EzeeDiver
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Anyone have any comments on having an Instructor that is a friend taking you through the Divemaster course? 
Instructor friends taking you through Divemaster course
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I consider my instructor a friend. But I know he will not cut me any slack because of it. I know I will earn my DM only if I pass agencies standards.
Anyone have any comments on having an Instructor that is a friend taking you through the Divemaster course?
Can your friend follow the standards without special treatment? Can you be "instructed" by a friend without conflict?
I had multiple instructors that took me through the DM program. Seeing how over the course of five years I went from open water through rescue and on multiple trips with this group of people, I did consider them friends. I even ended up marrying one of them, and two others were in the wedding, so yeah, I'd call them friends.
My Divemaster candidates and I usually become friends by the time the course is over. The course and work time spent together tends to form a bond unless we just have a personality conflict. I like for my friends to become Divemasters since we will most likely be working together and we already have some history together. Do I cut them any slack? I probably make them work them harder and perform better... That's what friends are for.
it's nice to work with your friends
it's great to have friends that are divemasters
all of our divemasters worked hard to get that rating
no slack as dgreenh sez
thats what friends are for!!!!
it's great to have friends that are divemasters
all of our divemasters worked hard to get that rating
no slack as dgreenh sez
thats what friends are for!!!!
I am working with an instructor/friend on my DM and he is making the course harder. Works for me.
OP
EzeeDiver
Registered
Appreciate the thoughts...that's about what it is with me. We met last year on a dive trip. She is an independent instructor, and has lots of coworkers that want to get certified before going back to Germany (here on 3 year hitch). So...the plan is that once I finish DM, I can teach classes with her and we can handle more students. We get along great and have been on several trips together. I also think she's being sure I complete everything above standards...lots of the "repeat" sign on skills tests, LOL! We are both busy, so the struggle is time...let you know how it goes!
bracko
Contributor
I'm intending on getting my rescue/DM this Sydney spring and my OW/AOW instructor has already made it clear that she will be my DM instructor, apparently i don't have a choice...
I'm happy with this
she's a good instructor and we get along pretty well, i know she won't cut me any slack either, and I'll also be going on to do my IDC fairly soon after... so any technical issues with my diving will reflect back on her, somewhat.
I'm looking forward to doing the DM and IDC, I've been toying with the idea of getting into training and professional development and this would be an excellent way to dip my toe in and see if i like the idea of it, without spending time back at uni doing occ. psych post grad work.
I'm happy with this
she's a good instructor and we get along pretty well, i know she won't cut me any slack either, and I'll also be going on to do my IDC fairly soon after... so any technical issues with my diving will reflect back on her, somewhat. I'm looking forward to doing the DM and IDC, I've been toying with the idea of getting into training and professional development and this would be an excellent way to dip my toe in and see if i like the idea of it, without spending time back at uni doing occ. psych post grad work.
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Ezeediver, one caution: you may be losing out if you just work with one instructor. I wouldn't be concerned with cutting of slack OR being more difficult, any decent instructor will make sure you fulfill all the requirements, so, IF YOU GIVE IT ENOUGH TIME, you'll have a good course. And I know them perfectionist Germans, (having been one myself ), so I don't worry about that. But from my own experience, I benefited enormously by working with 3 - 4 different people. And I hadn't really wanted to, I knew the one instructor there, a sort of demi-god to me, and I wanted him, period! Imagine my surprise when it turned out that there were others there where I learned as much or more, and I came to admire them even more than the one I would have chosen originally! Little itty bitty girls, too! Assisting with yet two other instructors now, for a week, added still more tools to my arsenal. There is no one right way, and your personality plays a big role in how you do things. So the more strategies you get to observe, the more likely you are to find one that fits you well. Some things I learned (like numbering the critical elements of the skills) never sat easy with me, and it was such a relief to see that it is perfectly fine (and permissible) to do it differently.
So while I think it's perfectly ok to have a friend as your certifying instructor and mentor, I would try to get to assist, or take portions of the course, with other instructors. You wouldn't want to get all your education from reading only one book, either. No matter how thoroughly.
), so I don't worry about that. But from my own experience, I benefited enormously by working with 3 - 4 different people. And I hadn't really wanted to, I knew the one instructor there, a sort of demi-god to me, and I wanted him, period! Imagine my surprise when it turned out that there were others there where I learned as much or more, and I came to admire them even more than the one I would have chosen originally! Little itty bitty girls, too! Assisting with yet two other instructors now, for a week, added still more tools to my arsenal. There is no one right way, and your personality plays a big role in how you do things. So the more strategies you get to observe, the more likely you are to find one that fits you well. Some things I learned (like numbering the critical elements of the skills) never sat easy with me, and it was such a relief to see that it is perfectly fine (and permissible) to do it differently. So while I think it's perfectly ok to have a friend as your certifying instructor and mentor, I would try to get to assist, or take portions of the course, with other instructors. You wouldn't want to get all your education from reading only one book, either. No matter how thoroughly.
I would agree with seahorsey a bit. Its great that you work so well with your instructor, I always make great friends with my DMTs without cutting slack, but at teh same time, make sure they work with as many instructors as possible throughout their assisting portions so that they can see different techniques and teaching styles.
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