Studying for DM sucks!!

[Jim Lapenta]

I would not be sure of anything about another person if I did not know them. It is not about agency, it is about getting what one pays for.

 

[hypertech]

Well, as one who is almost done with a PADI DM, I think I got exactly what I paid for. I don't want to be required to sit in a classroom for lectures. I don't have time for it and I don't want it. Had I requested that my instructor would have done so. Had I wanted to just show up for the tests and not talk about anything that was OK to. My DM course could take whatever form worked for me.

 

[tracydr]

I'm far from a science guy. If that's not enough, I'm a hands-on learner. So this material being self-study sucks! I did OW in a classroom but THIS has to be self study?!! Oh well...back to it.

Going through the same here but ready to take the test. The key for me was little bits at a time. It is so incredibly boring and the only challenging parts, for me were physics problems. Even those were pretty simple, once you get past the obnoxious way that PADI tries to lump metric and Imperial into the same problem, then does conversions without explaining what they converted.
I wish someone good at writing Science and Math textbooks would rewrite the material.
And through all that, still no gas management problems?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You won't see any gas management unless you take a Tec course. Or the OW, AOW, or UW Nav courses I teach. That was one of many reasons for my crossing over to another agency once I did get my PADI DM card. It began to all focus on con ed that did not really improve my knowledge or skills for the diving I wanted to do in addition to teaching. In fact it nearly drove me out of teaching altogether. Thank God for NAUI and the YMCA Scuba Program or I'd not be an instructor today if I had not changed direction. And those boring, tedious, challenging parts are made much easier when you are not banging your head against a wall trying to get it yourself. My NAUI tech instructor taught me more about gas management along with Scubaboard in 2 weeks than the other did in 2 years. That is the whole point of quality instruction.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I know I can go to the instructor at anytime with questions and spend an hour or so going over the material. I did get what I paid for....a DM course. Just because someone gets a "better" course doesn't mean they'll be more skilled when it's over. So again, save the agency discussion for another thread. Thanks.

 

[hypertech]

I'm not even sure its better. Jim seems to have this uncontrollable urge to post on every thread that mentions PADI so that he can harp about how his course is better than theirs because he'll force you to sit through listening to him harp on some talk or another for two weeks straight before you are allowed to get in the pool.

Quite frankly, I don't have any interest whatsoever for a course like that. Good thing there are other options.

 

[USMCNJ]

im studying the physiology section as we speak, my instructor is great. we do little by little im in no rush i got all winter to complete this and if i have any questions he always answers his phone. i guess thats one of the advantages of doing all my training through one shop.... you get to know them on a personal level and make personal connections vs. a teacher/student connection..... best of luck my friend

 

[USMCNJ]

i passed my physiology test today..... one step closer to DM!!!

 

[Suian]

The physiology section I found the most interesting: it also worked rather well with subjects I was studying at university.
The practical stuff is the hard part for me, or rather just knowing it well enough so its a routine. I haven't actually needed to use the theory on a practical level yet.

 

[TMHeimer]

Same here. I have trouble recalling the exact steps for the 20 skills. Nothing to "self study" until PADI comes out with the new video (discussed in another thread). So I just have some notes I jotted down after our pool sessions months ago. I probably could have aced the 8 written tests just as well with just the home study. Probably didn't need any classroom to do that, though you obviously pick up a lot in the classroom as well. I often wonder how much of the total theory (and other required) knowledge a DM ever really uses--what % of the total learned is used? Maybe seasoned pros can respond.