In Praise of Divemasters

[SeaHorse81]

There have been many, many times here on ScubaBoard when divemasters as a group have been demonized in discussions in which a particular DM may not have performed in the best possible way in a certain circumstance. There's an active thread right now in which the sentiment, "Screw the DM" has been offered by more than one poster.

Discussions about the need for divers to be self-sufficient, think independently, and maintain primary responsiblity for their own safety (all laudible goals) too often devolve into hate-fests about DMs in general as if they are, as a group, incompetent, uncaring, dangerous, and almost evil.

Of course there are bad DMs out there, just like there are bad attorneys, teachers, plumbers, and any other profession you can name. If divers are properly prepared, it won't matter if they're with a bad DM because they'll know how to take care of themselves no matter what the DM does.

There are, of course, great DMs. I presume every caring, talented instructor on this board now was a DM at one time. I'm sure you were all caring, talented DMs during that phase of your professional development. You weren't the only caring DMs there have ever been then, and there are real gems working as DMs right now.

There's been much talk of bad DM action resulting in danger to divers or even loss of life, but where are the stories of the DMs who save divers from themselves despite the divers' very best attempts to self-destruct? Where are the stories of DMs who have saved lives? I know those stories exist because of what I see on my own dive trips, and I'm suggesting that we celebrate those just as enthusiastically as we analyze and judge the bad ones.

I would like to thank the following DMs who have greatly improved my own diving experience:

James on Grand Cayman, who personally babysat my 300-pound, 73 y.o., newly-certified dad. I love my dad but honestly, his skills were terrible. Shame on whoever certified him. No buddy or communication skills, no buoyancy control, no clue about not touching stuff. He was an accident waiting (not long) to happen, and James saved the week. He stayed with my dad, kept him safe, and got the buoyancy worked out. Thanks to James, my dad did not get hurt and had some amazing dives to remember. Because of his age, that was ultimately my dad's only trip. Thanks to James, it was a good one.

Tim with Explorer Ventures, who maintains a sunny, ultra-helpful attitude no matter what. Tim helps me feed my need for blue water diving when nobody else is interested in doing it. He makes sure we see all the coolest stuff, and is personally responsible for perhaps the most memorable dive I've yet had, all because of how he interacted with the local sealife (no touching or chasing involved). Tim saved my dive the day I jumped in and began to descend, only to discover I'd not put on my computer. My buddy and I surfaced a significant distance from the boat, signaled OK and what the problem was; we were beginning to swim in, resigning ourselves to missing the group, which was leaving below. In seconds, it seemed, Tim had snatched up my computer, made an incredibly fast surface swim to where we were, and even supported me in the water to assure that I wouldn't drop the computer while strapping it on (difficult over a 7 mil suit).

Thank you to every DM who has taken the time to attach the mouthpiece and swivel that I use on your rental regs on my trips, and who has taken the time (again) to detach those items at the end of the week.

Thank you to the DM who gave me the batteries out of your own computer when mine mysteriously ended up dead (new computer -- no idea it was a battery hog). One dive trip saved, because this was on Cayman Brac where no replacement batteries were to be found.

Thank you to the DMs who have been the first to make the call of DCS on divers who have been hit, and being part of the reason those divers got needed treatment sooner than they otherwise would have.

Thank you to the DMs who suffer dumb diver behavior day in and day out without getting nasty, and without taking your job any less seriously. You have remarkable patience.

Thank you to the DMs who have and share an incredible sense of humor, and have provided me with some of the best laughs I've had.

Thank you to the many DMs who have treated me with respect, kindness, and generosity, all while being well-educated professionals who would clearly intervene without a moment's hesitation if I ended up in a bad situation.

Not all my DM experiences have been this wonderful, of course. I've seen the rest of it, too, which is what makes me appreciate the good experiences all the more. Thanks to all of you whose efforts have enhanced my enjoyment of this amazing sport. I look forward to seeing you again, soon.

[Thanshin]

where are the stories of the DMs who save divers from themselves despite the divers' very best attempts to self-destruct? Where are the stories of DMs who have saved lives?

I'm sure posting all of those would be considered spamming and/or flooding.

I don't think more than 80% of the divers would survive their first ten dives if they were left to their own means + buddy.

[Edit: And of those 80%, at least a third would've been saved by never even managing to start the dive and/or submerge (see, estimating 2 pounds as optimal weight, losing the tank in the bottom of the sea at first contact with the water, forgetting about the dive after trying to find the button to inflate the BCD for half an hour).]

[Garrobo]

I suppose the majority of posts will be from DM's praising themselves and their fellow DM's. Personally, I mostly dive with shops who provide one on all dives. Keeps me from having to navigate. I can get lost in a McDonalds, looking for the toilet. I was one of the guys who posted: "Screw the DM." I was referring to that particular individual who was either ignoring the diver when he was low on air or was so occupied with some other less experienced divers, not DM's in general. If you are going to practice a sport which can kill you very nicely with one mistake you need to take over when things start to go wrong or we might be reading about your sorry *** in the A&I forum. That was the purpose of my comment.

[DivemasterDennis]

SeaHorse81 makes a good point. When DM's do their job, there is no story, really. And that is most of the time. If you have a good DM who retrieves your dropped weight belt or pocket, who is a good critter spotter, who spots a problem and corrects it before you enter the water, or who gave you the "longer leash " you wanted to take photos or just enjoy the dive without feeling like you were on a trail ride, you don't need to write about them here on scuba board (though it's nice if you do), you need to tip them at the time of the service. Because DM's and captains can change daily, Debbie and I tip daily when on day boats. DM's don't make a lot of money otherwise, kind of like food servers, so tips are important. I suggest we express our thanks in that meaningful way. And if you want to write something nice about me or others here on the board, well, that's just a bonus.
DivemasterDennis

[vladimir]

I don't think more than 80% of the divers would survive their first ten dives if they were left to their own means + buddy.

My first ten dives, and quite a few after that, were made without a divemaster in the water. That was the norm back then. They were made in cold water, poor visibility, and occasionally rough water. The mortality rate was considerably less than 20%.

[Edit: And of those 80%, at least a third would've been saved by never even managing to start the dive and/or submerge (see, estimating 2 pounds as optimal weight, losing the tank in the bottom of the sea at first contact with the water, forgetting about the dive after trying to find the button to inflate the BCD for half an hour).]

Back then, we emerged from training with the ability to assemble, don, and use our equipment properly (but we didn't have buttons to inflate our BCs), and to conduct a dive without a divemaster to nurse us through the process.

As to the original post, I too appreciate a good divemaster. One that knows the site, is able to assess the conditions, and is able to effectively communicate that to me...on the boat. After which I'd prefer he stay there, on the boat.