My experience from the divemaster course!

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sipps

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Messages
6
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Location
Norway
# of dives
100 - 199
I completed my DM training 8 of June, and I learned a great deal, but I guess I would have asked some questions that I did not ask and done some better research before I started. So I want to tell other people what I learned through the course.

So let's take it from the start

I was done with my rescue training and wanted to continue training, but I was not sure if I would take the MSD, DM or the technical diving route. I had nitrox already and was thinking about doing the deep diver and peak performance buoyancy specialty, but none of the other courses was looking interesting to take. I have also been thinking for the last year that I maybe one day go the instructor route and I wanted to learn more about dive theory and improve my own dive skills. The technical diving route was also interesting, but the cost for all the equipment and the extra risk of doing deco obligation diving did not pull me down that route. So I thought the best course for me would be the divemaster course.

I asked the local dive shop and he told me that it would be a great course and I would also improve my dive theory and skills. We were told that we needed to come prepared to the class so I did all the reviews, diving knowledge workbook and scuba tune up before the course. The theory was not that interesting except for the dive theory part. we used 7 days on all the reviews and the exam. each day took us around 7-8 hours. The pool session took us 2 days, the first day 9-10 hours and the next day 7-8 hours, it was quite exhausting. then we had one day in the ocean that took around 7-8 hours.
then the part that I was the most excited about came, assisting on a OWD and AOWD course!

The first course I would assist on was a AOWD course with only 4 students and 4 divemaster candidates. It was a fun experience and an eye opener. 2 of the students had nearly no buoyancy control, so we had to help them several times so they would not shoot up like a rocket, and we nearly had a OOA situation. the visibility on several of the dives were close to zero because of all the silt they would kick up. Each student had a divemaster candidate as buddy from now on and when we did the deep dive we were going to dive down a line to 24-25 meters, then my student gave me some weird signals on the way down, but I saw that he had panick in his eyes so I signaled the thump up and he nodded his head. We started the ascend but he had no control over his buoyancy, so I emptied my dry suite and took control over his BCD and surfaced with a safe ascending speed. He was holding on my arm the whole time while shivering. I have been working as a paramedic apprentice for nearly 2 years now and it's a long time since I have felt the adrenalin going through my body but I was cartenly feeling it now!

We talked through the event and he said that he suddenly felt panick when we were at 10 meters and that he never wanted to dive again, I spoke to him and told him we could take a brake and do a shallow dive at 5-10 meters, after a conversation he agreed. The instructor took him out again but the same thing happened.

When I assisted on the OWD course I felt more prepared and was expecting worse performance from the students then the AWOD course I had assisted on first. It was only 4 students. The pool session and open water dives went fine compared to the AOWD course. These students performed much better except for some buoyancy issues that was expected but they were improving on every dive.

It was a much bigger responsibility then I anticipated and you had pay close attention to the students at all time. I expected more of the students that already had taken OWD, but I quickly understood that I needed to baby sit the students until they could prove to me that they are capable of taking care of themselves. I did not really like to have this responsibility over the students and I felt that the "fun" part of diving slowly drifted away.
I know that I have improved my situational awareness a great deal, and can more easily see likely or ongoing problems and solve them faster now. The dive/table/decompression theory was fun, but I could just have bought the Encyclopedia of recreational diving and read about it there. The course was more intense and time consuming then i expected. I used around 130-140 hours to completed the course. (Also counting the map project). I will most likely never assist a class again since I feel it is a big responsibility and takes the fun part of diving away. The mapping project was cool and is something that would be fun to try again if I find a special place. I have used my DM skills when my local diving club have arranged a boat trip for inexperienced divers where each diver gets a buddy that is experienced/DM. This is one of the situations where I see the benefit of taking the course.

Would I take the course again? For the experience that I gained, Yes. But I would not take it for working as a divemaster assisting on courses!

Just ask if you have some questions! :)
 
Would I take the course again? For the experience that I gained, Yes. But I would not take it for working as a divemaster assisting on courses!
What was the specific experienced gained... that would be useful other than to be DM and/or progress to Instructor?
 
Sounds like you had a through course and you are a better and more situationally aware diver as a result. Congratulations. I understand your feeling on the 'loss of fun' with assisting classes - I earned my DM to help with Boy Scouts (11-17 year old youth) and now better understand the the liability issues and haven't used my DM professionally. It does help me manage the dive environment better.

Finally, if you want to learn theory better and improve your dive (not just management) skills then go Tech even if you never dive with an overhead obligation.
 
What was the specific experienced gained... that would be useful other than to be DM and/or progress to Instructor?

The situational awareness have been improved alot. I also feel that i Handle less experienced divers in a better way, doing a better briefing and involving them more in the dive planing. I also spot problems/potential problems more easily and respond quicker with a solution. I know that these are experiences that always will improve if you are self awere when you are diving, but I felt that I was put in alot of different situations under the course that I have less experience with and gained experience from it.

Sounds like you had a through course and you are a better and more situationally aware diver as a result. Congratulations. I understand your feeling on the 'loss of fun' with assisting classes - I earned my DM to help with Boy Scouts (11-17 year old youth) and now better understand the the liability issues and haven't used my DM professionally. It does help me manage the dive environment better.

Finally, if you want to learn theory better and improve your dive (not just management) skills then go Tech even if you never dive with an overhead obligation.

That must have been a challenge handling 11-17 years old in the water!

Hehe I'm afraid that I will go the Tech route someday! :p
 
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The situational awareness have been improved alot. I also feel that i Handle less experienced divers in a better way, doing a better briefing and involving them more in the dive planing. I also spot problems/potential problems more easily and respond quicker with a solution. I know that these are experiences that always will improve if you are self aware when you are diving, but I felt that I was put in alot of different situations under the course that I have less experience with and gained experience from it.


You got your moneys worth with this



That must have been a challenge handling 11-17 years old in the water!

Dealing with them in the pool was like herding cats. I only helped with OW on 2 days and that was an eyeful. Kinda glad the BSA thing didn't work out, wouldn't touch it (because of the liability) with a 10 foot pole now.
 
Did you do your theory in one lump THEN the practical work or was it mixed in together ?
How did you go with the fitness requirements.?
YOU studied up pre course but were you the norm or the exception?
Ive been studying the course material for weeks -feels like nothing has sunk in
 
Did I read this right where you stated that you, as a dm in training , took a a ow student in near zero visibility, to complete the deep dive requirement for AOW ? Also, there was a near out of air issue with someone in the group and the instructor did not take further precautions?
The instructor is to conduct this deep dive, not a dm and certainly not a dm in training...this can be considered a severe standards violation and if anything happened you could of been held liable as in the dm course you read and was tested on standards and procedures. Being that you have no liability insurance you could of had a major financial loss.
 
Did you do your theory in one lump THEN the practical work or was it mixed in together ?
How did you go with the fitness requirements.?
YOU studied up pre course but were you the norm or the exception?
Ive been studying the course material for weeks -feels like nothing has sunk in

We had 4 days with theory, then one day for pool practice, then we did the rest of the theory before we resumed the practical work. But it was spread out on 3-4 weeks. So there was max 2 evening each week that we had theory sessions.

The fitness test went very well, scored 18 or 19 with only minor preparation and I'm not very athletic :p

I think around 70% studied up pre course.

Yeah I had the same feeling when I was studying the course materials, but it went better after we had the classroom theory:p The exam is multiple choice so that helps alot!

Did I read this right where you stated that you, as a dm in training , took a a ow student in near zero visibility, to complete the deep dive requirement for AOW ? Also, there was a near out of air issue with someone in the group and the instructor did not take further precautions?
The instructor is to conduct this deep dive, not a dm and certainly not a dm in training...this can be considered a severe standards violation and if anything happened you could of been held liable as in the dm course you read and was tested on standards and procedures. Being that you have no liability insurance you could of had a major financial loss.

I stated that I assisted on a AOWD course first, but I see that it is possible to misunderstand some of of the the story so I will clarify. On the AOWD course 2 of the students had problems with the buoyancy controll and would silt up alot on some of the first dives when they were waiting for their turn on doing the exercises, so it was zero visibility before we moved away from the cloud that they had made . Then when we were doing the third dive (the night dive), we nearly had an OOA situation. when one of the students had only 10 bars left when we surfaced. It was clearly stated to the already certified OWD divers that they need to pay close attention to the manometer and they must surface with at least 50 bar. The instructor was with us all the time and each AOWD student had a DM candidate with him all the time, But I do not know why the DM candidate that was following this diver did not ask for how much air remaining he had. After this near OOA situation the instructor again told everyone that it was important to check the manometer often. The same would go to the DM candidates that got the task of controlling each students manometer.

When we did the deep dive, each AOWD student got pared up with a DM candidate and the buddy that I had got panick at 10 meter when we were descending on the line down to 25 meter. The instructor was with the group all the time, but I surfaced with the student in a safely manner

Just ask if anything is still unclear! :)
 
Tanks for sharing your experience.

I am doing my DM class for the moment, but I spread it over 6 months.
I could definitely do it faster, but I chose this way in agreement with my instructor as it gives me more time and opportunities to follow and assist in his classes (and I have already done more than 3 times than the required standard).
I even got the opportunity to practice with junior owd (under direct supervision of the instructor of course)

For me though, the guiding/assisting/taking care of other divers is actually a lot of fun. It's sharing my experience. I guess it also works for me because I also teach sailing (among other things).

I don't know if I will go the OWSI route... Maybe too much.

To make a parallel, at the same time I am also doing tech...




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Thanks for sharing Sipps - I'm looking to do DM next year
 

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