chris408
Contributor
If you just want to learn, PADI has a Master Scuba Diver cert, and you could certainly take all the specialities too.
advantages of getting a DM - is it worth it and why
- Thread starter Homunculus
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DM cert gives me buckets of practice on the basic skills, helping in classes, things that I know my buddies don't have -- we may all have the best of intentions, but regular practice of certain basic skills just doesn't seem to happen all that often with most people. Run through all of the skills every couple of weeks and you will be good at them. Work with a lot of people on buoyancy and you will be conscious of it, and also get to the point where your own buoyancy control really becomes good.
DM work ends up making you a much more aware diver, keeping an eye on others, averting problems before they arise and learning to cope with them. There's a regular dive site that I go to with a depth change that catches new divers off guard, a tendency towards an ascent. Through lots of practice you become aware of a buddy hitting a buoyancy problem, can stop it before it goes west, without thinking; my regular non-pro buddy, quite experienced and safety oriented, just doesn't have that reflex even when pre-briefed and diving with someone new.
DM cert does have an annual fee, to remain active, but then again it also includes membership in the PADI DIving Society -- get their mag, another pro-oriented mag, some discount offers.
DM cert does have insurance to remain in status, but then again I get that through my LDS, at pretty low cost. As a DM I get free air fills, plus healthy equipment and additional training discounts, plus shop credits based on the number of students in classes that I help out with during dives.
An active DM, working with an LDS, can also qualify for key man discounts; policy depends on the shop one works with of course. I just got a new quite high end computer for a huge discount, several hundred less than even the best online pricing. My savings on that one item more than covered my annual fee and insurance costs, totally ignoring the discounts I qualify for on all other equipment and the shop credits.
On vacations, pros can be given more leeway by dive ops, less "thou shalt be in a herd on exactly this route with your buddy". It's a professional courtesy -- knowing that the pro has had more training on risk assessment, has had to do certain things related to self-reliance.
So, end of the day I get lots of practice on the fundamental things, vastly better situational awareness, and come out ahead financially -- I don't make "real" money, but it pays for my dive toys, and neither am I taking on the additional responsibility (and headaches) of being an Instructor.
DM work ends up making you a much more aware diver, keeping an eye on others, averting problems before they arise and learning to cope with them. There's a regular dive site that I go to with a depth change that catches new divers off guard, a tendency towards an ascent. Through lots of practice you become aware of a buddy hitting a buoyancy problem, can stop it before it goes west, without thinking; my regular non-pro buddy, quite experienced and safety oriented, just doesn't have that reflex even when pre-briefed and diving with someone new.
DM cert does have an annual fee, to remain active, but then again it also includes membership in the PADI DIving Society -- get their mag, another pro-oriented mag, some discount offers.
DM cert does have insurance to remain in status, but then again I get that through my LDS, at pretty low cost. As a DM I get free air fills, plus healthy equipment and additional training discounts, plus shop credits based on the number of students in classes that I help out with during dives.
An active DM, working with an LDS, can also qualify for key man discounts; policy depends on the shop one works with of course. I just got a new quite high end computer for a huge discount, several hundred less than even the best online pricing. My savings on that one item more than covered my annual fee and insurance costs, totally ignoring the discounts I qualify for on all other equipment and the shop credits.
On vacations, pros can be given more leeway by dive ops, less "thou shalt be in a herd on exactly this route with your buddy". It's a professional courtesy -- knowing that the pro has had more training on risk assessment, has had to do certain things related to self-reliance.
So, end of the day I get lots of practice on the fundamental things, vastly better situational awareness, and come out ahead financially -- I don't make "real" money, but it pays for my dive toys, and neither am I taking on the additional responsibility (and headaches) of being an Instructor.
To echo the voices of others in the thread DM if you want to work in the industry and GUE-F if you want to improve your diving (actually, if I'd know about it would have taken the GUE-F course before DM anyway). The DM course won't teach you anything new in terms of diving skills. It forcuses more on angency standards, guiding divers, liability, assisting with courses and has some dive theory mixed in there too.
The GUE-F course focuses on teachnig the basic skills of diving, bouyancy control, finning, air sharing, ascents and buddy/team work to a high level. It will be much more expensive than the courses offered by your school club but is well worth it if you ask me. It's the sort of course where after the first day you hate diving and all things diving related, but by then end the skills you've gained will make diving seem a million times better than it was before. Unlike most diving courses offered at the recreational level, you can actually fail this course.
CarribeanDiver, sorry to hear about your bad fundies experience. try not to come away too jaded, I think what you got was the exception rather than the rule.
The GUE-F course focuses on teachnig the basic skills of diving, bouyancy control, finning, air sharing, ascents and buddy/team work to a high level. It will be much more expensive than the courses offered by your school club but is well worth it if you ask me. It's the sort of course where after the first day you hate diving and all things diving related, but by then end the skills you've gained will make diving seem a million times better than it was before. Unlike most diving courses offered at the recreational level, you can actually fail this course.
CarribeanDiver, sorry to hear about your bad fundies experience. try not to come away too jaded, I think what you got was the exception rather than the rule.
My husband signed up for the DM course through his local shop. I think he was expecting to learn a great deal about working with new divers and how to teach. He's been disappointed in that respect so far.
I suspect doing a DM class through a busy shop with a lot of students, and with a really good instructor, would hone your situational awareness skills and teach you to cope with a lot of common underwater mishaps. If you were planning on doing a lot of travel with instabuddy diving, this might be useful.
If what you want is to grow and develop as a single-tank, recreational diver, there aren't a lot of reliable options we can recommend. GUE-F will definitely hone your skills, but has equipment requirements that may or may not make sense for you if you don't intend to continue with GUE divers. A cavern class will also hone your skills, but that's only available where there are caverns. My friend NWGratefulDiver teaches an AOW class that challenges even experienced divers, but he's one individual, and I certainly couldn't recommend AOW in general as a reliably good learning experience for someone who's got his basic diving skills under control.
There really is a hole here in diving education -- What do you do with the person who just wants to be a MUCH BETTER recreational diver?
I suspect doing a DM class through a busy shop with a lot of students, and with a really good instructor, would hone your situational awareness skills and teach you to cope with a lot of common underwater mishaps. If you were planning on doing a lot of travel with instabuddy diving, this might be useful.
If what you want is to grow and develop as a single-tank, recreational diver, there aren't a lot of reliable options we can recommend. GUE-F will definitely hone your skills, but has equipment requirements that may or may not make sense for you if you don't intend to continue with GUE divers. A cavern class will also hone your skills, but that's only available where there are caverns. My friend NWGratefulDiver teaches an AOW class that challenges even experienced divers, but he's one individual, and I certainly couldn't recommend AOW in general as a reliably good learning experience for someone who's got his basic diving skills under control.
There really is a hole here in diving education -- What do you do with the person who just wants to be a MUCH BETTER recreational diver?
TSandM:
Just how good do you need to be, its really not difficult, once you have your bouyancy under control, have learnt & practised rescue skills (self & Buddy) can deploy SMB's and are confident in the water (oh and can be a decent buddy)... Just go diving, that will make you a better diver.
If you are lacking in some area either practise it or get an instructor to help. For recreational diving purposes you can only be taught so much, at some point you need to break away from the fold and go diving...
Just an opinion
underwasser bolt
Contributor
TSandM:
I don't see a hole in diver education. there is a hole in the curriculum. there are plenty of levels, but simply the curriculum has collapsed on itself. this is obviously driven by market concerns, and is a prime example of why turning education over to corporate types is a bad idea. You lose the idea of learning for learning's sake.
I am intrigued by GUE-F, but the group seems more focused on caves than i care to be.
going back to the old socratic method of teaching may be the best solution (Meno). Find a good mentor and learn from them.
daniel f aleman:
You may not have NAUI courses available to you through the club, but this advice is spot on. The NAUI Master Diver rating is very far beyond and really nothing like the PADI Master Diver "designation." You will learn a great deal about diving through this course.
I'd also suggest the GUE Fundamentals course. It's a great foundation for more advanced training, and even stand-alone it's an excellent clinic for refining your diving skills.
daniel f aleman
Contributor
TSandM:
You just dive, dive, dive - different profiles, different buddies, different environments. Sooner or later you've taken all the courses that you need; then it's just a matter of fine-tuning with an instructor every once in a while...
OP
Homunculus
Contributor
thank you all for very helpful comments and suggestions. 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.
Well, the only problem with "dive, dive, dive" is that issue of having one year of experience fifty times -- practicing something wrong doesn't make it right over time.
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