Classes to be a great well rounded diver?

I cannot say this response is entirely hypothetical.

DM training CAN help you become a better diver. It expands your dive theory knowledge. I provides focused practice on performing basic dive skills. The practical applications provide a view of diving from the perspective of dive professionals, and that is informative.

I pursued DM training with absolutely no interest in working as a DM, or becoming an Instructor. I pursued it because I wanted to become a better diver. The training helped me accomplish that goal. (OK, I ultimately became an Instructor, but that came about because of other events.) So, I would not necessarily rule that course of training (DM) out as a way of becoming a good/better diver.

Another path to becoming a better diver is technical dive training. Whether or you really have an interest in deep dives, long dives, etc. is not necessarily the basis for deciding to pursue technical training. I learned to 'nail' my buoyancy control during that training, I learned to solve problems underwater during that training, I learned (more) about dive planning, I learned (more) about gases, decompression theory and reality, equipment (including maintenance), etc. through technical dive training. Yes, we often talk about how expensive it is to pursue technical diving, and I am not suggesting that you have to train all the way to trimix, or anything like that. But, you might find that pursuing an Intro to Tec course , as an example, would be beneficial.

The challenge with picking one or more specific specialty courses is that the course AND the Instructor have to both be good, AND the Instructor needs to understand your overall goal - becoming a good/better diver - and be willing to focus the training in a way to help you achieve that goal. That is certainly possible, I am not suggesting it cannot be done, only that you will need to not just 'take a course' but engage the Instructor in your development, which may take a bit more time to find the right fit. Having said that, in terms of skills, I think highly of Search and Recovery as a specialty, to give one example. Learning to use and really control a lift bag is a skill that requires the ability to 'multitask', and good buoyancy control, among other things. Searching for lost objects promotes good planning, and requires situational awareness and competent compass use, among other things.

 

As you so aptly stated :

I fully agree, that training has to meet the needs of the trainee, not just the needs of the training entity. Not every DM program puts DMCs in the role of 'unpaid serf'. I agree that there are some that do. Many do not. I trained in one of the 'not' programs. When I train DMs, they are most certainly 'not' unpaid serfs, they are dive professionals in training.

My point was/is, that DM training CAN - it has the ability to - help one become a better diver. The content and structure supports such an outcome. It is not, however, a guaranteed outcome, if the particular shop / dive operation / Instructor conducting the program chooses to emphasize unpaid serfdom and fails to deliver the intended content in a manner that meets the needs of the candidate. Nonetheless, I wouldn't dismiss it as an option solely because of disinterest in working in the dive industry. Nor would I simply pursue DM training without evaluating the program, any more than I would simply take a specialty course without 'interviewing' the Instructor.

 

A very good point. Going back to the OP's question, one factor to consider, in addition to content (that relates to becoming a good/better diver), and availability, is cost. Perhaps, it really is a question of value - what do you get for what you pay?

 

Cavern and/or Peak Performance Buoyancy -- or some iteration of that.