Dive Master Training

I have been following a few threads on DM training. So far I am only OW certified. Scheduled to do AOW in June. I feel that I want to to DM and possibly instructor eventually.

I saw an add in SCUBA Diving for a school called prodive. They offer what looks like intensive training in a short period of time.

They offer for example:

1. PADI Emergency First Responder
1 Day

2. PADI Rescue Diver
4 Days

3. DAN & PADI O2 Provider
½ Day

3. PADI Divemaster
9½ Days

4. PADI Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox)
1 Day

All this can be completed in two weeks, I asume going to class full time.

Has anyone done their classes? If so what do you think?

What is the opinion of the experienced DMs on the list as to this kind of training?

From what I read in other threads the opinion is that DM takes time and dedication, can this be achieved in 10 days?

I am not looking for an easy way out, I just live in a diving limited area, and it might take quite awhile to get all the classes. As my LDS only does a few AOW and rescue divers a year, and maybe one DM a year if there is enough people.

Thanks for your input

Mike

One dive shop I do business with says that it will teach the "immersion" DM course in conjunction with an Assistant Instructor or Instructor Development Course, but that it won't touch any DM who comes out of the accelerated course. They discourage DM candidates from taking the accelerated course. They'll be happy to work with a DM who takes the "internship" route, which they also teach for a lower price than the immersion course.

You can do an "immersion" PADI DM course in a week if you have enough dives. If I recall correctly, you need 25 dives to start a PADI DM course, and 60 dives total before you get your PADI DM card. So yes, it's possible to do a PADI DM class in 10 days.

Opinions vary, but I think you'll find most people will tell you to take your time with DM training. There's a fair amount of material to learn, and you need to develop not only knowledge and skills, but also judgment. I don't think ten days is enough time to develop the necessary aspects. But that's just my opinion.

DM training is not only about learning the physics and physiology of diving, its about helping to teach diving. This takes time, and requires observation time, as well as just experience with multiple classes...

SSI's Divecon class has a minimum number of classes you have to observe, and help teach with. I dont think the accelerated course is a good idea. If you do take that approach, you should observe some classes after your class, and dont jump into DM'ing right away IMO...

I recently completed a NAUI DM course, it was about 20 lectures over 6-7 months plus a butt load of diving with the different classes. All in all, it was a long class but well worth it and I feel as if I have learned a lot.

Sure you can complete the PADI DM course in 10 days.
But dont expect to be good at it. 10 days is by far not enough to learn how to help students in and out of the water. It requires a lot of practice doing a lot of classes. That is not achieved in 10 days...

As for the PADI nitrox class. There is little practical work so if you have some feel for it the theory could possibly be mastered in one day.

The rescue class, it really depends on what the instructor makes you do, you can stuff a lot of good skills into 4 days.

just my experiences with these classes

Rescue in four days?

If done full time, early in the morning till late in the afternoon, plus individual study late into the night, yes, that's feasible, that's the way I did it, and I still think it was well done, but it was one-to-one tuition.

EFR doesn't take more than a day, that's OK as well.

DM: NO, NO, NO!

I took a five months' course, again alone with the instructor and it was a total mess.

Ten days doesn't even go near a decent amount of time to learn the huge quantity of info you'll need to be a good pro.

i did my dm in 3 months full time 9am - 4pm 5 days a week (dive days were like 7am til 6-7pm
after we got past rescue every time we had a shore dive you could bet your right arm that there would be a rescue drill
i think ive rescued over 20 times but ..i know how to do it ..rite down to the T
but in 9 1/2 days no way it would take longer than that to get your 20 skills in the pool up to the required level plus your briefings have to be perfect and when are you supposed to learn
physics,physiology,dive master conducted programes,equipment plus when you do your divemaster conducted tour it just wouldnt be fare if all your "STUDENTS" didnt panic or take there masks off or start to buddy breath for no apparent reason
(no hostility here) lol

like the rest of them ..theretically it can be done but you wouldnt be any good at it ......give your self the best chance to be a good divemaster not a cowboy with a dm card good luck i hope you doo do a dm course its wicked

Hey WV Mike, I have heard and read alot about prodive and have not much good to say about it. My understanding is all the do is to prep you for the test. I just finished the PADI DM class and there is nothing better then the practical experience that you get from having the time invested from diving. I think anyone can be book smart, but if you do not have the dive experence, you can lead very well. Students want to know the practical aspects of diving, not what is in the book. You can not live in A scuba deprived area any more then I do, but I was able to log over 100 dives last year. People do not relize how good the diving is in our area.

I think if you are going to do the DM class, you have to do the full class. A good instructor can make all the diff. Nitrox is mandatory. Nitrox rocks and is the biggest specialty going now a days. Nitrox is classroom and very little practical. If you can remember math and formulas, you should do fine. I know I am rambling on but you have to put time in to be a good DM.. Just my thoughts.

WVMike once bubbled...
I have been following a few threads on DM training. So far I am only OW certified. Scheduled to do AOW in June. I feel that I want to to DM and possibly instructor eventually.

I saw an add in SCUBA Diving for a school called prodive. They offer what looks like intensive training in a short period of time.

They offer for example:

1. PADI Emergency First Responder
1 Day

2. PADI Rescue Diver
4 Days

3. DAN & PADI O2 Provider
½ Day

3. PADI Divemaster
9½ Days

4. PADI Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox)
1 Day

All this can be completed in two weeks, I asume going to class full time.

Has anyone done their classes? If so what do you think?

What is the opinion of the experienced DMs on the list as to this kind of training?

From what I read in other threads the opinion is that DM takes time and dedication, can this be achieved in 10 days?

I am not looking for an easy way out, I just live in a diving limited area, and it might take quite awhile to get all the classes. As my LDS only does a few AOW and rescue divers a year, and maybe one DM a year if there is enough people.

Thanks for your input

Mike

Click to expand...

It can't be done.

I haven't read the other replys yet so I might be repeating but a couple of things spring immediately to mind:

1) Experience. becoming a competent divemaster is 90% experience and 10% training. If you don't have some experience then you'll be a lousy DM even if you passed the course.

2) retention. You might be able to pass the tests at that tempo but it will be hard and you'll forget most of it immediately because it's too much information to assimilate. Then you'll be a DM with no experience who forgot all the theory etc. Do you want that?

3) quality. You won't get good quality at that tempo. Period. In my experience the DM course involves making a minimum of about 12-16 dives over the course of 6 or 7 days or so. some are for scenarios, some are for mapping. If you have good viz (which we don't) then you can probably cut out a couple. And that's not including pool time (another 12+ hours), study time for the ERD and the instructor's manual, writing up your assignments and having a little fun. It know for sure that I couldn't have passed DM in 10 days. It took me something like 8 weeks avg 4 days a week and for our club that was fast. Many people take much longer.

While it's possible to become a certified DM in 10 days I don't think you would be a real DM. I hate that some people choose to teach the Divemaster course like that. Mine was an internship that required I work with 2 classes from start to finish including all academic sessions, pool sessions and open water sessions. While that was good I did not consider myself a very good DM until I had worked with 6 or 7 entire classes. There is more to it than the academic portions of the Divemaster training. You can't learn the people skills, the problem solving skills and teaching skills in just 2 classes. Take as much time as you can. There is nothing to be gained by rushing through it. The lack of experience will show.

I also hate the as soon as you become a DM you can then enter the IDC. It's my feeling that you should work as a Divemaster for at least a year before you are prepared to teach. Just my feeling. I've seen some pretty poor instructors and divemasters that have taken the fast track. Part of the fun is the training. There is a lot to learn. I had a blast during my internship. I got to learn from some of the best in my area. I figured out for myself what my strengths and weaknesses were and what teaching methods work. I now work as a divemaster and really love it because I know I can trust my training and experience. I realize when things happen during a class how well I am trained to react and deal with problems.

Good luck and take it slow and enjoy it.


Scott