how to salvage my divemaster training

[dooron]

Hi

I'm currently 4 weeks through a 9 week divemaster internship. I'm concerned about the lack of training and worried that the only skills I'm going to leave with are kit washing and lifting tanks. My dm mentor is hardly ever around and the instructor and dive shop manager range from unhelpful to hostile. There is alot of politics and general negativity centred around the shop. The dm mentor is the owner so unless the instructor gets commission it seems he will not give me any advice.

On top of all that it is not that busy so my open water time is going to be limited. It seems I will just assist on something once then get assessed and signed off with little instruction or guidance. I need to try and make this work and get the most out of it as I've paid £1500 in advance and will not get that back but more importantly I will only be doing this once and I had hoped for a positive experience.

I'm interested in hearing other peoples experience or any advice especially if you've encountered a similar situation. How self taught should I expect the course to be? I realise all dive shops will differ and there are probably lots of different methods of delivering dive master training but I thought the theory would be self study then I expected instruction and guidance on the practical parts.
thanks in advance for your time.

 

[noladiver]

Cut your losses,
I've seen it happen time and time with dive internships the shop gets a free tank monkey, a mate for the boat, a free guide, and someone to stay late and fill gas while everyone else is at the bar. Heck in this case you even paid them.

If you want to pay to play then go to an instructor development center at least that 1700 would have yielded some guaranteed instruction.

Sorry for your loss

 

[DevonDiver]

Wasn't a time-table/schedule agreed in advance? (before you paid money) If so, raise this as a consumer issue... you aren't getting what you paid for, in the timescale agreed.

If you are concerned about the standards applied - well, you're (nearly) a big boy DM now...and you own a copy of the instructor manual. Read the standards, compare with what is being supplied. Raise concern over any deviations. Divemaster is a leadership level qualification... exert some leadership. Have the moral courage to forthrightly speak your mind, based on some sound research.

You can always write to PADI concerning standards or training issues. It doesn't need to be a "complaint" - you can write to your regional training manager with queries and questions. One question might be: How can I be signed off with 'mastery' of a skill, when I don't feel confident performing it? Dive pros write to PADI all the time for guidance, for clarification etc etc. It's not unusual... part and parcel of the job. Last resort - you can refer a DM course, like any course. Negotiate a refund, get copies of your paperwork and continue your DM training at a different venue. Having learned some valuable lessons about the need to specify your needs/wants/results... find a more suitable training provider.

 

[oreocookie]

Sounds to me like there was a lack of good communication on what you could expect from the shop and what they expected of you before you started. I agree with the above posts, cut your losses and either get a referral for what you've done or just start over somewhere else if you feel that they've just signed off on things they shouldn't have. Even if the course were to turn itself around in the next 5 weeks, I think you'd still have doubts about whether you got as much as possible out of it, given what you've said about the attitudes of the staff.

 

[abyss_scuba]

Thats a lot of losses to cut so why not talk to the owner. Impress upon him how you can be a valuable asset ONCE YOUR CERTIFIED. I would also offer that winter is a great time to get most of the ground work done in the poo and just sit and watch how they do open water classes. Try to learn a lot, lift a little and make it plain to them that you are a "customer" if they don't respond how did you pay? can you get money back for them not providing a service. Of course all of thise should have been worked out before hand so go back to your original contract.

 

[noladiver]

Sounds to me like since they don't have much business, they probably used him to keep the lights on and rent paid for one more month. Seem like they could care less what happens.

 

[Chris Brown Tech]

If you dont want to loose cash and finish elsewhere, try this:

Get the PADI DM worksheet & application forms that they should have put in your student record folder. This has all the spaces for your instructor to sign off on all the components of the class like skills circuit, emergency assistance plan, etc, etc. Make sure ALL your bits are done like the exams and self study bits like the emergency plan and the site plan.

Take it all to your instructor and say "Id like to schedule the exact dates to complete these outstanding assessments please" and pin them down to some dates. Tell them your schedule has changed and you need to get it finished ASAP.

Tell them you arent available for any more of the OPTIONAL 'internship' portion and that you assume your countless hours of contributed time free of charge meets this requirement anyway.

If you get any push back, tell them you spoke to other shops and that DM can easily be done in 10 days in a resort destination. 9 weeks is absurd.

If you cant reach a mutual agreement, dont be afraid to call PADI and speak to someone in Customer Services and ask if they can help 'mediate.' They may write to your shop and ask them to help you conclude your training more expeditiously. Especially if you attended the shops training sessions and didnt receive any mentoring / training or get anything signed off.

Good luck!

Hi

I'm currently 4 weeks through a 9 week divemaster internship. I'm concerned about the lack of training and worried that the only skills I'm going to leave with are kit washing and lifting tanks. My dm mentor is hardly ever around and the instructor and dive shop manager range from unhelpful to hostile. There is alot of politics and general negativity centred around the shop. The dm mentor is the owner so unless the instructor gets commission it seems he will not give me any advice.

On top of all that it is not that busy so my open water time is going to be limited. It seems I will just assist on something once then get assessed and signed off with little instruction or guidance. I need to try and make this work and get the most out of it as I've paid £1500 in advance and will not get that back but more importantly I will only be doing this once and I had hoped for a positive experience.

I'm interested in hearing other peoples experience or any advice especially if you've encountered a similar situation. How self taught should I expect the course to be? I realise all dive shops will differ and there are probably lots of different methods of delivering dive master training but I thought the theory would be self study then I expected instruction and guidance on the practical parts.
thanks in advance for your time.

 

[ScubabunnyCR]

Hola Dooron,
Sorry to hear about you experience. There are some valid points, here and much as it seems the quick option is to bail and run, when you have invested as much as you have, see if you can at least salvage something. I would look at abyss-scuba suggestion to see if you can get money back for not providing a service, if not, get your referral paperwork, and follow Chris' advice and pin them down, with specific scheduling dates and tasks. You have the manual to verify your standards and what you need to achieve and can verify this yourself. As a last resort if you are really hitting your head against a brick wall, contact PADI. They can nudge the dive shop in the right direction hopefully. Good luck and remember to stay positive and focused on your goals of being a dive pro!