advantages of getting a DM - is it worth it and why

[Dibblerr]

Becoming a Divemaster moves you into the "professional" catagory and opens you up to liability if a diver with in 1/4 mile of where you are diving has an accident. Being trained in how to lead, teach diving and prevent accidents can be held aginst you in court if some mad eyed, greeving family member snares you in some sort of liability suit over a dive accident. Same holds true for thoes trained in emergency medicine or advanced first aid that do not act if within the vacinity of a medical emergency.

This is a common observation that crops up from time to time and my understanding is that it is simply not true (diving one that is I dont know about medical). You need to have a 'Duty of Care' to the person(s) who had the incident,
Unfortunatly is it probably also true that in the land of the Ambulance Chasers you will need to hire a lawyer to tell the sueing lawyer to 'wake up and smell the coffee idiot theres no liability here...'

Also you should be careful using the word Teach as a DM you do not 'teach' you may demonstrate but only an Instructor will 'Teach'

 

[grazie42]

Uhhh... I don't get it? Please explain how a DM gets more freedom from the rules of the boat?

Because they are expected to have a greater ability to take care of themselves than the average diver.

On most liveaboards I´ve been on (only 4 so far) the divers were devided into pros, advanced divers and "others". The pros got to "run their own show" while the others always had a DM in the water.

Being a certified tmx, techwreck & cave diver wasn´t enough to let me dive with the "pros" and one of the guides got a bit "huffy" when I suggested it...one of the instructors had a talk with her and it all worked out but without the support of the "pros" I´d have been stuck following a DM for the duration of the trip...

Having completed DM this spring I can tell you that there´s no real reason for that division but I suspect it has to do with "professional courtesy"...

 

[Colliam7]

i've decided not to take DM class. I will take a dive rescue + CPR class in September since it's a good thing to know and the price is great. I'll dive and get more experience and maybe take Master Scuba Diver class some time in the future.

Probably a good call at this point. Thanks for raising the point and starting some good discussion. Keep diving and broadening your experience.

 

[muddiver]

Also you should be careful using the word Teach as a DM you do not 'teach' you may demonstrate but only an Instructor will 'Teach'

So by doing a SCUBA review, as a PADI DM, I am acting outside of my scope of training and agency policy because I am teaching?

 

[daniel f aleman]

You're doing a review, not teaching. Words mean something as a DM...

 

[scarefaceDM]

As DM you are conducting a review of skills. SO you are aiding in the relearning. So you are in fact teaching them to redo the skills they are rusty in or have forgotten.

I can understand the proper terminology...instructors teach and dictate..as the DM'S do all the work...

Teach: tell or show the fundamentals or skills of something.

HUMMM I do recall doing this very thing when I did scuba reviews....funny.

 

[JeffG]

the DM'S do all the work

including fetch coffee

 

[scarefaceDM]

including fetch coffee

yeah but I give it a little extra...:11: especially if they get a little too bossy

 

[muddiver]

including fetch coffee

Fetch your own coffee, SCUBA-doo!

 

[Dibblerr]

It wasnt meant to belittle the act of being a DM. I would have thought coming from the US you would wish to limit your exposure to liability as much as possible.

'Teach' if you like, I know if ever I do it i'll be 'Reviewing' ...