Experience as a trainee divemaster

[swim93]

Hi all.

I've just started as a new Divemaster trainee and had a few questions.

I'm aware part of a dive masters role is to assist with gear, carry tanks etc. However I was helping out with an open water course recently and the instructor made me carry every single tank personally (around 10 tanks repeatedly) and not once lifted one himself or got students to assist. I was not being paid to help. He also didn't thank me for my help/time afterwards. Is this normal?

On the same course, a student had problems with balance during her first open water descent, and signalled to come up.
At the surface she told the instructor about her problems, to which he responded "I don't care! it's just water- if you feel you are tipping one way just go with it, let's go back down"

After that statement she no longer wanted to descend at all and decided scuba diving was 'not for her' - to me it clearly seemed like she didn't feel safe.

Any opinions, thoughts or comments on this much appreciated.

Cheers

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Welcome to Divemaster 101. You won't get paid, you will do most or all of the work and if you're lucky you will only have to do it for a year or so before getting your certification. After that you can do the same things professionally, except that you still won't get paid.

 

[raftingtigger]

Not all instructors are created equal. Do you feel you are learning something? Or are you just unpaid, unskilled help?

Remember the point of the Divemaster training is to learn leadership and diver management skills. While you are in training you are one of the instructor's STUDENTS and are not just unpaid help. This is not to mean that you can't (or shouldn't) do some grunt work, just that it is not the PURPOSE of your training.

Good luck.

 

[They call me Tater]

You are right to wonder but give it some time. Once you have done it for a while you may see things differently. You may also be treated differently. Or you may decide you want a different instructor. In any case, give it some time.

 

[TMHeimer]

When I DM OW courses the grunt work varies. Sometimes the instructor helps and/or has students help hauling tanks and stuff. Other times not so much. I have found that every instructor, of course, is different. Just like every school teacher. I keep notes on each instructor--especially little things that one may emphasize while another may not. I have also found that with some instructors I am very active demonstrating skills and helping students with them. Others not so much. I recently did a class where in the pool I basically just kept an eye on everyone.

 

[TSandM]

As a DM trainee, and later as a DM, I do a lot of hauling. The instructor's time is better spent with the students, and that makes sense to me. We do make our students haul their own tanks, though -- moving dive gear is part of diving, and they need to know what it is like.

Whether you get thanked for your work or not depends on the instructor with whom you are working. Frankly, I often wonder why anybody DMs, because you don't make any money doing it, you work hard, and thanks can be thin on the ground.

 

[scubawithmike]

Sounds to me like you need to find a new facility or instructor to do your DM training with. Since you have the instructors manual I suggest you look at the section called Professional Membership on page 155 and read what the duties of a Divemaster are. There should be no reason at all that you are made to do any grunt work. It is not part of the course nor is it part of learning what a real divemaster does in most work situations. I know that DM responsibilities differ around the world and in most places DM's are noting more than grunts but that is not what we are to teach or make a DMT do. I have taught well over 100 DM's and have never made one carry my gear, my tanks or do any grunt work. They do carry students gear at times but that would be it.

My suggestion to you would be to look for a new instructor. You should be briefed and debriefed every time you assist an instructor and if that is not happening then you are not receiving the proper training. Have fun with your DM training. It is meant to be that way not military or rude behavior.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[claymore]

When I was DM interning I would haul 20 sometimes 30 tanks in to the pool and back out to fill for a weekend of classes. Get out equipment and set it up if needed. Basicly do what needs to be done.
The shop I work for does pay it's DM's for working classes, x $ per student for OW I and OW II and specialty classes.
The real money for the DM's, if you can call it that, is for the Discover SCUBA, SCUBA Review and Snokeling classes on Satuday mornings before the OWI classes. You get y $ for each student and it is more than the OW I & II because it is direct supervision and an Instructor doesn not have to be paid.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

^^^^ What Mike said times ten! ^^^^
You are not a slave. The reason DM's get little appreciation is partly due to them being sold courses. Not selected for a position. As a result you get those who are barely qualified but willing to work for free and thereby devalue the whole rating for everyone. They also devalue and demean themselves by doing this.

Because the standards are so low and made even lower by those who see teaching DM's as a revenue source instead of training a valued employee you get a revolving door of people willing to work for nothing. The agencies also add to this by lying about how glamorous a DM's job is and that you can actually make a living at it. All while setting it up so that anyone can become a DM. Literally. I've seen those who should not be near anything more than a swimming pool assisting with classes. Dog paddling, no buoyancy control, no situational awareness, and questionable judgment. Yet they were made a DM. Why? Well they had big wallets, high limit credit cards, or were the instructors significant other at the time. Or were being groomed to be.

There are some really good outfits that know what a DM is supposed to be. They seem to be outnumbered though by the ones that only see dollar signs and cheap labor.

 

[RJP]

You can learn something from every instructor you DM with. From some, you will learn what kind of instructor you want to be. From others you will be afforded the opportunity to learn what kind of instructor you DON'T want to be.