Taking Dive classes to learn, should i go with master diver or dive master

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alicia5272000

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Location
Southwest Florida
# of dives
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I just got OW certified in april and AOW last week. I am in school for accounting and don't plan on ever using my dive training to make a living. I am a detail oriented person that is curious by nature and love to get into the meat of what I am into and want to know as much as i can about diving. I know that having the certification is just a piece of paper and it matters more what you learn. with that being said, I don't know whether I should go for a master diver certification or dive master certification. one of the instructors with the dive shop I go through said I should just go for the dive master training because it would let me work, but I want to know if the information I learn is worth the price and time. Like i said, i don't plan on using it to make a living. Also, the dive shop offers master diver certification for $2500. it includes AOW, rescue, emergency, five specialties, three boat charters and/or springs entrance fees, and the application. Is this a reasonable price?
 
First of all, go diving with friends and mentors.
Do you want to teach diving? Then Divemaster is the way to go.
 
I wouldn't bother with either. Get out and dive as much as you can. Get your AOW and keep diving. Do the rescue course and maybe think of doing the deep and Nitrox certifications (they are the only two with guarenteed tangible benefits as they will qualify you to dive to 40m and obtain Nitrox fills).

You may learn a lot from a good instructor by doing more specialities, but you can achieve as much and more by just diving. If there is a decent club nearby, join up - you will pick up a lot from others.
 
Meh, I'd rather spend that money on buying good equipment. Get AOW (night, deep, navigation) and, like Mustard Dave mentioned - Nitrox. Nitrox is very useful. Everything else, if you are not planning on teaching any time soon - meh. I'd even postpone the rescue for now.
 
Like everyone is telling you: first go diving and learn to do it better than you can do now. Divemaster is for teaching mostly. But there are a lot of specialties you can do that are going to help you over time to be a better diver. Rescue is useful and navigation and maybe buoyancy and nitrox. I think $2500 is a lot of money.
I don't know if you have your own equipment or want that, but I would get my own stuff up to par in the first place.
 
Not knowing anything about your preferred educational dive center, I would discourage partaking in such a bundle package since your chosen career field is NOT a dive professional so early in your diving career. I have been a fan of a diverse education with different instructors and varied locations. Taco Bell is a great place to grab lunch, but Chik Fillet makes a mean sandwich too. Like I said I do not know your instructors nor their shop. But my first reaction is if a shop/instructor is already talking about Divemaster to a newly certified AOW diver either you are one motivated and exceptional skilled diver or they are looking at selling courses. Make sure either Master Diver or Divemaster is what you really want.

From a non-full time diving stand point of view, both the Master Diver Challenge and the Divemaster programs can be very fascinating and rewarding. I recognize you newly found passion for diving and understand your desire to get as much as possible right now. Like others have said before, I too recommend you just dive.

From my travels I have seen very few (with emphases on FEW) divemasters make a living in diving, especially in the US. Most divemasters are working towards becoming instructors. In your popular dive location your guides very likely are instructors just performing divemaster duties that day. On the upside, even if you do not go Pro, the Divemaster course was some of my favorite training; search & recovery, mapping a dive site, dive site set up & management. I did my Divemaster's course in Utila Honduras, so the location was just as great as the instruction. When I returned to the states, I could not get a part-time job as a Divemaster, later I did get a job but at the Assistant Instructor's level. If you have the opportunity to take the Divemaster course, the training is a nice enhancement...but definitely not necessary to be a great diver.

The Master Diver's challenge is pretty much a recognition for the diver who has taken their training to a different level then most other divers. Rescue Diver course can be really self rewarding. As a certified diver, for some this is the first time where performance and execution of the skills can be really challenging. I highly recommend the Enriched Air Nitrox course. Anytime you can safely dive with less exposure to Ni it is a good thing. So that is one specialty that I recommend. I would group the other specialties into two types; 1) technically proficiency courses, i.e. Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, Side Mount Diver, Dry Suit Diver, 2) personal enhancement courses, i.e. UW Digital Photography, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver, Reef Diver. Taking specialty dive courses is a personal preference only you can make regarding your dive education. For some divers they are a waste of money and prefer to learn only thru their experiences...and this is a great way as experience can never be taught. For other divers specialty course compliments experience nicely; they enjoy the structure of formal classes. I am in the second group. While vacationing in Thailand I purchased a group of five specialty courses for the Master Diver Challenge at a discount rate; I was going to take these courses anyways so I liked saving a few $$$.

As far far as your question, "Are the courses worth the money," only you can answer that. First you need to evaluate the curriculum of each course against your personal interest. Then you should do so for the instructor(s) too...a bad instructor can ruin the best course and a good instructor can make just about any course a memorable experience.

Keep diving, continue learning and happy bubbles.

~Oldbear~

---------- Post added August 29th, 2014 at 04:40 AM ----------

Go diving. Take rescue. Go diving. Take an actual master diver stand alone class from naui or sei. Go diving. Take an intro to tech class. Go diving.

Jim...did you mention "go diving"? :d

Jim is right...dive, dive, dive.
 
Roadmap

1) You should compare PADI and NAUI offerings (oh well, GUE too) [and a lot of other agencies]

2) The NAUI rescue diver manual is excellent (if you love plain text). Read it. Also read the book "Diver down". There is also a book called Scuba signs in case you want to communicate...

3) Do 50 more varied dives. Include a lot of deep and night dives.

4) Maybe you should do the NAUI master scuba diver course instead of PADI master/dm. Costs less than dive master course but gives you a lot of knowledge. The book alone is worth reading. With so many agencies out there, why only use one?

5) Do 50 more dives

6) There are many elementary trimix courses available: IANTD advanced recreational trimix, TDI helitrox, GUE rec3, ... Pick one that suits you and is available. These will allow you to dive to the 50m region...

7) Do 50 more dives

8) You need to gather experience with one stage tank, then two, prior to taking a trimix course.
 

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