Thinking about getting the Divemaster certification

[mathauck0814]

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This only applies in theory. I've dove with brand new certified divers (with only their check out dives) that had very good buoyancy control and with divers that have 25+ dives that still can't stop themselves from bouncing in the silt and shooting to the surface.

What you're describing as an "experienced diver" and what I believe FinnMom and others here are advocating from a mentorship perspective is pretty far apart. I generally think (just one guys' opinion, based on more than a decade of very regular diving) most divers spend the first several hundred dives just learning their @ss from their elbow. 25 dives is a good week of diving. Not the kind of experience you need to be a good mentor (though it is half of what you need to be a divemaster).

 

[azmodan50]

What you're describing as an "experienced diver" and what I believe FinnMom and others here are advocating from a mentorship perspective is pretty far apart. I generally think (just one guys' opinion, based on more than a decade of very regular diving) most divers spend the first several hundred dives just learning their @ss from their elbow. 25 dives is a good week of diving. Not the kind of experience you need to be a good mentor (though it is half of what you need to be a divemaster).

By no means do I think 25 dives makes you experienced. But you would think that after 25 you could at least manage to stay out of the silt.

I'm not against people diving for experience. I just think that SOME specialties add valuable knowledge that you can't get by just diving. Not everyone has someone experienced to teach them without taking the class.

 

[FinnMom]

I guess a big difference is that the 25 dives I was talking about was diving locally as a buddy pair, choosing your sites and planning/executing your own dives. Following a divemaster around has less learning value and frankly too much diving in nice sites (deeper than 5m everywhere and bottoms that don't silt eaisily) also decreases your learning opportunities. It's not so fun at the time but actually it is good that a silty bottom calls your attention to it every time you messed up and also lets you turn around and admire the results when you got it right. Playing around in poorer dive sites can be a great learning opportunity and also makes you an eaisily-pleased customer on travel dives (holy cow, I saw a fish!).
The books I mentioned offer describe some fun drills, such as how to practising how to achieve and hold a steady depth as you go up or down a line or wall. There's a whole lot to be learned if you can just find a buddy, maybe 5-6m of water and a little visibility.

 

[ScubabunnyCR]

As many dives as possible and focus on aspects of diving that you want to explore more, Master Diver if you are not looking at working in the future.....most importantly, have fun!

 

[SKMoss]

I voted for Master Diver. I like having goals and challenges. It's the best way for me to learn and improve. You'll get lots of dives in and it will force you into lots of kinds of diving just to get the required number of specialties.

http://www.padi.com/scuba-diving/PADI-Courses/Course-Catalog/Master-Scuba-Diver/

 

[Diving Dubai]

I would also consider joining BSAC as you're in the UK. I used to have a very prejudiced view of BSAC in that you had to dive cold murky quarries - so I took the PADI route. However as age and wisdom took over I realised the benefits of BSAC. Mainly the club aspect where you get to socialise with other divers and there is a lot to be said for the experience and knowledge you can gain from them too.

I'll admit to have been lazy in my training - in that upto recently I'd just halted at AoW and got dives in. Now being part of a BSAC club and of course being part of the forum I am working jointly on both my Rescue and my Dive leader, they both have some differing characteristics - BSAC you learn EAN and Decompression diving as part of the standard modules where as Padi it seems has a more thorough rescue element.

Training is good and further training to be encouraged, but I'm sure most will agree its hours underwater that make you a more comfortable diver. With each dive your experience will grow, in big leaps at first and then more gradual later on. It is amazing how your perception of diving changes after 30 dives, then 50, then 100 etc etc The more differing dive environments you can experience the better you will be. Everyone enjoys different things I for instance used to hate current - now I relish it, I've dived to +50 being Deco qualified - its okay I'd rather for the most part be a 10 - 30 where all the sea life is, I don't get excited by wrecks or macro life - others love what I dislike and dislike what I love and thats what makes the scuba community great. Once you start you have no idea where you'll end up and what floats your boat at the start may not after a number of dives.

My advice, join a club get more dives, meet new people and have fun