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Not for me. But for my buddy the church thing worked like a charm. He got "saved" many times. I could not bring myself to get up on Sunday mornings. Too hungover.
As for the DM thing was already attached so no.
 
One thing I notice in Florida, is many people claim to be divermasters, but really they are PADI master divers. You wouldn't think that would be a significant number, but I have run into several people like that
 
Is recreational divers obtaining divemaster certification a common thing? Is becoming a divemaster too easy? Does being a 'professional' diver have less meaning than other industries?
I don't know if it is 'a common thing'. I do see many people, who are passionate about diving, considering becoming a DM because they can then work at what they love doing (even if not making a living doing so). I don't think that the process of becoming a divemaster is necessarily 'too easy'. And, I don't think that being a 'professional diver' necessarily has less meaning that being a professional bricklayer.

Being a professional' can merely mean getting paid for doing whatever you do - a 'professional basketball player', a 'professional auto mechanic', etc. And, if that is all that being a dive professional means, then diving is in just as sorry a state as professional sports. But, I read the other thread and I see where the critics of the OP are coming from. Being a 'professional' also seems to be related to the concept of professionalism, which is characterized by many attributes, prominent among which is 'doing what is right'. I know of many people who hold a professional credential, who may not earn their living practicing that profession, but who consistently adhere to the principle of 'doing what is right' (whether I agree with them, about what is right, or not). That is, to me, what being a professional is very much about.

When I was in my early health professional career, I decided to go to law school. I did not necessarily want to be a practicing lawyer, rather I wanted the intellectual training, the way of thinking, the approach to analyzing a problem that I perceived to be part of the law school curriculum. Although accepted to a prominent school, I did not enroll, because of a family illness that came up after my acceptance. I would still like to do that today, and now have the time as a retired person, although not quite the same passion and energy I once had for spending 3 years of my life in that pursuit. But, whether I ever practice law or not, generate any income from it or not, I suspect I would adhere to the ethics of being a legal professional - 'doing what is right'.

I would hope that anyone who pursues the DM credential would do the same, whether they worked as a DM or not. They would do what they believed to be right. I am less concerned with how much money they make at being a DM, and frankly less concerned with their absolute skill, as with their mentality. I would hope that, if they observed behavior that was not consistent with accepted practice standards, ethical principles, or regulations, that they would point that behavior out to civilian, governmental / regulatory, or professional licensing / certification authorities, and the public, as appropriate.
 
Just an FYI here. 5 year hydro's are a DOT regulation. Dive operations in the carribean are not required or even inclined to annual VIP much less 5 year hydro. Most aluminum 80's the valve is corroded to the tank. When the tank/valve is no longer serviceable they become scrap metal.
No shirt, no shoes, no VIP, no hydro......no problem.



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DogDiver is right- and to take it a step further; DOT regulations DO NOT apply to recreational divers. You (probably) won't be able to buy a fill for one, but if you had your own compressor, there is no need to get a hydro every five years.

And if you rent tanks; who cares structually if the tank is hydro'ed? If it was going to burst- it would have done so when it was being filled- not when sitting on the dive boat.

We get our tanks Hydro'ed because otherwise we couldn't get the local shop to fill them. That's all.
 
We get our tanks Hydro'ed because otherwise we couldn't get the local shop to fill them. That's all.

Almost the same reason I finally got a c-card, the local shop would fill the tanks but no one else would. I would continue to hydro my tanks regardless, I could do a passable viz myself.



Bob
 
DogDiver is right- and to take it a step further; DOT regulations DO NOT apply to recreational divers. You (probably) won't be able to buy a fill for one, but if you had your own compressor, there is no need to get a hydro every five years.

And if you rent tanks; who cares structually if the tank is hydro'ed? If it was going to burst- it would have done so when it was being filled- not when sitting on the dive boat.

We get our tanks Hydro'ed because otherwise we couldn't get the local shop to fill them. That's all.

I bolded the part of the quote. I am guessing the Department of Transportation cares if the cylinder has a valid hydro test. I am not an expert on the regulations set forth by the Department of Transportation, or if those regulations even apply to personal transportation of a handful of cylinders (i.e. not a large bulk quantity). Local Johnny Law probably won't know or care about DoT standard or regulations, but that one auto accident where the cylinder is involved, now you have lawyer using the DoT regulations against you.
 
... They seem surprised to find out I actually worked as a divemaster. Most don't have their own gear. They rent everything and might go diving once every few years.

Am I off? Is recreational divers obtaining divemaster certification a common thing? Is becoming a divemaster too easy? Does being a 'professional' diver have less meaning than other industries?

PADI has changed the industry standards basically- they made it easier for the average person to be certified and get in the water, and the way their course progression is structured those serious about diving and improving skills through education opt to do DM or 'Pro' route because there is no other option in terms of a standardized and tested skills course. Their business model is excellent since they have for years been cranking out divers and Pro's four-score over other agencies. It's to the point now that a lot of laymen and non-divers perceive PADI as the only Pro agency. I've even had a few double takes on my NAUI card- one charter in the Caribbean even questioned if I was certified at all with my NAUI scuba diver cert, I had to pull out my PADI advanced (which was a joke obtaining) as back-up. My guess is standards have decreased at all levels and is now affecting how other agencies structure or run their courses.
 
It's to the point now that a lot of laymen and non-divers perceive PADI as the only Pro agency.

... based on many posts right here in ScubaBoard, there are a lot of divers ... and even some "pros" ... who perceive PADI as the only agency. We constantly hear PADI standards tossed around as though they were the law of scuba ... even in the Dive Professionals forum. Then again, many dive professionals have never been exposed to anything but PADI ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
... based on many posts right here in ScubaBoard, there are a lot of divers ... and even some "pros" ... who perceive PADI as the only agency. We constantly hear PADI standards tossed around as though they were the law of scuba ... even in the Dive Professionals forum. Then again, many dive professionals have never been exposed to anything but PADI ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I have managed to get thru 35 years of diving with NEVER having taken a PADI course. It was NAUI for me back when, later SDI-TDI.
The size of PADI means that the standards have a wider variation merely due to the size of the population. Smaller agencies can...and do focus on stricter standards because they can. I'm not slamming PADI in any way. Its just statistics. I know a lot of AWESOME PADI instructors, DMs and divers.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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