When do you know you're ready?

[RU4SKUBA]

If you weren't ready, on some level, you wouldn't be here asking questions. At your level, the first sign of a professional is someone who knows their limitations and seeks assistance when its required. If your aquatics skills are strong, I'd wager a guess you're pretty close to ready.

Buy the Encyclopedia and read it five times, complete the workbook twice, and re-read all the manuals (OW, AOW, Rescue) a few times each. Watch the agency videos, practice the 20 skills in confined water, view demonstration videos on you tube a few times, and then do all three exams (A & B) until you don't get any wrong.

Now you're ready.

 

[bracko]

just remember that being a DM changes the way you dive and how you can enjoy diving, or even a holiday.

the difference between pre and post has been significant for me. from just jumping off the boat to constantly watching every diver and profiling them for stress signals, helping people in their gear, being the first to put my hand up to take less experienced divers with me, offering advice where i know i can, listening to people's tall tales... etc etc etc... o


it does (or rather, should) turn into a natural instinct to constantly be on the lookout for potential risks whether you're on the clock or not.

if you're not up for that, then I'd suggest you just stay at rescue diver and do more specalities or get into some tech.

 

[Jaja]

You're asking if you have the necessary experience etc to be a competent Divemaster, but you haven't taken the course yet. It's like asking if you are a good diver before you've even started the open water course (kind of!)

If you do your Divemaster internship with a good dive shop and your mentor(s) is/are experienced Instructors then you will get loads of the necessarily experience and confidence during your course. Someone else mentioned the importance of being humble and knowing your limits, which I would agree with. If you know the areas that you need practice in then you are half way there.

Do your research when choosing where to do your Divemaster course. In my opinion your mentors should be IDC Staff or above with at least 100 student certs and the dive shop needs to be busy to give you the opportunity to get hands-on experience assisting different courses (preferably more than just the number required for certification) and shadowing their own Divemasters etc.

It sounds to me like you are ready to take the plunge! Good luck