New kid in town

[HowieDean]

Pop off to Roatan or Utila and do it in 10 days.
If you need more info let me know and I'll hook you up with some people.
Costs about 550 plus air and accomidations.

 

[Warren_L]

Greetings all,

I'm a new kid in town here and would like to introduce myself: well, here I am!
I'm diving since 2001 and made 10 dives since. Not that much, but I didn't find the time nor money to do it. But, from december onwards I will be working in the Dom. Rep. in a diveschool to get my DM. I know that some of you disagree with this type of education, but I think that if you are busy with diving full time for a half year you're sure to get good skills.

That's it for now! You can find me posting in other threads. See you there!

It's not so much the time in months or years that determine whether you can do your DM, but rather what you do during that time. If you get the dives in to sharpen your skills and increase your confidence, and spend the time working with various instructors, there's no reason why you can't. But to do so in 6 months takes a big commitment.....

 

[DORSETBOY]

If you work at a dive school every day for several months then it's no prob to get the experience necessary to be a dm, as far as I'm concerned the main thing is getting in the dives and experience. I did several hundred dives in a couple of months doing my dmt whereas before that point because of work constaints I had done about a hundred over a few years. I think it's better to get several months intensive experience of doing your dmt rather than doing it at weekends over a year or more.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Howdy and welcome to scubaboard.

As far as your question, I too am new to diving, and I can't imagine any way that I could be ready to guide divers or teach divers within 6 months.

Think about what you value in a dive guide or instructor. In my case, and I think in most cases, that's experience. Meaning, they have been diving a long time, not that they packed a bunch into the past 6 months. An you can only get experience the hard way (though really, it's the fun part)

Just MHO Welcome to the board!

Isn't experience about the diving? If so then diving intensively over a period of six months is going to get you more experience than diving occasionally over a longer period of time.

 

[Scuba Leon]

Ok,
thank you for your concerns. I really want to commit myself in becoming a good DM. I want to learn something during every dive, say practice the basic skills over and over again. Let's hope I encounter instructors who are willing to set up a plan.

 

[emtdan]

I know that DM CAN be done in 3.5 weeks, as i have seen it done, but i dont think it's wise. I think that the interns are not geting as much as they could out of teh course.

 

[NEWreckDiver]

Greetings all,

I'm a new kid in town here and would like to introduce myself: well, here I am!
I'm diving since 2001 and made 10 dives since. Not that much, but I didn't find the time nor money to do it. But, from december onwards I will be working in the Dom. Rep. in a diveschool to get my DM. I know that some of you disagree with this type of education, but I think that if you are busy with diving full time for a half year you're sure to get good skills.

That's it for now! You can find me posting in other threads. See you there!

Slow down just a little. With 15 dives logged, you haven't been diving long enough. Get some more training and then simply go diving. I am sure that you will make a great DM one day. But you simply need to dive more. Take the job, enjoy the experience.

Being a DM is serious business. People are now relying on you for a lot things. Not just helping them with gearing up. But when things go very wrong, you have to react to the situation. You may be required to save a life, Are you ready for that?

Again, go and dive. I am sure someday you will make a great DM, you just aren't ready yet.

Good Luck

 

[Nomaster]

The caution:

You can't let your schedule drive when you're ready.

By all means, take the job in the Dominican Republic and work toward your goal but if I can impart any kind of wisdom on you then keep in mind every day that how you walk the path is more important than getting there on time.

I suppose in 6 months you might be able to get the papers if your instructor isn't too picky but with this tempo you stand an excellent chance of qualifying yourself for little more than a game of "blind leading the blind". I guess the most important thing for you to consider is how you feel about that.

R..

Further important caution: (The caveat is soooo true!)

Howdy and welcome to scubaboard.
Think about what you value in a dive guide or instructor. In my case, and I think in most cases, that's experience. Meaning, they have been diving a long time, not that they packed a bunch into the past 6 months. An you can only get experience the hard way (though really, it's the fun part)

Plus, a caveat. Often, the best way to make a hobby not fun is to do it professionally. I'd say, dive, have fun, get a bunch of dives under your belt, and work toward your goal all the while diving a lot and having a blast.
Just MHO Welcome to the board!

Some positive feedback:

Hey Leon!
Ok, so you'll work for a shop for six months, right? Say, 2 dives a day, five days a week? That means you'll have completed about 240 dives in 6 months, right? That my friend IS experience. 240 dives is, in my opinion, pretty good. I wish I could do that many in 6 months. Remember, you'll be a Dive Master, not a SCUBA god, so I say go for it.

DO IT LIKE THIS!:

Becoming a DM relies on two things: skill and experience. The skills can be mastered depending on your ability to learn, retain, and produce. The experience side of the equation comes from diving, diving, diving. If you have the means, the time, and the desire, you can log more dives in 6 mos than most people log in a lifetime. That being said, I'd vary your location many times in that 6 mos to gain experience in a diverse set of environments and conditions.

Diving a few times a week, no. Diving a few times a day, yes.

I wanted to say all those things and maybe talk a little more, but I get long winded and everyone else already gave you the good information.
Now that your thread has been moved, and this wasn't actually a greeting, how about saying hello in the "Introductions and Greetings" forum and get a proper ScubaBoard WELCOME!!!

You make, "GOOD LUCK!!" by working hard.

Tom