Care to share your DM experience?

I would like to start my DM certification, but have hit a roadblock. Can you tell me if this is normal? A friend of mine is the instructor, a good guy. He works for a Dive Shop. The shop wants me to be present for several checkout dives for OW students at the local quarry. That's fine. In fact, I think I will like that part best. But all summer? Every OW class? (it's a 1h, 15 min drive for me). They want me to basically be a grad student all over again. They want me to work at the shop. They won't pay me, they want to pay me in store credits. They especially want me there cause I am a biologist. (i.e. I have a real job that keeps me for about 60 hours a week as it is).
All I want is the certification. Is this the norm for DM certification?

I don't know if that's PADI rules or the shop rules, but that's about right from what I had to do. I had to sit in on "at least" 1 full OW classroom - all sections, 1 full pool session of all the modules and skills, assist 2 OW full weekends, 1 full rescue class and 1 full AOW class. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it sure turned out to be.

If you're doing to get the cert, don't. If you're doing it because they want you to , don't. If you're doing it for you because you want to become an Instr or a working DM, GO FOR IT!

There's several ways of doing the DM class, that way is the best way.

WW

That's pretty much how it worked for me. However, I'm not required to work at the shop, although I do help out in exchange for free stuff.

The apprenticeship you're talking about is, IMHO, the best way to become a DM. You learn by doing and you get to deal with real life situations in a relatively controlled environment.

If it's a PADI cert. there are requirements for assisting in classes. IIRC it's 5 pool assists and 10 OW assists...or that may be reversed, it's been awhile! Since our OW checkouts were held over 2 hours away, that meant a weekend stay. Hotel, gas, food, etc...all expenses paid by me. Sometimes the instructor would treat dinner one night. Some DM instructors count each dive as an assist. Some count the whole weekend as 1 assist.

It's common practice for a shop to want you to work in the shop. For one it teaches you the products they carry and they will be depending on you to help sell the gear they carry. It will definitely help you to understand the business side of a dive shop. But it is not a PADI requirement to get the cert.

So yeah....what you describe isn't out of the ordinary.

I went with an independant PADI instructor so I didn't have to work in the shop. I did have to attend all of the OW classes you mentioned, for me it was a minimum 2 1/2 drive one way to the dive site. I was able to sneak in some dives with the instructor or friends after class so for me, it wasn't bad. Good luck.

60 hours work a week? :wacko: nasty. I don't want to join the real world ;-(

I won't tell about the DM class I took because it wouldn't help. Instead I'll tell you about the ones I teach. I don't have students work in the store. I might be good for them but I'm not certain it would be good for me. It takes most DM candidates a while to complete all the stamina excercizes and projects like mapping and stuff. In the mean time I have them attend as many OW and pool sessions as I can. Usually before a candidate is a DM they have been incvolves in dozens of pool and OW sessions. The standards don't require near that many but it takes that many to learn. When a real DM works with me they are there because I need help not another liability. The idea is increased supervision and safety for students not to pump some DM's ego.

Sue,

As you've read above, a period as an apprentice Divemaster is common..., likely required to different degrees by most agencies. Depending on what type of Divemaster you're going to be, you can become pretty involved in how the shop operates. There is a great deal to learn beyond supervision of instruction or dive operations.

What varies is what this apprentice period involves and to what degree. If you are serious about continuing with your plans, try this out. Most dive shop owners are aware of the demands of both their own shops as well as pressures in the lives of their employees. They are flexible to different degrees. Take a calendar and sit down with the shop owner. Agree in writing, in advance, what the criteria are. It may not be exactly a contract, but it will serve as a guide for you over the next six or seven months. After you've set it out in writing, you can estimate the time and cost required and decide whether its still worth it. It's when the criteria and requirements are left open-ended that misunderstandings and disagreements can occur. Get it in writing up front.

Norcaldiver said it best. Most folks don't become Divemasters for the fame and money. Its only worth it if its worth it to you.

Doc

Thanks everyone for your responses. It is good (?) to know that my my dive shop is not unique, and that's the way people do things.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to do an apprenticeship, after all, that is part of the job to begin with! I do love the idea of assisting OW classes. It brings me back to the moment when I opened my eyes on my first open water dive, and met a *very* large bluegill nose to nose. It changed my life. But I digress.
I have some priority-weighing to do.

And as for my 60 hour work week, Slyfox, don't think that is the norm! I'm just a masochist. :banging: