non-diver to DM? is it worth the money?

[Rogersea]

Chet,
I would keep my job in the Comp HW field while I earned my Open Water and Advanced Open Water. Then if you still thought about switching careers, I would canvas others in the field to determine if you could really make a living wage as a DM or Instructor in the location you considering.

It is very difficult to make a living solely on an instructors salary in most locations in the world.. There are simply to many part time instructors driving the wages down.

If you just love fishes why dont you get a part time job at a Pet store(seriously) and keep your "day job"..

Cheers,
Roger

PS: the only thing I saw wrong with the email you received was the fact you actually would need at least 3 dives to complete the Deep COurse assuming that you made a deep dive during the advanced course..

 

[Hashsaz]

DM is not bout how much do you love the sea nor the fishes. It's bout responsibility of taking care the rest. It's like being a doctor, becoming a doctor because love to help people or that's your responsibility because you're a doctor? The different at you love to see or do, doesn't mean you need to do it as your career, but when you make it as career, you need to do what you need to do.

as others said, a dm must be experienced else it sound ridiculous when a dm being led/saved by lower rank just because he is more experienced divers. My suggestion is start from low, gain your experience first and then plan for it later when you think you're ready and fit the requirement.

"A doctor with low practicle experience but holding a specialist cert doesn't mean he is a good doctor".

 

[musclechet]

thanks roger for ur reply but my problem is im a computer h/w technician in mumbai city INDIA and there are no diving schools here. the closest is andaman and nicobars so how can i do both things at a time.

 

[xyrandomyx]

You might try diving in Goa. It's closer than either the Andaman or Nicobar Islands, though still quite some distance from Mumbai. But I agree with the advice all the other guys have given -- jumping into it is probably not a good idea, and the pay is not very good anywhere in the world. Maybe a trip to do just an OW course might be a good idea if your budget allows? You can see what it's like in practice, meet some people in the local dive industry and, if it doesn't work out, you haven't spent nearly as much as a whole DM course from scratch.

 

[Doppler]

The best answer I can give you is: "No."

To go from a non-dive to DM and expect to offer ANY value to other divers is unrealistic.

I know of only a couple of guys in India, but they are serious divers and instructors and one has a shop in Pondicheri (SP). PM me for eMail addresses.

 

[DiveInstructorLife]

It would be wise to listen to the many comments here regarding building up your experience level.

I personally teach many 'zero-to-hero' students from OW to DM or even Instructor level. Although I make them excellent divers at the end of their courses, and they understand their role as a DM, I never let them take our guests diving without supervision. Experience is vital to the safety of my guests. Would a hospital let a newly qualified Doctor fresh out of school work without supervision? I think not.

Remember, as a DM you will genuinely have lives in your hands!

 

[EastEndDiver]

It would be wise to listen to the many comments here regarding building up your experience level.

I personally teach many 'zero-to-hero' students from OW to DM or even Instructor level. Although I make them excellent divers at the end of their courses, and they understand their role as a DM, I never let them take our guests diving without supervision. Experience is vital to the safety of my guests. Would a hospital let a newly qualified Doctor fresh out of school work without supervision? I think not.

Remember, as a DM you will genuinely have lives in your hands!

If the underlined portion of your post is the way you feel about your DM/Instructor students then how can you say that you make them excellant divers by the end of your course? Or are you saying that they are excellant divers BUT are NOT capable of performing the duties of DM/Instructor if so why were they certified as such and would you allow them to go off and be responsible for others that are NOT your guests?Your post is confusing to me.

 

[scubafied]

I think you are misunderstanding what some people are suggesting. While you still have your job in Mumbai, take a holiday and do your Open Water course and do some diving. I would not plan on spending money on something and getting a job doing that same thing unless I had at least tried it out first. You can love fish all you like, that doesn't mean you'll be a good diver or dive leader and just because you pay for a course doesn't guarantee that you will pass it either. It's just like school; If you fail a course, you're going to have to pay for it a second time just to TRY and pass it again. That is nice that they are telling you that if you are a good prospect they can offer you that salary but what if you are not a good prospect? What if you quit your job, get all the way out there and figure out you can't do some of the skills or pass all the courses? These are all things you should be thinking about. I've personally seen someone fail their Divemaster course because they could not complete the swim tests appropriately. They did everything else correctly but no matter how many times they tried, they could not swim fast enough to get the times they needed. As someone else also mentioned, you are going to need your own equipment. Many places will let you rent/hire equipment for your beginner courses but once you hit a professional level they will expect you to have your own.

When I took my DM course my instructor told us all in the beginning that, at the end of the course, if he didn't feel comfortable sending us on a dive leading his family, we wouldn't pass. Guess what? Not everyone passed that course but they all had to pay for it.

If you are really dead set on this or would like to speak to someone in the area you are suggesting to get more details, I have a friend that works for Andaman Diving Academy. I can pass his information onto you if you would like it.

 

[Cross020]

I have seen resorts where this option is offered from non diver to DM but it takes a whole lot of time. This includes a whole lot of diving as well and if i understand the quotation stated in this thread, the cost only includes course dives and not the other dives you need to do to hone your skills. Add the equipment you need to buy and probably upgrade/replace to the cost and you can probably spend almost twice the initial amount you planned to send. Plus thinking you'd be comfortable underwater and actually being comfortable underwater are 2 different things. Not everyone who take the OW course end up loving to dive and continue to dive.

Just my 2 cents though. I hope you find the course you're looking for and end up loving the underwater and continue to be a DM. Don't rush it though

 

[drbill]

I wouldn't do it until I had some experience underwater as a recreational diver to make sure you really have a passion for the experience. Then you have to determine whether you really want to be leading other divers or eventually teaching them as a way to make a living. That is quite different from diving on your own... it's a job. Finally, no one gets rich by being a divemaster. Are you willing to give up more lucrative employment to pursue this. To me it boils down to two things... do you have a passion for diving (yet to be determined) and are you willing to accept the sacrifices of the life of a diving pro to follow that passion?