Entering DM Course, Have Questions

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Musashib

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Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
japan
# of dives
50 - 99
I'm wondering if anyone could offer any advice. I'm entering into the DM course. I've spent most of my career doing cert. dives. I've never actually done a fun dive I guess the fun for me is the training. The specialties and different certs. I have achieved have left me in kind of a where to start situations for the DM course. I'm very serious about
diving and spend my time studying and I have more than enough knowledge and material. I just have no I guess plan of attack. Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks.:depressed:
 
Welcome Musashib.

I'll try to offer some suggestions.

The first is that you enjoy some fun dives. One of the things that makes a DM unique in my opinion is their experience and comfort in different diving environments. It would be nice to do some tropical dives, cold water dives, deep dives, quarry/lake dives, great viz diving, poor viz diving, Nitrox diving, reef diving, etc. While this is not mandatory, it gives you a larger pool of knowledge to draw upon when helping to train other students (since that was your motivation). Leadership divers (Instructors, AI/DM/Dive Con) who do not dive for fun have a tendency to burn out. It can be stressful to "always be on" when you're in the water instead of just enjoying diving for diving sake.

The second suggestion depends on your current certification level and training agency of interest. If you have not done so, most agencies require Rescue Diver and/or Master Scuba Diver as well as CPR/First Aid to be completed in order to enter into a DM program. I am sure representatives from agencies that do not will chime in soon. Make sure that you have the prereqs to enter into a DM program. The agency you choose will have certain criteria that you have to meet regarding age, number of dives, types of dives, etc. If you were trained by one agency and wish to be a DM in another, there may yet be more things you will have to do before you can enter their DM program. Contact a representative who belongs to the agency you are interested in and educate yourself about what it takes to be a part of their system. I would also interview Instructors the same way an OW student would. Ask questions about what they expect of you. Any outside projects they may include. How they would would want you to interact with students. Previous DM candidates they have trained. Consider what you wish to do as a DM and see if their training will prepare you to accomplish that.

Lastly (as I'll let others weigh in on their suggestions), I would consider what you wish to accomplish as a DM. It may look "glamorus" to the non professional diver, but to those on the other side of the fence, we know that it can be a LOT or work. Lugging gear around, becoming an equipment tech, baby sitting divers, always being aware that a student can and will do something unexpected, being the last one to leave the dive site, being responsible for certified divers if you choose to lead them, mentoring for months under a challenging Instructor, etc. Not everyone is cut out to be a DM. It doesn't always boil down to their skill level or ability, but to their mental approach to diving and being a dive professional. It takes a unique person to enter into this side of the dive pool. Consider your options and reasons and decide wisely before you turn to the Dark Side!! :D
 
Thank you so much for your advice.
I've completed adv,boat,multi lvl,PPB,Rescue,Dry suit, Deep,EFR Navigation, and this month I'm doing Enriched diver and so on. I guess the problem is I'm affraid of what I should know and also what I already know but don't know it. Sorry to confuse you. My instructor has repeated your words exactly about the fun and the character issues. I greatly appreciate your advice I guess I'm trying to be too perfect I basically live in the books. Maybe I need to lighten up a little and review my own knowledge. If you ever get around japan sometime look me up. Its not the best but its ok. Again Thank you so much.
 
Thank you so much for your advice.
I've completed adv,boat,multi lvl,PPB,Rescue,Dry suit, Deep,EFR Navigation, and this month I'm doing Enriched diver and so on. I guess the problem is I'm affraid of what I should know and also what I already know but don't know it. Sorry to confuse you. My instructor has repeated your words exactly about the fun and the character issues. I greatly appreciate your advice I guess I'm trying to be too perfect I basically live in the books. Maybe I need to lighten up a little and review my own knowledge. If you ever get around japan sometime look me up. Its not the best but its ok. Again Thank you so much.
 
Thank you so much for your advice.
I've completed adv,boat,multi lvl,PPB,Rescue,Dry suit, Deep,EFR Navigation, and this month I'm doing Enriched diver and so on. I guess the problem is I'm affraid of what I should know and also what I already know but don't know it. Sorry to confuse you. My instructor has repeated your words exactly about the fun and the character issues. I greatly appreciate your advice I guess I'm trying to be too perfect I basically live in the books. Maybe I need to lighten up a little and review my own knowledge. If you ever get around japan sometime look me up. Its not the best but its ok. Again Thank you so much.

You are quite welcome. My feeling is that DMs can bring a great deal to the experience of new and certified divers with their energy, experience, and willingness to help and educate. Living in the books is a nice place to start, but the divers under your care will inevitably ask you questions about actual diving experiences. Sounds as if you have a good academic foundation and the enthusiasm to progress to the next step. In addition to doing more diving, I would suggest other reading materials that may be pertinent to your location. If you do a lot of shore diving, boat diving, cold water diving, etc., try and find reading materials that will discuss those types of diving and think about how you would help educate someone who is new to those types of diving. I like the PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. It's a decent beginning book that discusses the physics, equipment issues, environmental issues, etc. that you may have to know as a DM. Your training agency should have other reading materials that you can obtain that deal specifically with DM issues.

With all that being said, if you feel you are ready and have the energy and desire to enter a DM program, just do it. Your Instructor will be able to help guide you and assist you in determining if this is the right path for you.

Keep us posted.
 
Thank You so much I can't express in words the confidence, Professionalism, and Role modeling I perceive from you from your mail. I know I'm new to this site but I kind felt I would receive some pretty strange remarks from my post. Thank you so much for your advice and confidence. I'm posting a question in which I constantly debating with Instructors here in Japan. Your advice and input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Chuck
 
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