Train as a PADI Divemaster in Cabo San Lucas: Living the real dive-pro routine!
Picture this: sunrise over the marina, gear lined up, boats moving, divers buzzing with that “what will we see today?” energy… and you’re not just on the trip, you’re part of the team that makes it happen.
If you want real professional Divemaster training in Cabo San Lucas, plus experience working in a PADI 5 star operation with expert instructors, this one’s for you!
Our typical ocean-based Divemaster internships are 6-8 weeks OR 12 weeks and are paid for by you, like any previous PADI course. But we also offer a COMPLETELY FREE ‘office volunteer’ program to candidates with strong admin or social media skills. Exchange 36 hours voluntary work for 3 months assisting on reception while training in the water for 1-2 days depending.
The Divemaster Internships, in a nutshell.
The PADI Divemaster internship is a professional course and, like any pro course, you should expect to pay a fee, or exchange a valuable skillset, to ensure a high standard. Unfortunately, just washing equipment and moving tanks around doesn’t cover our costs to train you as a pro. You get what you pay for, and our commitment to you is a structured training schedule, with expert dive instructors. Whether you opt for our regular internship, or the office volunteer internship, the idea is to leave the experience having benefitted entirely from understanding your chosen aspect of dive center operations. You will finish the course, not only with a pro-level qualification, but with real employability.
For the typical ocean-based internship, as well as the fast-track DM course, you can read more here:
This article aims more to introduce our 3 – 6 month working office volunteer Divemaster internship; a program for candidates who want hands-on, behind-the-scenes operations experience of running a dive center.
Office Volunteer Divemaster Internship: how it’s structured.
This 3 month divemaster exchange is designed so you’re not just “passing a course”… you’re actually growing into the role, with repetition, responsibility, and progression. If you fell in love with diving at the Open Water level and you want to apply for the 6 month version of this program, we have it available.
A quick note, because clarity matters: this is a training exchange, not a salaried position. You’ll work hard, learn fast, and come out the other side with industry-relevant skills and a professional rating.
Weekly commitment:
- 36 hours/week: Based at the dive center
- 1.5 days/week: Dedicated to Divemaster course sessions and in-water training
Prerequisites to the 3 month option:
To apply to the PADI divemaster course, you must have:
- Rescue Diver certification: From any agency equivalent accepted
- 40 Dives: Recording of 40 minimum logged dives
You’ll also need current CPR/First Aid and medical clearance, which are standard requirements for PADI Divemaster training.
Skill set we’re looking for
We give Mexican nationals priority. We select reliable, adaptable, team players. Flexibility and positive attitudes with a real passion for the ocean are a must.
- Basic Excel / Google Drive / Gmail knowledge
- Excellent customer service (you genuinely like people, even before coffee)
- GOOD English (spoken + written) but 100% fluency not necessary. Basic conversational Spanish with a willingness to learn more on the job!
Divemaster office-volunteer work-exchange : On-the-job training
During your exchange, you’ll train across the real working systems that keep a dive center running smoothly, the stuff many Divemasters only learn later, by trial and error.
Once we receive your resume, we can apply your strengths to whichever role might suit you best behind the desk:
- Logistics & dive boat planning: Timings, checklists, flow, problem-solving
- Equipment inventory: Tracking, organization, basic care routines
- Social media marketing: Content support, trip highlights, simple workflows
- CRM software: Client notes, follow-ups, administration
- PADI Pros Site: Online Processing Center, admin processes, course handling
- Leads & bookings: How inquiries become real divers on real boats
And yes, you’ll still do the classic divemaster equipment and boat management tasks, because that’s part of becoming useful to any dive crew.
The difference is: you’ll understand how they connect to the bigger picture. That’s exactly how we run our Divemaster internships: trainees are integrated into day-to-day operations, not treated like tank-washing robots.
Will I be guiding divers?
You’ll be trained to lead and guide dives, but you cannot guide independently until you’re certified and processed with your Divemaster number.
Benefits
Join a professional team and gain real experience
Join a professional team and gain real, transferable work experience in a PADI 5 Star environment. At Cabo Private Guide, you’re stepping into a unique and boutique PADI 5 Star Dive Center, built around private guiding individual divers, couples, families and small groups as well as large groups on occasion. CPG focus on projects and promotion of ocean conservation, which means the standard is high and the details matter.
You’ll learn how a quality operation runs day-to-day, while being surrounded by our instructors team who take professionalism seriously.
Dive and live in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo sits right at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez, and that geography is pure magic for divers. You get a wild spread of dive experiences: Healthy reef, Sea lions, mobula rays, hammerhead encounters, humpback whales in season…
Topside, you’ve got sunshine, good food, an easy social vibe, and the kind of days-off that make you forget what a grey winter feels like. Cabo San Lucas is where adventure and lifestyle actually meet !
Earn your PADI Divemaster certification without the usual costs
Like applying for a job, you will be asked to submit a resume detailing what transferable skills might make you a suitable candidate for the role and some references. If you are selected, you will get your PADI Divemaster certification completely free, by trading 3 months of consistent work support for structured pro training. Please note, there is a processing fee to PADI ($160 at the time of writing) which is to be paid for on your credit card.
3 months, consistent weekly rhythm, and enough time to absorb not only the course requirements, but the real-life operation behind them.
Inclusions and Exclusions
Included
We cover the following as part of the divemaster exchange. Estimated total value: $3,000 USD
PADI eLearning
Dive equipment rental :
- BCD
- Regulator
- Wetsuit
- Fins
- Mask
- Dive computer /SMB/ Compass **IF AVAILABLE
** WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND PURHCASING YOUR EQUIPMENT. WE ARE A CRESSI DEALER. ALL DM CANDIDATES RECEIVE DISCOUNT FOR ORDERING WITH US. CONTACT FOR INFO.
Dive training + certifications:
- PADI Divemaster certification IF YOU HAVE MET PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
Excluded
- PADI Divemaster application fees: paid directly to PADI
- Accommodation / meals: we can share local advice and contacts
Why do your PADI divemaster certification with Cabo Private Guide?
A Divemaster rating is a professional credential, and we treat it like one. Our internships are designed to build capable, confident dive pros who understand both in-water leadership and dive center operations.
You’ll also be learning inside a company built around personalized service (not cattle-boat chaos), so you’ll see what “high-touch” dive hospitality really looks like in Cabo San Lucas.
Expect a consistent weekly schedule, balance of male and female, bilingual instructors, practical responsibilities, and structured training days. If you want “easy,” this isn’t it. If you want real, you’re in the right place.
What is the difference between the Divemaster course and Divemaster internship ?
To help future candidates choose the right path, here’s how it compares to our other Divemaster format. Same destination.
Divemaster Office-Volunteer Work-Exchange | Options: 3 Months (Rescue Diver + 40 Dives) OR 6 months (Open Water)
Best if you want maximum immersion, real responsibility, and a strong CV boost, because you’re learning the dive pro role and the behind-the-scenes systems of a busy center over a full season. You should weigh up the cost of living versus receiving this course for free.
Divemaster Internship | Options: 6-8 weeks (1 day off/week) OR 12 weeks (2 days off/week)
The most popular ‘typical’ route for candidates who know they want to work only on the boats and have no interest or experience in an office. See Divemaster internship detail
Divemaster Course (17 days)
The fast-track: an intense 17-day course option for Rescue divers with 100 Dives who don’t want to work in a dive center. Shorter, course-only training, with 2 -3 scheduled days off and the possibility to complete in 12 days if all performance requirements are met. – See Divemaster course detail
How to apply ?
To apply to our PADI Divemaster Office-Volunteer Work-Exchange in Cabo San Lucas send us a WhatsApp +526241609925, Insta DM @cabo_privateguide, or an email at info@caboprivateguide.com
- Proof of certifications + logged dives
- A short intro about you (diving background + why Cabo + why this exchange)
- Your availability window for the next 3-month intake
If it feels like a match, we’ll set up a call and walk you through expectations, training flow, and start dates.
