Could not have said this better my self.
But I will add.....I do teach. every time I do a scuba review I am reteaching by demonstrating. Just like the instructor before me. I am doing Demonstration quality skills. Slowly reteaching what the student forgot. OW - ADV whatever the level...you would be amazed as to how much people forget and need to be reshow...rethaught how to do it right. no pun intended. oki a little.
To what Diver0001 state...
a DM and Instructor work as a team teaching. The DM reinforces what has been taught. Working with a difficult student for an example, while the instructor goes teaches the other students, the DM works with the difficult student. Teaching the skills that the instructor was demonstrating. Soem student relate to soem instructors. and Vis/versa with the DM. The DM is there to support the instructor in every aspect of teaching...by demonstrating skills and workign with students that are having a difficult time.
So to sum it up. A DM is a multi tasked, multi knowledgeable individual that has to remain a professional at all times. We are also the ears to the student and the instructors eyes.
But I will add.....I do teach. every time I do a scuba review I am reteaching by demonstrating. Just like the instructor before me. I am doing Demonstration quality skills. Slowly reteaching what the student forgot. OW - ADV whatever the level...you would be amazed as to how much people forget and need to be reshow...rethaught how to do it right. no pun intended. oki a little.
To what Diver0001 state...
a DM and Instructor work as a team teaching. The DM reinforces what has been taught. Working with a difficult student for an example, while the instructor goes teaches the other students, the DM works with the difficult student. Teaching the skills that the instructor was demonstrating. Soem student relate to soem instructors. and Vis/versa with the DM. The DM is there to support the instructor in every aspect of teaching...by demonstrating skills and workign with students that are having a difficult time.
So to sum it up. A DM is a multi tasked, multi knowledgeable individual that has to remain a professional at all times. We are also the ears to the student and the instructors eyes.
I disagree with this.
I think a "team" including an instructor and and AI or DM or whatever are all involved in the training.
Saying what you're saying, Andy, is like saying that the goal-tender in a hockey team isn't a real player because he doesn't score the goals.
As for refresher courses. I would venture a guess that you never worked as a DM. I guarantee you that there is a lot of "teaching" that happens in a scuba review. Sadly, some DM's are better teachers than some instructors. When I was a DM I got a lot of scuba reviews from students who had learned in Thailand, which would appear to be the epicentre of everything that's wrong with scuba training. You wouldn't believe how much "cleaning up" we needed to do.
So yeah, maybe they don't "introduce" new skills but DM's are certainly involved (and sometimes instrumental) in a teaching environment in making sure students get it.
R..