Requirements for becoming a Dive Master then Course Director

[alchemist117]

You need to see if you can teach and relate to all the different types of people you will meet along the way. People skills are more important as your ability to dive- that'll be taken for granted.

 

[divestoclimb]

Amazing you can become a DM after 20 dives and only 100 for instructor. Personally I think these standards are far too low. I'd say 200 dives for DM, 500 for instructor.

It shouldn't be about dives, some people get it a lot quicker than others. That's not to say that anyone with 20 open water dives should be allowed to become a DM...

I will say that 20 is kinda silly if training dives can be counted. How many training dives would you need at a bare minimum with PADI to have all the prerequisite certs out of the way? 9 or 10? Do they require a certain number of specialties?

 

[scubajcf]

FYI -

These are PADI's Minimum Dive Requirements:

OW Diver = Minimum 4 Dives
AOW = Minimum 9 Dives (4 OW + 5 AOW)
Rescue = AOW Minimum Cert or 20 dives and 2 certs above entry level
Divemaster = 20 minimum dives to start course; 60 minimum dives to be certified.
Master Diver (acknowledgement) = 50 Dives and 5 Specialties.
(OWSI) Instructor = 100 dives minimum
Master Scuba Diver Trainer = Have issued at least 25 certifications and be able to teach 5 specialties
Master Instructor = Amongst other thngs, have issued 150 certifications (be an IDC Staff Instructor and be an instructor for 2 years min).
Course Director = Amongst other things, have issued 270 certifications. Be an MI for at least 6 months. You do need to be accepted into the CD program.



For training purposes an open water dive is defined as a student who spends a majority of time at a depth of at least 15 feet and breaths at least 50 cu ft or remains submerged for at least 20 minutes. (yes, 20/20 wonder dives count as a dive).

NAUI, SDI, SSI and Other agencies have similar requirements




////

 

[scubajcf]

I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction or knows the answer to what is required to become a Dive Master then on to a Course Director? I am scheduled to take the OW class Jan 2,3,4 and at the same time get my dry suit cert (because of the cold up here in the North East). Now I know I am just beginning and I need to log a bunch of dives, but ever since my first dive on a cruise I am hooked and not to mention I love water. Anyway, just looking for some thoughts, is this something that takes 10 yrs to complete?, can this be done when you work a reg job?, just some info. I know you are all very knowledgable.

Thanks.

Looking at your training quest. Assuming you are doing it part time, but will commit several hours per week to it. Assuming you are committed to it.

I would set your goals as follows:

Year 1: 50 dives - Rescue Diver, Nitrox, Drysuit, UW Nav, Deep, and Buoyancy
Year 2: 100 dives - Divemaster and maybe Solo Diver
Year 3: 150 to 200 dives - Work a ton as a Divemaster / Assistant Instructor
Year 4: 300 Dives - Instructor (continue working as DM) issue 25 certs and get MSDT
Year 5: 400 Dives - IDC Staff Instructor (participate in 2 IDCs) Issue 100 certs
Year 6: 500 Dives - Master Instructor Issue another 100 certs
Year 7: 600 Dives - Issue another 100 certs, start thinking about Course Director.

As a diver, take lots of specialties so you know how the course is sold, organized and taught. As an instructor, take what you learned as a diver and apply for specialty instructors.

Try to learn from several different instructors so you can see different styles so you will emulate what helps you best.

Spend lots of time on Scubaboard, attend DEMA, dive a ton, and have fun.

Good luck on your journey.

Yes, there are quicker ways. Yes, you could be more conservative than he above schedule.

 

[Aquabear]

Thanks. I had thought about going further now I know I will. Not Course Instructor but definitely next divemaster to instructor. I want more bottom time, but I guess we all want more.

 

[SubMariner]

FYI -

These are PADI's Minimum Dive Requirements:

OW Diver = Minimum 4 Dives
AOW = Minimum 9 Dives (4 OW + 5 AOW)
Rescue = AOW Minimum Cert or 20 dives and 2 certs above entry level
Divemaster = 20 minimum dives to start course; 60 minimum dives to be certified.
Master Diver (acknowledgement) = 50 Dives and 5 Specialties.
(OWSI) Instructor = 100 dives minimum
Master Scuba Diver Trainer = Have issued at least 25 certifications and be able to teach 5 specialties
Master Instructor = Amongst other thngs, have issued 150 certifications (be an IDC Staff Instructor and be an instructor for 2 years min).
Course Director = Amongst other things, have issued 270 certifications. Be an MI for at least 6 months. You do need to be accepted into the CD program.

MI & CD also require that you hold a current EFR Instructor rating. Additionally, the certs are broken down into sub categories: they all can't be OW, AOW, etc. There are certain minimums/maximums in each cert that must be fulfilled.

 

[CJ Waid]

Just go do it bro, if that's what you want. Don't let anything get in your way.

I found that going from Open water through divemaster, then instructor was pretty easy. I mean it was challenging at times, but not too hard.

First off, you can look at it one of two ways:

Way # 1

Cost money, little chance of making money, too hard, takes too long, the reefs are all going to crap anyway, the fish are smaller than they use to be... etc.

Or

Way #2

Open Water class is the hardest class there is... Your new to the hobby...

Advanced open water is fun, IF your instructor does it for real and doesn't just sign off your dives because you did them... Ya know, there is some learning that goes along with that class that I've seen a lot of instructors sign off on without completing the proper education part... Like boat diving, they sign off on boat diving just because someone dove from a boat, that doesn't help the student in my opinion. But, Advance open water is a quick class to get through.

Take a quick CPR course for $100 or less and then onto...

RESCUE DIVER - FUN FUN FUN... If your lucky it will be hard, because if it's easy, then you aren't trying hard enough... No one is too good. I loved Rescue, and I did it in a wet suit in 38 degree water, 3 weeks of freezing fun... My lips went so numb that my regulator slipped out of my mouth and I didn't even know it... My course director surfaced and said, 'Well, that's something new'.

THEN DIVEMASTER (Enjoy it): You get to help students finally, which is fun helping someone discover the scuba thing, and you get to make underwater maps of dive sites (Again, I did mine in 38 degree water, we spent 56 minutes under on our first dive, in a 7mm wetsuit, I came up and had to surface swim a quarter mile back to shore, my legs went numb about 1/4 of the way back, I remember thinking... Great so this is how I am going to go... froze to death in the great lakes, I did a whole summer of discover scuba diving dives in a local lake and in a pool, talk about fun, my entire summer was all about talking people into trying out scuba diving for free, just go with me... Man that was a blast.

Then onto instructor: K, there is a little bad news, the IDC doesn't last long enough... goes by quick... It's fun though. Plus it's not hard, by then your ready, it's actually fun. Piece of advice, bring a cooler filled with food and drinks for everyone, you'll be the hero. (Wasn't me, another guy)...

After that, we did the specialty instructor dives the next few weekends, talk about fun... just diving with all instructors, we're all instructors now, just out diving and learning more about teaching...

That was awesome, that was a year ago.

Then I went to Florida and dove at a diveshop (as a divemaster) for the spring, helped teach classes, I was a divemaster that could teach.

Now I am getting ready to go back to the sun, and get some more experience while I save up for instructor stuff, new gear, o2 reg, and what not, and then I am out on an adventure... It's not that hard.

As far as course director goes, maybe someday, but until then, just go diving... Make what you can and live it up.

 

[imasinker]

Heres and answere from a new first year guy with 70 + dives under his belt. They are right. Quality of dive instructors is the most important part of learning. I wouldn't want to learn from anyone who road the rocket through training to become an instructor. With saying that, once you get certified you will see this for yourself. You will see that to be a good diver alone takes lots of time, practice discipline knowledge and not to mention the right equipment. If you truley want to help and give the joy of teaching scuba then you must agree you would want to pass on the knowledge to those who you will be teaching right? You need experience to do that. Get certified and most get advanced the same year. Then do the rescue, then the following year I would say go for the dive master. That should run you about three years right there. As a dive master you can help teach / assist instructors and learn from them teaching technics and Dive Master on charters etc. Once you get into diving, meeting people and talking to others you'll understand alot of things you just cant untill your there. take it from a guy like yourself, I love diving, I love everything there is about it, but I respect it more and those who dive as well.

Dive safe and Just Dive!

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree with all these people. It's good you're looking ahead and planning to take it slow. I'm a mere Master Scuba Diver (a few certs.) with 119 dives. Even for someone not far up the food chain like me, those courses took time and money. And, of course, you're always depending on the weather, etc. I found that by about my 70th dive I was really beginning to feel comfortable about various different dive conditions, my own equipment, etc. I always try to remember that no matter how experienced I will eventually become, anything can happen to you down there. I like to think that I would always stop and think should a problem occur, but I think it's safe to assume that pretty much anyone would eventually panic given a dire enough situation. Good luck.

 

[RJSDiverNJ]

It's cool that you're hyped up and looking towards a future in diving. I became an instructor a little more than a year ago. I've been diving about 5 years now. Obviously start with OW, then continue your dive experience. I would recommend focusing on AOW, Rescue and some specialties. These will help you discover what you like best about diving (and possibly some things you don't like). Most of all, enjoy it along the way.