Why is becoming a DM considered not worth it?

[Wibble]

Seems we've dropped into the rec vs. tec hole.

Tech diving isn't always doing 4 hour 90m/300ft dives. I technical dive off of a cattle boat in the Caribbean for the same depth and dive time as all the others. I just happen to use a backplate & wing with long(ish) hose and backup, correct weighting, plus dive in flat trim and can back fin against the current whilst enjoying the flora and fauna.

Both rec & tec have a lot in common; excellence in core skills (buoyancy, trim, finning) plus that awareness of things happening around you. Excellence is learned in the early phase of technical diving as it's utterly essential for doing challenging dives, recovering from problems, or even just holding deco stops for hours on end.

Doing a GUE Fundamentals course is superb value for money in the long run. It sets the bar to a much higher level that you'd ever aim to attain when diving with people with just adequate skills. If you think Fundies is over when the course finishes, think again. You've months ahead of you to practice and perfect those skills.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Tech diving isn't always doing a 4 hour 90m/300ft dives. I technical dive off of a cattle boat in the Caribbean for the same depth and dive time as all the others. I just happen to use a backplate & wing with long(ish) hose and backup, correct weighting, plus dive in flat trim and can back fin against the current whilst enjoying the flora and fauna.

I just hope your wry comment is understood as such. Stated more boringly, "a backplate & wing with long(ish) hose and backup" is considered by an increasing number of divers to be perfectly normal recreational dive gear. And Fundies can be taken as a recreational course, for the recreational diver.

 

[Colombia Dive Adventures]

Hello!
I just recently fell in love with diving, like I've never liked anything in my life before, and I was thinking about getting my DM.
I know the reasons to do it change if from person to person but I'm wondering why so many people say doing the DM if you don't plan to work is useless.

My position is that I quit my job to travel last year and I am not ready to go back to normal life yet. I am considering doing DM for the following reasons:
- I want to become a better diver and I want to challenge myself and learn more
- I want to spend a few months diving and volunteering at a dive shop. I do not exclude the idea of actually working in the field if I love it so much after the course, I am open and right now I don't know where life will take me
- I've got prices from a few places I've been diving at and doing the DM course is significantly cheaper (like half the cost) than just doing fun dives for the same amount of time


But apart from that, especially as it works out cheaper this way, why is everyone so against it?

Your opinion is welcome, thank you!

Go for it. I have met several divers that have taken a career break to do DM.

 

[DiveProKoko]

I'm wondering why so many people say doing the DM if you don't plan to work is useless.

They say that because it's not a "skills" driven course. It's a course on how to guide dives and be responsible for customers, etc. and most people aren't going to go pro. If you want to take it so you get in the water more, that's different and not typical. For most people it's not "worth it". Also, be careful at a shop around pro divers and your willingness ot do the job as a "volunteer". They could see you as decreasing their value and not appreciate it very much. Just some insight.....have fun!

 

[Leatherboot69]

As a further comparison, and because I’ve just been reading about them - BSAC Advanced Diver and First Class Diver are really comprehensive diving certifications, but much more focused on non-diving skills such as leading trips and managing dive groups, driving boats etc.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As a further comparison, and because I’ve just been reading about them - BSAC Advanced Diver and First Class Diver are really comprehensive diving certifications, but much more focused on non-diving skills such as leading trips and managing dive groups, driving boats etc.

The BSAC model has always sounded appealing to me. You can get mentoring in a club. If you want to learn to lead dives (or even lead trips and manage groups, as you point out), there is that opportunity. I suppose the downside is finding the right club.

 

[Isa.nerwen]

What was the rest of the "work" like? Long days as part of the team?

Was the training explicit, or more like continual mentoring?

Do you lead dives with customers?

Only curious as to what's involved with the course.

It really depends a lot on your dive shop.
I'm on Koh Tao, which is a massive dive factory, there are always between 12-18 DMTs at my shop.
We dive 6 days a week and it's divided between assisting courses and leading other DMs to practice navigation/leading. When you are towards the end you will be leading clients during the courses (with the instructor). Then you have some workshop (navigation, leading, skills, etc).

I have 3 main instructors but I found a mentor in another instructor and it's been super helpful to have one.

We do need to help on the boat, help with clients between dives and tidy up etc, but it's very chill.

If you end up in a smaller shop it might be a very different experience!

 

[Isa.nerwen]

Also, not that it’s the be all and end all, but Fundies costs £799 in the U.K. (approx) plus kit rental and included four dives. DM cost £920 and I got around 20 dives for that, plus the opportunity to DM for my LDS and defray the cost of diving in the future.

Wait, what do you mean you got 20 dives for the DM course?

 

[Isa.nerwen]

Not to mention, that one should more or less already have those skills refined before commencing the Divemaster course...the fact that one could take the course to become a Divemaster and have loads of improvement to make is not a testament to how much the the OP gained but more a general lack of standards for becoming a profesional in the dive industry.

Perhaps the amount the OP improved is directly related to their general lack of experience before taking the course. Quoted from post #1 of this discussion thread:


#sigh
#zero-to-hero
#SMH
#sigh

-Z

Yes, but a intro to tech course costs a lot of money and it's only a few days, while the DM is a little more and a lot more diving.
Obviously, I did improve because I got to dive a lot on top of having workshops, and while I also agree that standards should be higher to start the course, they are not and I will take advantage of it.
Finally, stop the sighing and zero to hero ********, it's very condescending and quite annoying.

 

[Leatherboot69]

Wait, what do you mean you got 20 dives for the DM course?

Oh, as in that was how many dives (actually 18) I took to get all the training objectives signed off. But actually that was only open water dives-I probably had about 12 pool dives as well