Issue with PADI Divemaster Certification

[NickTheDivemaster]

This is an odd question, and wondering if anyone else has run into the same boat, or at least understands how to maneuver forward. Give you a quick back story, I have been diving since the late 90's when I received Jr Open Water Cert, and pursued diving as a hobby in 2010-2015. I am/have been active military since the early 2000s.

With this, in 2015, I decided I wanted to go the PADI Pro route. I was in a rush, as my goal was to complete my divemaster certificate prior to deploying (October 2015). I coordinated with my lDS and quickly knocked out the padi divemaster program in 2-3 months, and immediately deployed.

Sadly (looking back), as soon as I returned, I found someone to be with, married, had kids, etc and diving was on the backburner. It never occurred to be that I never received my divemaster cert/card in the mail.

Now here I find myself in 2025, deployed again, deciding that while I am on deployment leave, I want to continue my PADI Pro process and proceed to go to IDC in Thiland, or somewhere else with amazing diving. Since I am deployed, I obviously dont have any dive gear, but I will be okay renting for this process. Since I know I will need proof of my divemaster to enter into IDC, I went on PADI website to download the e-card. According to PADI, I am still 'a divemaster student' who completed the online knowledge, but nothing from the shop was entered into the system. Again, I took my divemaster in 2015.

I called the shop, which has now switched to an SSI shop, and talked to the lady who answered the phone. Ironically, after digging some papers up, so said she found my divemaster packet, but my instructor never annotated any of the completed requirements (apparently he was let go for similar reasons shortly after my course). She said he may have stored my logs/completions in the computer, but as this was 10 years ago, she has no idea.

So here I am stuck. I want to continue to my IDC, and I have completed all requirements for divemaster, yet I have no tangible proof of completion, only enrollment. What should be the way forward? I have no desire to pay/redo another divemaster course as I already did it. Any motivational help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[gamon]

This is an odd one for sure.

Since there's no proof, it never happened. Unless you can somehow track down your instructor and get him to process the stuff he never processed, and get it approved by PADI. Some big hurdles there.

You need to accept responsibility for not following through until a decade later. I mean, life happens but you gotta keep on top of stuff. Even the small stuff. Especially if it's possibly going to be an alternate career or something.

 

[Blackcrusader]

If the instructor did not certify you then you are not a dive master.
You will need to do the course with another instructor then have sufficient dives post DM cert to do the IDC.
Some places in Thailand are known for DM courses of less than 2 weeks.

 

[NickTheDivemaster]

If the instructor did not certify you then you are not a dive master.
You will need to do the course with another instructor then have sufficient post DM cert to do the IDC.
Some places in Thailand are known for DM courses of less than 2 weeks.

Yeah sadly I held the little sign they had, he congratulated me, etc and I went on my way. Frustrating that I didnt go back through everything until now. I will look into those programs. Thank you!

 

[greatwhite1]

If the instructor did not certify you then you are not a dive master.
You will need to do the course with another instructor then have sufficient post DM cert to do the IDC.
Some places in Thailand are known for DM courses of less than 2 weeks.

What the hell does have sufficient post DM cert to do the IDC mean?

 

[Blackcrusader]

What the hell does have sufficient post DM cert to do the IDC mean?

missed a word needs to have a certain number of dives after DM to do the IDC yes?

 

[Centrals]

Yeah sadly I held the little sign they had, he congratulated me, etc and I went on my way. Frustrating that I didnt go back through everything until now. I will look into those programs. Thank you!

You can achieve a quick dm rating from some operators in Koh Tao(well known for dive factory). However, if you want quality training then you have to be very selective.
Scubajunkie Komodo is one of the place.

Divemaster | Scuba Junkie Komodo

The Komodo National Park is an incredible place to take your first step into professional diving. Complete your PADI Divemaster with Scuba Junkie Komodo!

www.scubajunkiekomodo.com

Minimum is FOUR wks not a pathetic two wks. The place is very isolated so there is not much outside distraction. I had stayed there twice and noticed the DMT really has to work their socks off everyday.

 

[Centrals]

missed a word needs to have a certain number of dives after DM to do the IDC yes?

What is news?
Same apply to DM course.

 

[Zef]

You would need to recertify to establish professional membership as a PADI Pro as even if you were officially certified you were inactive and did not pay membership dues for 10 years which means your cert is well lapsed and out of date.

Reading between the lines, you never paid anual membership dues to PADI as a PADI Pro requirement nor kept up with any training bulletins that they put out for their certified Pro members. I believe that after 2 or 3 years of lapsed Pro membership one is required to take the certification course again to be an active Pro and work or continue the journey to instructor....at 10 years of inactivity/lapsed membership, PADI will definitely make you recertify.

Sorry to bear the bad news.

-Z

 

[NickTheDivemaster]

You wpuld need to recertify to establish professional membership as a PADI Pro as even if you were officially certified you were inactive and did not pay membership dues for 10 years which means your cert is well lapsed and out of date.

Reading between the lines, you never paid anual membership dues to PADI as a PADI Pro requirement nor kept up with any training bulletins that they put out for their certified Pro members. I believe that after 2 or 3 years of lapsed Pro membership one is required to take the certification course again to be an active Pro and work or continue the journey to instructor....at 10 years of inactivity/lapsed membership, PADI will definitely make you recertify.

Sorry to bear the.bad news.

-Z

Yeah I’ve accepted my fate but was hoping I was wrong lol. I am curious, where specifically did you get those timelines? Not arguing, just want to read more about it.