OP
heavyjeffd
Contributor
What's the insurance run annually (if you don't mind), I'm just curious. 
Thanks.
Thanks.
PADI Specialties/Divemaster worth it?
- Thread starter heavyjeffd
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BabyDuck
Contributor
another thought - if you want to improve *your* diving, consider taking cavern. being a dm will improve your ability to teach & help students, and maybe that's what you want, but it isn't geared to improving your personal diving. md might or might not improve your diving. nacd or nss-cds cavern *will*.
something else in the mix!
something else in the mix!
There are different companies and different coverages/costs. Expect to pay around $325 per year for coverage (or $215 if you only want coverage when associated with a named dive shop)
Professional Liability insurance is annual 1 July through 30 June. PADI Pro membership runs 1 January through 31 December.
Professional Liability insurance is annual 1 July through 30 June. PADI Pro membership runs 1 January through 31 December.
OP
heavyjeffd
Contributor
That's still pretty reasonable really, thanks again for all the info.
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PADI DM training is mostly about how to demonstrate the OW skills, some shallow book knowledge on deco theory and physiology, some rescue review, and how to give good briefings. As well as a module on how to market and sell things for PADI.
The Instructor training is more of the same, but with a greater emphasis on controlling and managing students in the water, how to present book material the PADI way, and a few more topics around the business of diving.
If you want to be an instructor, then the DM/IDC is the way to go. But if you just want to be a better diver, go take the NAUI Master Diver course. You'll get a master diver cert that really means something, and you'll get the academic/theory material PADI's DM program covers.
After that, consider solo diving, technical courses, mixed gas courses, etc.
Don't take the professional route unless you want to be an instructor. There's no real diving skill improvement component within the curriculum.
The Instructor training is more of the same, but with a greater emphasis on controlling and managing students in the water, how to present book material the PADI way, and a few more topics around the business of diving.
If you want to be an instructor, then the DM/IDC is the way to go. But if you just want to be a better diver, go take the NAUI Master Diver course. You'll get a master diver cert that really means something, and you'll get the academic/theory material PADI's DM program covers.
After that, consider solo diving, technical courses, mixed gas courses, etc.
Don't take the professional route unless you want to be an instructor. There's no real diving skill improvement component within the curriculum.
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PADI Pro yes, 1 Jan - 31 Dec
Pro liability, depends who with.... i use DAN combining my medical and liability in one. And it starts on whatever day i buy my insurance, so you can start it the same day as your Pro membership with PADI.
Also you do not HAVE to have liability insurance everywhere. Some countries, Europe, US etc it is mandatory. Here in Mexico it is not but i have it in case any US citizens decide they want to sue me from the US. The fact im a British citizen working in Mexico means nothing to the US System.
Some rough numbers
www.daneurope.org 135 euros for cheapest plan
www.dive-master. net 52 GBP for DM insurance
august_heim
New
Hey! If you want to really gain skills that will make you feel like a better diver than rescue/EFR is a good course BUT if you really want the ability to help someone than I would recommend taking a proper course through a now recreational agency.
In terms of specialties, weight the cost of the dives versus the cost of the class. The Deep specialty is really a good learning experience BUT maybe not for the reasons you'd expect. It is better to watch people work through the underwater skills so you can see the signs and difficulties occurring at depth you may not have seen(like tying knots,etc;and to get a gauge on how the depth really effects you.
If you are interested in really learning diving (in a class) look into GUE courses of specialized agencies. For most specialties a good dive site choice / objective can be more rewarding. For search and recovery (for example) look into diving with a salvage group in the keys. You'll learn more trying to recover an actual object than you will in a staged class.
For Fish ID, Naturalist, etc. try to find a distinctive specialty (e.g. Dangerous Caribbean Species) that teach you about the fish and then try to find them. This is more a learning experience.
In terms of specialties, weight the cost of the dives versus the cost of the class. The Deep specialty is really a good learning experience BUT maybe not for the reasons you'd expect. It is better to watch people work through the underwater skills so you can see the signs and difficulties occurring at depth you may not have seen(like tying knots,etc;and to get a gauge on how the depth really effects you.
If you are interested in really learning diving (in a class) look into GUE courses of specialized agencies. For most specialties a good dive site choice / objective can be more rewarding. For search and recovery (for example) look into diving with a salvage group in the keys. You'll learn more trying to recover an actual object than you will in a staged class.
For Fish ID, Naturalist, etc. try to find a distinctive specialty (e.g. Dangerous Caribbean Species) that teach you about the fish and then try to find them. This is more a learning experience.
I think I can give you an opinion from very close to your situation. I have just finished my PADI DM course, and I think it was definitely worth doing. Whether or not I ever use it professionally or advance to Instructor, it was greatly worthwhile from both a knowledge and skills perspective. The knowledge development is fairly rigorous and definitely gives you the "why" of things instead of just the "how." You will have a far greater understanding of diving and all the rules and recommendations that go with it. It does hone your skills because you need to be able to perform them all at "demonstration quality," which forces you to be very comfortable with them.
Now, like you, I started down the further-certification road without any specific goals or even knowing why. Actually, I wanted to get Nitrox, which is where I picked it back up. I've been diving for over 15 years, and I agree with the others, you can learn and do as much or more with a good group of buddies/mentors than through classes. I have done (safely and conservatively) deep dives, wreck dives, deep wreck penetration dives with deco, a gazillion boat/drift dives, plus have dived in many different waters, all with qualified mentors, instruction, safety precautions, etc. Not saying all of it was ideal or what I'd recommend for others, but it's where life took me. I certainly never thought I'd want to pursue professional status, either.
Once I took the nitrox course, I found I really enjoyed going back to learning, something I really haven't had to do since college and vet school. So I followed it with the Rescue course, and the first inklings of maybe eventually wanting to go pro started. I don't know how old you are, but I'm in my early forties and have 2 boys. My wife is certified but not confident. I started to think that it would be nice to be able to eventually be the one to certify my boys.
The thing that tipped the scale was diving with a few of my current friends. (My old experienced dive buddies have moved away/lost contact, stopped diving, etc). Most of my friends now were certified long ago but are infrequent divers. Some are just not confident, others are downright scary ("What's an embolism again?!). Plus I had one neighbor tell me proudly that his sons got to breathe on scuba in ~20 feet of water off some buddie's rig, with no instruction, etc! So I decided to step up the schedule!
I did my DM and loved it! Now I can legitimately do a Scuba Review with them with confidence and authority. I'll go for Instructor later this year, with plans to eventually just certify my kids, friends, and friends kids. Basically, I'll be the neighborhood Instructor. This allows me to personally create my own dive network. And I will know that they were taught to demanding standards-mine!
I can't comment on other agencies, although I got my OW and AOW through SSI a long time ago. PADI is definitely big into marketing and sales, obviously very supportive if you're trying to make a living at it. But you just accept that part of it and move on. PADI's upside is its accessability and standardized approach. The education and standards are I think top notch and are of course dependent on your instructor and what you put into it. Specialty classes for the sake of notches on your dive bedpost seem needless to me, and more sales driven. Divemaster at least gives you a useful certification and the ability to move forward if you ever desire. And as others said, pros will recognize the level of effort and knowledge it took to get there.
Personally, I'd highly recommend it.
Now, like you, I started down the further-certification road without any specific goals or even knowing why. Actually, I wanted to get Nitrox, which is where I picked it back up. I've been diving for over 15 years, and I agree with the others, you can learn and do as much or more with a good group of buddies/mentors than through classes. I have done (safely and conservatively) deep dives, wreck dives, deep wreck penetration dives with deco, a gazillion boat/drift dives, plus have dived in many different waters, all with qualified mentors, instruction, safety precautions, etc. Not saying all of it was ideal or what I'd recommend for others, but it's where life took me. I certainly never thought I'd want to pursue professional status, either.
Once I took the nitrox course, I found I really enjoyed going back to learning, something I really haven't had to do since college and vet school. So I followed it with the Rescue course, and the first inklings of maybe eventually wanting to go pro started. I don't know how old you are, but I'm in my early forties and have 2 boys. My wife is certified but not confident. I started to think that it would be nice to be able to eventually be the one to certify my boys.
The thing that tipped the scale was diving with a few of my current friends. (My old experienced dive buddies have moved away/lost contact, stopped diving, etc). Most of my friends now were certified long ago but are infrequent divers. Some are just not confident, others are downright scary ("What's an embolism again?!). Plus I had one neighbor tell me proudly that his sons got to breathe on scuba in ~20 feet of water off some buddie's rig, with no instruction, etc! So I decided to step up the schedule!
I did my DM and loved it! Now I can legitimately do a Scuba Review with them with confidence and authority. I'll go for Instructor later this year, with plans to eventually just certify my kids, friends, and friends kids. Basically, I'll be the neighborhood Instructor. This allows me to personally create my own dive network. And I will know that they were taught to demanding standards-mine!
I can't comment on other agencies, although I got my OW and AOW through SSI a long time ago. PADI is definitely big into marketing and sales, obviously very supportive if you're trying to make a living at it. But you just accept that part of it and move on. PADI's upside is its accessability and standardized approach. The education and standards are I think top notch and are of course dependent on your instructor and what you put into it. Specialty classes for the sake of notches on your dive bedpost seem needless to me, and more sales driven. Divemaster at least gives you a useful certification and the ability to move forward if you ever desire. And as others said, pros will recognize the level of effort and knowledge it took to get there.
Personally, I'd highly recommend it.
I'm sure this topic is a well-beaten dead horse, so apologies in advance to whomever this resurrection upsets.
I have been debating going for Divemaster eventually. I am in no hurry to do so. I would just like to dive a lot more in more environments before I go down that path. I have no doubt in my abilities to handle stressful situations or instruct people. I taught for years and have been a leader in my various fields of work for the better part of two decades. However, my common sense tells me that while now is not the right time, I could always focus and prepare to do so in the future.
I'm not sure why exactly I want to do Divemaster. I would never do it full time (it would be about a 85% pay cut probably, lol
Maybe that isn't the right reason...
However, I do plan on doing Rescue/EFR regardless. The MSD title would be nice just to have, but it does appear to be more marketing than substance..
But this leads me to my next set of quandaries...
PADI Specialties.
While I do think Nitrox is always worth it and should eventually be done by all serious/active divers, the rest kind of make me scratch my head.
While I think Deep Diver, Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night, etc. are all great skills to have and be comfortable with, part of me thinks you really don't need to pay $200 to do so and that they can all be safely done with a more experienced buddy and/or group. Is this the wrong outlook?
I mean, I enjoy the classes and always have fun diving with new people and whatnot, it just seems like more marketing than substance (sorry to say that twice), maybe it's just geared towards newer divers? Maybe I am just interpreting it totally wrong? I don't know... (hence why I am asking what you guys think)
Granted, I am one of those "new again" to diving people. I dove in the early 90's, had everything stolen from me and just never got back around to it until recently.
So, to recap I suppose, is Divemaster worthwhile for someone in my position (personal challenge/accomplishment, etc) or should I just go through Rescue Diver/EFR and call it a day?
Or do you guys think it is worthwhile to do five specialties and just go all the way to MSD?
Thanks in advance for putting up with such a rehashed topic.
I'd say that specialities are important insofar as you are learning it from an instructor that actually takes the specialities seriously. I've taught a bunch of wreck diver courses with very positive feedback because I actually view the course as an important one...Choose the instructor wisely
alcadhrim
Registered
I can't say better.
I've just seen how an not-interested-at-all instructor can do (even not a good buddy
) in two speciality course. I had prefered he said "I'm sorry I don't make those courses". Lack of interest, lack of serious...Waste of time.So now I'm thinking about another guy for my next course. And...Clearly...If youy can read a book some specialities are nearly useless.
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