Divemaster course advice please

[Laura101]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to scubaboard although I have been watching posts for some time. My incentive to break out of my 'shell' and actually post something myself is a recent issue I am dealing with.

I commenced a PADI divemaster course with an instructor friend in January. While we got fairly quickly through the skills etc we have yet to do any of the workshops. This has been due to scheduling issues and, I believe, his lack of incentive to organise dives and students to facilitate this. However, I am relocating shortly and will not have time to complete the workshops with him. I thought I could take the decal to another shop/instructor and repeat the skills and do the workshops with them when I'm settled. I believe this is the only way to ensure I have the full skills required of a DM which is the purpose of doing the course.

However, upon learning that I'm leaving and won't have time to complete the course with him, the initial instructor has asked me to give him my decal. He claims that he needs to register me with PADI as the decal is linked to his instructor number. This isn't what he told me initially. He said that following the course I would have to send in the application and decal. I have a copy of the registration form and it doesn't appear to require the initial 'purchasing' instructor to sign anything - just the certifying instructor.

I have searched online but can't find which is the truth - does the instructor that bought the materials/decal need to register me or can I go to another instructor with the decal and materials and do the whole course with them?

All advice is greatly appreciated as I don't want to be certified without having completed the course and then have to purchase the materials and decal again to do the course properly.

Thank you!!

 

[Bob DBF]

I reported your post to see if the mods could move your post where you could get a better answer.


Bob

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I just finished PADI DM. The instructor never saw the decal, he just told me to affix it in the appropriate spot on the form he signed.

If you're going to repeat the whole class, and not get credit for the work you've done, I don't see what you'd lose by keeping it.

It's possible he needs to do something with it to refer you on to another instructor and thus give you credit for what you've done, but I'd call PADI to see what they think.

 

[lowflyer]

Did you pay for the Divemaster Course Crew Pack, which includes the decal as well as the manuals, application, and Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving?
If so, it's all yours, and you will need the decal affixed to the application when you have completed the course. Otherwise, you would have to buy another one when you move.
I would hold on to it until you get clarification from PADI.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Hi @Laura101

@lowflyer is absolutely correct. The Decal is affixed to yoru DM completion paperwork at teh end of teh course. It belongs to YOU as part of the crewpak.

As with any course you are entitled to complete it at another dive shop, using the referral method, Your shop should have signed up what you've done before; but it's likely that the new shop will put you through the skills circuit once again to ensure you're of their standard.

Outside of the skills circuit the main part of DM training isn't just completing the OW sections; but to be fully integrated with the workings of a centre to gain experience, so you should be in the pool assisting or helping students get their gear, load boats, accompany customers on dives and learn to guide them. In essence you need a busy centre to get the best out of the course and for the student be willing to dedicate lots of time to just being at the centre and going diving

 

[Billy Northrup]

I would take my sticker and move on, wouldn't even bother with transferring "credit". If he put as much effort into your skills as completing your class, well you get it.

 

[mmerriman]

yup - he's full of crap.

 

[oly5050user]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to scubaboard although I have been watching posts for some time. My incentive to break out of my 'shell' and actually post something myself is a recent issue I am dealing with.

I commenced a PADI divemaster course with an instructor friend in January. While we got fairly quickly through the skills etc we have yet to do any of the workshops. This has been due to scheduling issues and, I believe, his lack of incentive to organise dives and students to facilitate this. However, I am relocating shortly and will not have time to complete the workshops with him. I thought I could take the decal to another shop/instructor and repeat the skills and do the workshops with them when I'm settled. I believe this is the only way to ensure I have the full skills required of a DM which is the purpose of doing the course.

However, upon learning that I'm leaving and won't have time to complete the course with him, the initial instructor has asked me to give him my decal. He claims that he needs to register me with PADI as the decal is linked to his instructor number. This isn't what he told me initially. He said that following the course I would have to send in the application and decal. I have a copy of the registration form and it doesn't appear to require the initial 'purchasing' instructor to sign anything - just the certifying instructor.

I have searched online but can't find which is the truth - does the instructor that bought the materials/decal need to register me or can I go to another instructor with the decal and materials and do the whole course with them?

All advice is greatly appreciated as I don't want to be certified without having completed the course and then have to purchase the materials and decal again to do the course properly.

Thank you!!

Sounds fishy. We purchase DM and IDC crewpack all the time here and even sell them to students of independent instructors. Do not hand over decal, you paid for it and cannot be replaced without purchasing another DM crewpack.

 

[shurite7]

Lowflyer and Dubai are correct, assuming you have paid for the DM course and the payment includes the PADI material.

Now, here is your first lesson, call PADI's (or whatever agency if it is another) 800 number, ask for training / customer service, rather than going to a forum. The reason for this is because a forum does not represent the agency.

You can inform your instructor that PADI recently posted in the Undersea Journal that a student may complete the course with another instructor at a different location, regardless of how far along the student is in the training. This is also stated in the latest 2018 standards, which you should have. In other words, you should know how to read and use the standards which means you can throw the book at your instructor.

Your decal is not registered with anyone until the completion of the course and sent it in to PADI with the filled out application and membership payment. There is one exception and that is the state of TX in which a student must be registered with PADI so that a DM number can be given, but the student still keeps the decal until the completion of the course.

Good luck.

 

[FlyinV]

Would this form be the one Laura101 should get her old instructor to fill out?

Dropbox - 10147_DMInfoEval_v3_FF.pdf

I agree with the others
Don't give up your decal and the instructor is doing something odd.
I guess its a misguided guess on how he can get credit for you finishing your DM without him actually being the finishing instructor.
If the instructor gives you any problems giving you the information you require to move to another instructor I'd call PADI about it.