3 days to DM?

[--tom--]

I figured as much. I'll just wait till I get back to the states.

With that, I have time to get master diver out here, what specialties have you guys taken that offered legit good training? I dont want to waste time and money on pointless specialty courses.

If your goal is to eventually become a DM, PADI is emphasizing specialties in Deep Diving and Search & Recovery for Dive Master Candidates. (Both of these courses are worthwhile).

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I figured as much. I'll just wait till I get back to the states.

I figured no one really wants to truthfully answer this question.

It is possible to take a 7 day DM course.

 

[MX727]

If you did eLearning, showed up with the Deep and the Search & Rescue specialties and met all other prerequisites, you just might be able to do it in three days. I would say that four would be more realistic. Not saying it would be a quality class, but in the seven day course referenced above, it works out to about four days of diving/pool work. Squeezing that into three days would make for some long, busy days.

 

[scuboot]

I was just asking if anyone had heard of this, not saying I wanted to do it. As Dennis pointed out I'm not even ready for the DM program yet. I do eventually want to be a DM and then an instructor, but I plan on working on all that when I get back to the states. For now I'm going to work for Master Diver for a few different reasons.

I do have a question regarding something you said though Dennis, about specialties. Wouldn't it make sense to have training in areas such as navigation, search and recovery, and different gas blends if one were trying to get into the professional side of diving? I understand the concept of taking classes you enjoy like photography, but when it comes to learning about diving, wouldn't photography be less important then say peak performance buoyancy?

 

[k ellis]

Just my 2 cents here but diving no matter what level you want to accomplish is the same no matter if open water or course director. Its all about doing it as safe as possible all the while having fun doing it. Learning to be a divemaster will take you places you never dreamed and open your eyes to all new and incredible aspects od diving.

Your going into a new field also where you go from just one of the guys in diving to now your the one people turn to for leadership and guidance. So enjoy the diving and have fun with it thats the whole point of diving right?

I can tell you what it did for me and that was it taught me what 35 years could not and that was how to swim. I may have gotten the minimum score but hey I swam the entire required distance non stop without touching bottom. Some say big deal I should have expected to learn but again nearly 10 years of swim lessons and I never could go where I could not touch bottom and now I swim all over the pool. If nothing else ever came of my dive master that much I can promise was well worth the course.

My instructors got to listen to me give them pure hell and I admire them for it. (Hey we law enforcement guys can have a temper any one agree?) But in the end I would not have traded one moment of my training for nothing. In fact I am gearing up for winter pool work and looking to get in and go back through the fundamentals with dive master candidates for the entire reason of having a great time and loving what I do best. DIVING!!!!!

So my point being in short and to the point. Dont ever rush anything about diving. You may think your getting a quick card but your short changing yourself when it comes to the possibility of some of the greatest memories youll ever have!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I was just asking if anyone had heard of this, not saying I wanted to do it. As Dennis pointed out I'm not even ready for the DM program yet. I do eventually want to be a DM and then an instructor, but I plan on working on all that when I get back to the states. For now I'm going to work for Master Diver for a few different reasons.

I do have a question regarding something you said though Dennis, about specialties. Wouldn't it make sense to have training in areas such as navigation, search and recovery, and different gas blends if one were trying to get into the professional side of diving? I understand the concept of taking classes you enjoy like photography, but when it comes to learning about diving, wouldn't photography be less important then say peak performance buoyancy?

Sorry for the short delay in response. I had a good reason- 3 dives yesterday. As to navigation and search and recovery- by all means. I think that courses involving compass mastery are excellent preparation for a future divemaster like yourself. I also think it is beyond argument that everyone can benefit from the peak performance buoyancy specialty. As to gas blends and blending, for sure do a nitrox course, but beyond that I think the further courses are relevant only if you intend to do the kind of diving that requires it. You may however get interested in rebreathers at some point, and I suspect that ultimately there won't be very many courses that you will not have taken. Keep your enthusiasm, dive, learn, and enjoy every minute of all of it!
DivemasterDennis

 

[--tom--]

I do have a question regarding something you said though Dennis, about specialties. Wouldn't it make sense to have training in areas such as navigation, search and recovery, and different gas blends if one were trying to get into the professional side of diving? I understand the concept of taking classes you enjoy like photography, but when it comes to learning about diving, wouldn't photography be less important then say peak performance buoyancy?

This is a good question, but keep in mind that being a DM (or instructor) is WORK. It is fun work, but none the less, work--and sometimes burnout hits. So you need to do some things that keep you enjoying what you do. So some of the learning shouldn't be so goal driven. You need to feed your soul; for many photography does that; others like underwater naturalist.

Dennis (wisely) was suggesting some things that would improve your diving skills while maintaining the "fun" component that could stay with you for years.

 

[DevonDiver]

I heard from a friend that there is two ways you can go about getting dive master.

You mean "getting a divemaster card".

That's a very different state of affairs to 'becoming a divemaster'.

The card only means as much as the skills, knowledge and experience of the person who carries it.

3 days? 7 days? What would you really expect?.... other than a card?

 

[TSandM]

I was just asking if anyone had heard of this, not saying I wanted to do it. As Dennis pointed out I'm not even ready for the DM program yet. I do eventually want to be a DM and then an instructor, but I plan on working on all that when I get back to the states. For now I'm going to work for Master Diver for a few different reasons.

I do have a question regarding something you said though Dennis, about specialties. Wouldn't it make sense to have training in areas such as navigation, search and recovery, and different gas blends if one were trying to get into the professional side of diving? I understand the concept of taking classes you enjoy like photography, but when it comes to learning about diving, wouldn't photography be less important then say peak performance buoyancy?

I think you're thinking in the right direction here. It's my personal opinion that, to be a good instructor or DM, you should bring very strong personal diving skills to the table (for a number of reasons, not the least of which is student safety) AND you should bring a breadth of experience and knowledge, as well.

It has to start with personal skills, though. I don't think anyone should be teaching who isn't very stable in the water, and capable of handling a fair amount of task-loading without losing buoyancy, trim, and awareness of position and environment. Students do the darnedest things, and if you have to chase somebody up into the water column, it's going to do both of you no good if you can't control yourself when you catch them, or if you lose the whole rest of the class in the process.

 

[farsidefan1]

If you find someone that offers a way to be a divemaster in 3 days please be sure to post about it. I want to make sure I never dive with a DM from their shop

I have been fortunate to dive with very experienced and competent DM's. I just can't imagine developing those skills without a couple hundred dives. But hey, I'm just a diver speaking for himself. I have never considered being a DM because I like to do what I want - not what a boss tells me (yes, I'm self employed and I don't want to be nursemaid to a bunch of others, some of whom may be delightful to work with and some of whom are going to be a pain in the hindquarters. Uh uh, nope, ain't gonna happen.