Am I mad to try to go from virtually no dive experience to divemaster?

[loughman]

About six years ago I was on holiday in Turkey and got the chance to do a twenty minute shore dive. During the dive my dive guide got me to open my hand and he crushed some fish food into my hand and about 10 to 20 little fish scurried around my hand and ate all the food in the matter of seconds. I was absolutely astounded and amazed.
I guess this is my round about way of saying I was hooked on the whole diving experience. Unfortunately I was unable to follow up on that experience and it has been my one and only dive. Now my circumstances have changed (made redundant) and I am planning to see some of the world. I am planning to do some volunteer work in Central America and while I am in that part of the world I am planning to take in a six week begineer to divemaster course.
My question is, is this possible to achieve or am I taking on too much?
I would appreciate if anyone could give me some advice.

 

[Straegen]

Sometimes the journey is better than the destination. Personally, I would take one step at a time and stop when it felt right. No reason you can't do it, but if you spend too much time studying and not enough time enjoying you may burn out on the process.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Dive master is just a term, it doesn't mean you are a master of anything its only a card. If you plan to be involved int he dive industry getting a DM cert allows you to work for a shop or boat and supervise others but you still have to carry special insurance.

Your better off taking your open water, advanced openwater, and GUE fundamentals class to at least become good with buoyancy, gas planning, navigation, and other basic skills. Then decide if a DM is worth shooting for. Its not worth the time or money if you have no intention of working for a shop. your better off just going diving to build experience then maybe down the road you will decide to take up video or cave diving or something of that nature.

Get a solid foundation first IMO.

 

[ianr33]

I'm sure its possible but with all due respect,I would not want you to be the Divemaster looking after my wife until you have a few hundred more dives.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Personally I think it is crazy that the agencies allow you to. But then that is just my opinion. The problem is, all too often people assume a certain competency level and experience level from your certification level. But, it is what it is.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Purchase an Open Water certification course. By the time you finish your training you will have all the information you desire on costs and durations.

 

[jmitch3938]

Dive Master is only a name..and plenty out there that are Masters of no skills...take your time..become a technically proficient diver and a safe one, teaching isnt for everyone, and you will have to pay for insurance out of your own pocket usually and open yourself up to liability. Enjoy the sport and later after you have amasses some dives..take another look at it, Just because agencies say you have to have 50 dives or so to be a DM or Instructor, doesnt mean that you really are ready to become one...

 

[calwolf]

I'd say go for it, but don't expect to be an "expert" diver after the course. All of my current certifications came in my first year of diving, working actively with an instructor in a set of university courses.. While I don't regret the experience (it was fantastic to be trained that way), it was the recreational dives I've done since then that have improved my diving skills and comfort just as much, if not more. Getting real dive experience takes (underwater dive) time. Some people prefer longer breaks in between the different certification levels, to get comfortable with what they know before adding more knowledge/skills/etc.

 

[Daveo957]

Your only going to get out what you put in anything, and 6 weeks to be a divemaster isnt putting in much. If you going to be there than why not, but I wouldnt expect to much from a six week course, my open water course was 3 weeks. Then my checkout dives it took me a month to do everything just to get certified. I now work as a divemaster but i have been diving and taking classes for 4 years. I dont think it has to take that long, but it would be hard to truly and effectively divemaster a trip if you have only been diving for 6 weeks, I dont see how its possible.
I wouldnt pay to much money for a 6 week class, only if you think its just worth the experience, but if you truly want to be a divemaster than I wouldnt go that route.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Taking open water, Advanced open water, GUE fundamentals, nitrox, advanced nitrox/decompression precedures, and any of the cave classes will teach you more and make you a much better diver than any DM course. Even if you never intend to dive deep taking courses on decompression and nitrox will serve you greatly and even if you dont want to dive caves or wrecks after the classes I promise you will be a master at buoyancy and dive planning far superior to any one who took a 6 week DM class. Spend your money on diving and taking classes that learn you something not on a class that gives you a card.