Padi Msdt

I am looking to gain some specialty instructor ratings, and was wondering what people thought of the PADI MSDT course.

Did you feel that it was a worthwhile course or not?

I have talked to a few people already who have thought it was a total waste of money. The opinions I have received make me think that maybe it is worthwhile taking the student level course from a very knowledgeable and experienced instructor, and then follow this up by completing some dives myself in said specialty and gaining the experience through first hand encounters.

I really do not feel like dishing out 5 - 7 hundred dollars on something that does not benefit me or my students. If I can put this money toward equipment/other experiences/training that will benefit both myself and my students more, I think it is a no-brainer.

PADI MSDT Is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
An Instructor that can teach at least 5 specialties and certified a minimum of 25 Divers.

I am an MSDT and teach all the specialties I have on a regualr basis

Deep, Wreck, Night, Navigation, DPV, Nitrox and Photography.

It was well worth the investment, as although it is alot of fun teaching OW, it is nice to take students to wrecks, play on DPV's and do deeper dives. Keeps it interesting, but above all it is so much fun teaching these courses.

Besides, its one more step on the way to Master Instructor or Course Director, when you can train other professionals.

I totally agree with Syd_diver.....do it!

Becoming a MSDT isn't about the title its about expanding your horizons and becoming involved in the fun stuff. Diving is fun, hell thats why we do it, but when you start to specialise thats when you start to realise that there is so much more out there that you just don't know about.

Its makes you a better diver, it certainly made me a better instructor, and there is nothing better than teaching a speciality class to people who really want to be there and have done their homework.

Plus... do yo know how much fun you can have on a DPV??

Do it, you won't regret it.

Coogeeman

radagalf once bubbled...
I really do not feel like dishing out 5 - 7 hundred dollars on something that does not benefit me or my students. If I can put this money toward equipment/other experiences/training that will benefit both myself and my students more, I think it is a no-brainer.

Click to expand...

I just reached the bottom step of all this (successfully completed my IE this past week-end), so I'm no real expert.

Isn't MSDT just a matter of applying to PADI showing you have at least 5 specialties as an instructor and you certified at least 25 people?

You pay for the fees, there is no exam, or is there?

There are three methods of becoming an MSDT. In all cases, before MSDT certification is granted, you must hold Instructor Qualifications in at least 5 Specialties and have certified at least 25 students.

Methods:

1) Take the MSDT Course from a Course Director. Then log 10 dives in each Specialty. Apply to PADI. If you choose this option, you receive a discount on each Instructor Specialty from PADI.

2) Direct Application. You use a Pre-approved PADI Standardized Specialty Instructor Outline. Then log 20 dives in each Specialty. Apply to PADI.

3) Direct Application using your own Instructor-Authored Specialty Course Outlines. Submit your Instructor Specialty Course Outline to PADI. They approve it. Then log 20 dives in each Specialty. Apply to PADI.

Why become an MSDT? To improve your possibilities!

I have seen many people who become OWSIs, only to burn out in a couple of years because all they do is Open Water courses. As much fun as this can be, eventually it is no longer interesting or challenging. So the Instructor simply quits.

By taking Specialties you learn new things... enjoy new u/w worlds. And pass this along to divers who are also interested in expanding their OWN horizons. It really adds "spice" to diving.

Also, by becoming an MSDT, you become more marketable as an Instructor. You show that you are interested in progressing beyond OWSI.

This is different than holding multi-agency certification at the "basic" Instructor level. All that shows me is that you can teach Open Water. But if you PROGRESS, well that's a different story. That means you are interested in bettering yourself as a person AND an Instructor.

To me it's like saying "I have a driver's licence in the state of FL, GA, MI, NY..." vs "I used to have a driver's licence in FL, but then I got interested in racing cars. I did stock cars, then Nascar, and now I am a Formula 1 driver."

BIG difference, IMHO.

~SubMariner~

To expand on SubMariner's post above...

I plan on going with Option 2. I'm sending in my MSDT app in the next few months after completing Nikon U/W Photography school. There's no way I would do Option 1 as I've got more experience in some of the specialties I wish to hold than the CD's in my area. It would be a waste of my hard earned scuba bucks to spend them on the MSDT course when I can go through my logbook and satisfy 20 dives and then some for boat, night, deep, drysuit, cavern, & nitrox without even trying. I've actually waited to submit my app as I've been thinking very hard on what specialties are marketable....and decided to wait till after photog school.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. But I will clarify: my question was not whether I SHOULD become an MSDT or not, but which method (Options 1 - 3) I should use (SubMariner's post, this thread). I am leaning towards option 2 as I feel the same as DiverLori, my hard earned scuba bucks are best put towards something else (such as a BCD - you don't want to know its condition) instead of wasting it on a course which doesn't benefit by upping my learning curve.

Did any of you who went through Option 1 find it worth it?, or do you wish you had gone through option 2?

One thing I know I won't use as a specialty I can teach is Wreck. I have not done any penetrations yet, as I have not been trained. It irks me that I could log 20 'wreck' dives by just swimming around wrecks and not actually penetrating them. Personally I believe it should be 20 penetrations, which when done properly would equal 60 - 80 'wreck' dives. Just my opinion however.

Again, thanks for your responses!!

Just to clarify a bit.

If an Instructor elects to do Direct Application, they still must adhere to the the Specialty Instructor Outlines. In the case of the Wreck Specialty, safe penetration of a wreck IS part of the course.

I suggest that anyone interested in doing the Direct Application method get a copy of the Instructor Guidelines for their chosen Specialties PRIOR to applying for Instructor certification to ensure that they have indeed met the criteria for obtaining the Specialty.

Please bear in mind that not only YOUR safety, but that of your STUDENT(S) rests on whether or not you have properly followed the guidelines.

This is one of the reasons why people take MSDT courses from Course Directors. They already know & use the guidelines; have all the gear; can show an Instructor many hints, tips, and suggestions as to how to best teach & organize various Specialties; which equipment works best, etc., etc., etc.

~SubMariner~

You can't use Method 2 application until you've got 25 certifications. If you take a specialty from a CD (Method 1), you can get the specialty instructor rating before you get 25 certs, which allows you to teach classes that will help you get to those 25.

That's the advantage. I took a couple from my CD which helped me get to the 25, then I used Method 2 for the rest.