Newbie going all the way to DM!!! :0)

[tyesai]

Diving is easy, but hard to do well. I love to teach, I've got two more years in the military and my plan is to become a school teacher. I've taught and mentored over three hundred young Airman as a tech school instructor. I love diving and when I started I thought how great it would be to become a divemaster and a teacher. These things are definetly possible but it takes time. Me being me you could have never convinced me zero to hero was bad when I started this expedition, but if I knew I was diving with a divemaster/buddy that completed such a program, I'd assume I was pretty much on my own. I imagine some people can do such things and be competent or even great, but this is one of those skill where there seems no substitute for time.

Edited to add.

For insurance I purchased dive assure as it was what the dive shop recommended because it is substantially cheaper than DAN and the military covers my medical costs as long as I have taken what they deem "appropriate safety precautions". Your mileage may vary.

 

[melissawest]

I like that advice very realistic and direct!

 

[k ellis]

Every one who has commented so far have replied in a heart felt manner and thats something to be proud of. Most of the time on the board it can get heated with questions like these. Good job guys.

Im currently going for my dive master with hopes to be finished in the very near future. and I am just going to add my .02 to the pot. Diving is one of the most awesome sports I have ever known and I can assure you most if not all divers would agree that we started because we all had a love of the underwater world. theres not one single diver on this board I can think of who doesnt walk away with a new experience on every dive even if they have logged thousands of dives. You never stop learning and thats a driving force for so many divers I know.

When you want to teach classes and assist in teaching classes you cant go in with the mentality that your going to show them how to dive because its not about showing anyone anything. Its about being an example and letting them watch you and learn from you things you cant show them. Things like how calm you are underwater and how relaxed you are while your doing the skills. Its about showing people that your not going to show them how to get that record breaking dive but instead show them how to let the aquatic world reveal itself to you in its own way and time. Students who come to diving usually have no experience in diving at all and the ones they do have either done it without training (Not recommended by the way) or they did it on a discover dive.

Students look to you in ways you cant imagine. Before you even go into the class they are already summing you and your operation up. like when its 6 in the morning and you are meeting on the dock to go out they look to see your chipper and smiling not dragging your knuckles complaining you need coffee to wake up. They look at you when your carrying tanks on a boat and smiling big and welcoming everyone onboard. No one wants to carry 20 or so tanks on board and off at the end of the day 5 days a week but the fact your smiling and welcoming everyone leads them to believe that if your doing all that work and still happy go lucky then you do take their enjoyment serious as well as your job. They look at your appearance many times and simple things like polo shirts and a nice pair of cargo shorts or bathing suite thats appropriate for the dive speaks volume.

When your having a down day you have to set it aside because people have many times traveled all the way across the world and paid big money in airfare and hotels rental cars etc and one bad day from you can ruin their image of diving in that region of the world, the image they have of your beloved home and their outlook possibly on the country you reside in. One good smile and memorable experience may land you great tips (Please dont nag them about tips though) and excellent word of mouth the world over which potentially could open you and your buisness up to a gold mine.

Dive Masters and beyond in the professional world hold a lot of power in their hands such as the power to destroy ones views and hopes on diving permanently and then they also have to the power to make life long happy divers all because of one experience.

In closing I really hope you will work in time for your own experiences in diving because your own unique experiences make new divers want to dive. When they hear how you dove with a whale shark or how you were diving one day and saw a sea turtle caught underwater in fishing net and you cut it free. These are the priceless memories new divers themself want to enjoy and encourage potential divers to continue on their personal course for diving. When you are ready and you will know yourself when its time then seek the Dive Master rating.

Now I will share with you some little stories of my dive master quest. I work in law enforcement and as you can imagine rarely do we get thanked for anything and everything is always said to be our fault. You get used to it after a while and really it does not bother you. But when I started my dive master class I have had the privledge to work with a lot of students and when one comes to you after class and tells you they want you to go to open water with them when they go because they trust you and feel safe with you based on what they see it melts even a hardened heart.

I told one girl today who is planning a marriage in a short period of time and then honey mooning in Bora Bora about the movie couples retreat and told her to watch it because it would show some great scenes of Bora Bora and she was estatic. Not diving related but it broke the mold of tension. Thats what dive mastering is to me is the rewards that people give you in the form of knowing you were a part of their epic adventure when it all started for them. So when you see them 10 years down the road they may not remember their 100th dive but they will remember you were there for their first dive!

 

[tstormdiver]

Excellent post!

 

[k ellis]

Thank you