island, so for all those specialized pieces of equipment, parts, computer batteries, camera accessories or personal items it would make a lot of sense to bring a couple of spares with you so you are not frantically trying to replace that computer battery a day or two before your 3 dive day trip to Camotes!! You can of course make the 4 hour bus journey to Cebu and if you get the early bus a roundtrip is possible in one day!!!!

:: Upon arrival into the Philippines you are automatically granted a 21 day tourist visa. If you plan on staying over this time you will need to get a visa extension. We can of course help arrange this for you when you are here at Exotic, or if you prefer you can organize this before you arrive. It is possible to get a Visa extension at any time during your initial 21 days, you do not have to wait till your time has expired. If you decide you would like us to organize your Visa extension for you, please make sure we have your passport at least a week prior to the expiration date.

:: Malapascua is a small island, with a large local population but not much in the way of development. At this time there is no doctor or hospital on the island. You will need to have a current medical certificate for your instructor course, we advise you to acquire this prior to your arrival on the island. If you are in need of medical attention during your stay, the closest doctor is in Daan Bantayan, 45minutes from Exotic Resort. Being a remote location it is advisable to stock up on a basic medical kit before you arrive. It is possible to buy certain medications on the island and of course Exotic has a large medical supply, however stocking up on sea sickness tablets, basic antibiotics, antibiotic ear drops, iodine and hydrocortisone or bactroban cream is recommended. Also do not forget your medical insurance. As a dive professional the best insurance you can get is through Divers Alert Network (DAN) www.diversalertnetwork.org We can also help you arrange this when you are here.