Master diver

[DMDavid]

I have a NAUI "Master Diver" certification. Not very impressive really when you consider that all it takes is sending in your AOW cert number (they renamed AOW to Master Diver) and paying the fee for the new card.

Just to clarify for those that are new to diving.
Back in the 1980's NAUI had the following certification levels:

OW I
OW II
Advanced

Then some of the agencies (nameless) in the early 1990's changed the names of the different levels in an attempt to generate more business my making the names of the different levels sound more powerful thus feeding the egos of those that need it fed.

So now the new levels are called:
Scuba Diver
Advanced Diver
Master Diver (not to be confused with Dive Master)

Dive Master is considered to be a professional level (for hire) by most if not all agencies.



---
- FB-Florida Scuba Diver

 

[SIUegyptiandiver]

Well, thanks for dating me David, LOL! yes, my original AOW cert was in 1984.......

 

[DMDavid]

Well, thanks for dating me David, LOL! yes, my original AOW cert was in 1984.......

[HIJACKED THREAD]
This could be the start of a whole new thread called "You Know You're An Old Diver If" - Your C-card looked more like a credit card with raised print.
[/HIJACKED THREAD]


---
- FB-Florida Scuba Diver

 

[SIUegyptiandiver]

Maybe...but that old card came in handy when I couldnt read the print anymore and had to etch out the raised print with a piece of paper and a pencil (remember those?)....

 

[knowone]

I mostly enjoy meeting divers, with mastery
that have great communication skills as well

 

[OldNSalty]

In the new scheme of things SSI (since 2010) one goes from Master Diver to Dive Guide, then to Dive Master, then to Dive Control Specialist, aka DiveCon, equivalent to other agencies' Assistant Instructor.

I am not disagreeing with that statement as I am not an SSI instructor but if what you say is correct, then you guys really need to update your website.

SSI :: SSI Scuba Schools International :: take your dive @ diveSSI.com

According to those guys all you need to do is be a 'Dive guide' and be certified 'science of diving' (what ever that is) and the prereqs for dive guide do not say anything about Master Diver. Maybe 'science of diving' requires Master Diver-I don't know.

Dive Guide Prerequisite
Minimum age: 18 Years
Certification: AOWD and Stress&Rescue
minimum dives: 50

 

[eponym]

According to those guys all you need to do is be a 'Dive guide' and be certified 'science of diving' (what ever that is) and the prereqs for dive guide do not say anything about Master Diver. Maybe 'science of diving' requires Master Diver-I don't know.
Dive Guide Prerequisite
Minimum age: 18 Years
Certification: AOWD and Stress&Rescue
minimum dives: 50

Those prereqs in themselves define the Master Diver cert. But you're right, technically you don't have to hold an actual Master Diver card to start the Dive Guide program, you just have to meet all the requirements for it.

[With SSI, the Advanced rating requires four specialties (with multiple training dives each) and 24 logged dives. Adding the Stress & Rescue course and logging a total of 50 dives qualifies you for the Master Diver cert. And at that point you are also qualified to begin the Dive Guide course.]

Hope this helps,
Bryan

 

[jscott099]

This thread went all over the place, so just to make sure the question got answered:
- yes, you should ask your LDS to get you the Master Diver card. There should be a small fee for this but no additional classes or training are involved. It is just a 'plastic reward' for your own benefit.
- Dive Master is NOT the same as Master Diver. It is a professional level rating that you should have a specific intent to achieve. It will cost you money and quite a bit of educational time.

 

[mainedvr]

In the new scheme of things SSI (since 2010) one goes from Master Diver to Dive Guide, then to Dive Master, then to Dive Control Specialist, aka DiveCon, equivalent to other agencies' Assistant Instructor.

Conducting SSI "Try Scuba" (pool) requires a DiveCon cert. Conducting SSI "Try Scuba Diving" (open water variant) requires an Instructor cert.

I am looking into the SSI Pro Level Certs and my LDS that has done most of my certs told me something a bit different. Through SSI if you can take the indivdual cert of Dive Con and you have all the ones below that covered (Dive Guide and DM) aparently (from what I was told) SSI has rolled them all into the Dive Con Course if you wish to do it that way. Sounds good to me and I hope to be starting soon.

Thing I have gotten mostly from the site and well just plain old common sense is that the certificaion agency and the card do not make the diver any better its the trainer and the amount of time and effort the student puts into it. My instructor will not supply a cert if you do not preform. They also offer training above the core needs but of course only require you to satisfy what SSI requires.

Good luck and have fun

 

[devildoc5]

Could not help but chime n on this one.

SSI Master Diver is an experience level C-Card designed to show you are more advanced than a AOW card carrier.

Dive Master is an entry level PROFESSIONAL Certification that shows you have taken additional classes and gained additional experience centered around "diving for others."

I however would personally skip the whole Dive Master stage and go straight into DiveCon. With DiveCon you get all the benefits of Dive Master but also get the added benefit of Assistant Instructor, which will better prepare you for your Instructor training IMO.

The only real difference I have noticed in the SSI Standards as far as ENTRANCE into the Dive Master vs. DiveCon program is that DiveCon requires a few more dives (which cant be considered a bad thing, more dives is always good for the diver)

Heck I am even pretty sure that Science of Diving is built into Dive Master now so it is pointless to take one and then upgrade to the other, just skip Dive Master and save yourself some greenbacks (even though they arent worth anything anymore....)