Why Go Pro In Kona?
Andy Woerner Mar 04, 2022
With professional dive programs around the world, how do you decide where to go?
What are your preferred diving conditions? Warm or cold-water diving?
Are you particular about the diversity of marine life you will encounter? Want to see Mantas, Sharks, or Rays?
These are always the first factors to consider, however the most important factor to consider is: “Where can I get more out of my pro program than just a certification?”
Jack’s Diving Locker has certified professionals for 40 years. With over 550 certified, our experience over the years has really helped us mold our programs into the success they are today.
We are very proud of the commitment and knowledge of our Jack’s Diving Locker team. Having a variety of professionals to learn from is an advantage of Jacks Diving Locker professional dive program on the Big Island of Hawaii. We have 2 Course Directors and over 35 Master Instructors, Staff Instructors, Master Scuba Divers Trainers, Open Water Scuba Instructors and Divemasters. This gives you a variety of people and styles to see as you develop your own.
Our Divemaster program is conducted much like an internship, giving you an opportunity to work with real students/divers and learn from a variety of PADI Pros.
Open Water Scuba Instructor program is offered in two different formats to fit our student’s needs. You can choose between our “Classic” (this course in conducted over consecutive days), or our “Extended” program is for our local students which is conducted on weekends to accommodate school/work.
Conservation is built into every dive and every course.
JDL has been actively caring for/protecting our environment since our conception – and you’ll see it in everything we do. (Malama Kai Foundation, sustainable packaging for our Tiger Shark Deli sandwiches provided on our trips, encouraging use of rash guards/hats - and mineral based sunscreen, and our continued active participation in PADI Aware - Dive Against Debris – & Adopt a Dive Site).
Read the real-life experiences from two of our Professional Dive Program Alumni.
I was familiar with Kona’s great dive sites, and year-round warm water. I’ve dived with 5-6 different shops in Kona and found Jack’s to be the most consistently professional and the staff exhibited behaviors that I wanted to emulate.
The instructors were extremely informative, well prepared/organized, and very open to different challenges/ questions along the way. Also, having two Course Directors made the course perfectly balanced with different perspectives and experiences shared with us, while maintaining consistency in the instruction and procedures of the program.
We were able to observe multiple teaching styles in real time. And given the consecutive days of the IDC, having two instructors allowed the days to be “fresh” and avoided teacher-student fatigue. I appreciated that even though one of the top priorities was to prepare for the IE (Instructor Exam), there was time taken to discuss beyond it.
The JDL staff that we encountered, outside of the course, were very friendly and would always introduce themselves if the opportunity arose.
Recently I ended my previous job and I am looking forward to putting my new PADI Instructor Certification to use. I am also excited to have my first set of guinea pigs… I mean students.
- Yi Ho
PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
I chose to do my divemaster training in Kona for a change of pace from cold water diving and because of the large Manta Ray population which is something I found exciting! Also, Hawaii is interesting because of its isolation which means lots of unique endemic marine life.
Jack's was very experienced in professional development, (especially at the instructor level), and they structured the course in a time frame that worked with my schedule. Jack's focused on developing boat skills in their Divemaster Course, which is something that I was looking forward to getting more experience in during my divemaster training.
I thought that the JDL instructors and staff were the best possible combination of fun and professional. Getting to work with multiple Instructors was invaluable. I especially enjoyed Toby who was a phenomenal instructor to work with. He would help us reach the skill level we needed by focusing on the things that needed extra practice and giving tips and tricks on how to do them better.
Every instructor that I worked with was great! I had opportunities not just to watch/shadow but practice being a divemaster in a supervised setting. I picked up all kinds of helpful tips from everyone on how to help things run safe and efficiently. The staff was also always super helpful whenever I needed any assistance with anything I was struggling with.
I went diving with my brother for his birthday a few days ago. I was able to fix a couple of problems underwater (like his inflator hose coming loose), and I felt super in the zone and on the ball. An issue like this previously would have been frustrating, however it ended up being just a minor 30 second pause before continuing the dive.
- Pavel Klier
PADI Divemaster
If you are interested in getting started with any of our professional programs, please reach out to our Course Directors Shannon or David at Pro@JacksDivingLocker.com
Our 2023 Instructor Course Dates and 2023 Divemaster Course Dates are now available!
