DM Expectations...

[Bubble Junky]

This is sort of on topic... do you have to do another CPR/first aid class for Dive Master if you've already done one through the Red Cross? I have to have CPR/First Aid to teach Tae Kwon Do, so I already had it when I did Rescue.

Thanks,
Shannon

Red Cross CPR/First Aid certs are good, as long as it's within 24 months.

 

[nereas]

I wish I knew how to save this entire thread, this is really, really good. Thanks to all, the experience on the board is staggering. My very first instructor (who turned out to be a good friend ever since!) once corrected me when I called him divemaster... he jokingly made some comment about being WAY above that, and of course, instructor is certainly.
I see that it very much depends on the lds and the instructor involved. This is what I wanted to know, other experiences. I have always been told I'm a natural teacher and DM will define whether I'm good at teaching scuba or not. I do my ResQ, not this weekend but the following weekend. We do the CPR class on Friday, do the ResQ part on Saturday and Sunday. After this many posts, I'll certainly post on my completion (that's positivity, isn't it?).
I like the idea of getting included on trips for free or for discounts... that in itself would make it worth it for me! More diving!

As a D/M candidate, besides being a tank monkey, tag line monkey, float monkey, errand monkey, etc., your responsibility is to learn the agency's procedures and techniques. You will then eventually begin to demonstrate to students the various drills and work with those having difficulty, with your instructor close nearby. After enough of this, you will ultimately become certified as a D/M.

As a D/M you will practice working with students one-on-one, and you will take pairs of students on tours. And you will watch over the students when he/she cannot, such as when he/she is performing CESAs with each of them.

During the ITC/IDC you would then learn how to teach a class, and how to introduce fresh students to the equipment and to diving.

An instructor would be hard pressed to teach a class without at least one D/M or A/I or T/A or D/C. Therefore there is real value in being a certified D/M (etc.) to the instructor.

You can leverage off this real value by searching for an instructor who would prefer to have you assist him/her for a season or two, in lieu of charging you a class fee for your D/M certification and your DAN O2 class. That would then be worth about $1000 to you, which is a lot more than any store in England or in the USA is ever going to pay you.

Alternatively you can feel free to PUT ANOTHER DOLLAR IN on your own, and not reciprocate with any sort of commitment. However there is really no way around the commitment, because you need the experience after all anyway.

Look around. Find out what your options really are. And don't fall for the first honey-tongued spin meister selling his own program. That is how you would then steer clear of the rocks and shoals that I have dubbed 'the blood sucking vampires.'

 

[nereas]

...

By the way, haole is not a polite term in most island conversation. If a cute local wahine says she likes haole boys, that's ok, but most times it's used it is comparable to the ancient southern N word the SB software wont print. I'm not interested in anyone other than cute local girls calling me haole, even if they are usually not being nice.

Actually I was getting that from your moniker, Hale-mano. I actually have no idea how to spell it. Never been to the Hawaiian Islands. At least not yet.

 

[Bubble Junky]

As a D/M candidate, besides being a tank monkey, tag line monkey, float monkey, errand monkey, etc., your responsibility is to learn the agency's procedures and techniques. You will then eventually begin to demonstrate to students the various drills, with your instructor nearby. After enough of this, you will ultimately become certified as a D/M.

As a D/M you will practice teaching students one-on-one, and watching over them when the instructor is not right next to you, and you will take pairs of students on tours.

Just to clarify a few points.....
As a DM Trainee, you are not a 'certified assistant' and should not be demonstrating to students - certainly not before the instructor has demonstrated the skill first. Once you are certified as a DM, you may then demonstrate and work with students only after a qualified instructor has introduced the skills first. As a DM you can lead the u/w tours of dives 2-4 of the OW course independant of an instructor, but this is not limited to pairs of students.

An instructor would be hard pressed to teach a class without at least one D/M or A/I or T/A. Therefore there is real value in being a certified D/M to the instructor.

Instructors should be more than capable and comfortable teaching without DMs. In the areas of the world I have taught in, I've very rarely had/needed this luxury.

You can leverage off this real value by searching for an instructor who would prefer to have you assist him/her for a season or two, in lieu of charging you a class fee for your D/M certification and your DAN O2 class. That would then be worth about $1000 to you, which is a lot more than any store in England or in the USA is ever going to pay you.

I think you'd earn more than '$1000' in England over a couple of seasons, as I believe it is law that there are assistants on courses here. I may be wrong on that one though.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Just to clarify a few points.....
As a DM Trainee, you are not a 'certified assistant' and should not be demonstrating to students...

In the NAUI system one becomes an Assistant Instructor prior to Divemaster - a much better way for all concerned...

 

[Bubble Junky]

In the NAUI system one becomes an Assistant Instructor prior to Divemaster - a much better way for all concerned...

Just out of curiosity could you briefly outline what NAUI AIs and DMs are qualified to do please ? Just want to see how different it is to PADI.

 

[asaara]

Free air, slight food discounts, occasional cheesecake, and someone's couch to sleep on if necessary. Beats sandwiches.

 

[nereas]

Just to clarify a few points.....
As a DM Trainee, you are not a 'certified assistant' and should not be demonstrating to students - certainly not before the instructor has demonstrated the skill first. Once you are certified as a DM, you may then demonstrate and work with students only after a qualified instructor has introduced the skills first. As a DM you can lead the u/w tours of dives 2-4 of the OW course independant of an instructor, but this is not limited to pairs of students.


Instructors should be more than capable and comfortable teaching without DMs. In the areas of the world I have taught in, I've very rarely had/needed this luxury.


I think you'd earn more than '$1000' in England over a couple of seasons, as I believe it is law that there are assistants on courses here. I may be wrong on that one though.

I believe you are actually wrong on all three of those statements, although some of them may be somewhat valid somewhere in your own neighborhood. I think you would be surprised how much D/M candidates demonstrate and work with students.

You could more accurately state that "the XXXX standards prescribe that ... " but you should also recall that instructors have a lot of leeway.

And local vis would determine if you needed a D/M (or A/I or T/A or D/C) to watch your students while you performed CESAs one by one. You must have crystal clear vis for you to be ble to conscience leaving your students alone on the surface while you are below?

 

[nereas]

Just out of curiosity could you briefly outline what NAUI AIs and DMs are qualified to do please ? Just want to see how different it is to PADI.

I listed them all together, as D/M & A/I, including T/A, precisely to avoid any attempts at picky-ness, my dear chap. These are all sub-instructor categories of one sort or another. And it is not worth debating here. Maybe you could start a new thread, called "the difference between A/I and D/M among NAUI, YMCA, PADI, SSI, and BSAC etc."

Among the various agencies, these have different titles. Take for instance SSI ... they call their assistants "dive cons."

 

[Druid]

I think you'd earn more than '$1000' in England over a couple of seasons, as I believe it is law that there are assistants on courses here. I may be wrong on that one though.

Health & Safety Executive regulations insist on an assistant being in the water with an instructor. Never heard of the assistant getting paid though.