Advice from instructors please

[RJP]

I was an active DM for six years before deciding to become an instructor. I have no doubt I had an easier time in the IDC/IE - and am a better instructor - because of that time.

As mentioned above, working with lots of instructors has a huge benefit; you get to see what works, what doesn't, and really get to hone your own ideas of how YOU would do things.

I don't think you need to wait that long - it just worked out that way for me.

 

[Diver0001]

It is just that just the advice is so polarised.
What would YOU suggest ??

I assisted in training as a DM for a long time before becoming an instructor and I can say that working as a DM will help prepare you better to be an instructor. Becoming an AI will allow you to do more things while assisting than a DM can do but any way you look at it, assisting for a while before going on to become an instructor is valuable experience.

How long is long enough? I guess that's a matter of personality. I've always gone slowly and I never took gaining qualifications as a goal. To me the satisfaction came from helping to train divers to get the best results we could. At one point I found myself being asked to assist new instructors to help get them over their "new instructor syndrome", particularly the ones who rushed it. In essence I was being asked to help keep new instructors from doing anything stupid. That's the point at which I felt I was competent enough as a DM to take that step myself and start making my own mistakes instead of cleaning up the mistakes of others.

R..