Need advice on course to take

[scubadudee]

Hi there,

Anyone can advise me on the courses to take after completing my rescue? I am set with taking Nitrox course....except these two:-

1) Dive Con specialist - Not sure if it is a good choice for my own satisfaction if I plan to further my hobby as a part career later. This sems like a shorter route if I plan it as a career.

2) Dive Master - Or this choice for my own satisfaction.


Any recommemdations?

 

[cmdasia]

Why take courses? Why not just dive - I did my MSD and DM and really have no idea why I did them (6 courses and a whole lot of money) - with hindsight I, personally, would have been happier just diving on my AOW ticket, I could have gotten 4/5 liveaboards in the Similans for the cost and had a better time to boot.

 

[scubadudee]

thanks for your advice...I was thinking of perhaps giving myself a kind of achievement upon certification....most likely I will stay at DM level. Maybe because I am near 35 now...somehow this can also give me a chance to "discipline" myself again

 

[Tommer]

i agree with cmdasia, why not just dive......save your hard earned dollar on something or somewhere else. i personally think it is how often you dive. if you don't dive often enough all these title you've earned are pretty worthless. it's only less than a year since i got certified from the ow. so far i have completed about 60 some dives. diving down here in southern california can be unpredictable, there are 3 things that we constantly have to dealt with, low visibility, low temperature and high current, i am glad i got start off on a tough course, soon i will be heading to similian for a dive trip. good luck on whatever you decide to do scubadudee.

tommer

 

[Belushi]

For the sheer educational value ... I would say go become an instructor.

The best way to learn about a subject is to teach it. I can understand what these other guys are saying, but you are 3 hours by ferry from Tioman in Malaysia ... that is excellent diving.

You can dive anytime on your back door and it is cheap.

You will gain huge satisfaction from doing your Divemasters course. It is not easy. If you are with a good school, it is, or can be, quite hard. You will increase your theoretical knowledge up to Instructor level, and you should have practice in the water with real students. You will see all of the crazy things that they do to try and kill us when we teach them.

I am in the same situation as you, relatively speaking.
I am an instructor, and I want to do the next course, but I am trying to justify the huge expense to myself. I keep thinking, personal gratification or "what will I get out of it, and can I spend the US$6000 on something else."

Of course I could, but that still does not stop me wanting to do it.

No more procrastination ... go for the Divemasters course and then see if you like the professional route, then become an instructor.

But it is not easy ....

 

[Walter]

There are too many instructors out there now who shouldn't be teaching. Don't move into the professional ranks unless you are excited about teaching or working on a charter boat. I know lots of divers who are not instructors who are better divers and more knowledgeable about diving than the vast majority of instructors.

Dive. Find a mentor. Study. Read. Enjoy.