Question Best time for DM?

[Pbdiver84]

I am a newer diver considering going for my DM and AI. I’ve encountered a lot of derision around zero to hero paths, and wanted to get the board’s opinion on if I’m going too fast.

About me: got my OW partially through an adaptive program in early 2023, then fell into helping with an adaptive diving program. 4 trips and a lot of focused practice on buoyancy as well as rescue and dive buddy certification. On my solo trips, I’ve naturally helped newer divers out and often been the only non same ocean diver besides the DM (ex teacher). For personal reasons, I had picked up all the DM prereqs except official Night certification, which I did in conjunction with an OW cert trip from my LDS.

My above water skills and connection with newer divers or potential adaptive divers are strong… my in water skills are adequate. I’m currently a non-pro dive buddy, but starting as a DMC at my LDS would get me officially into the pro/shop side of things for working with new divers. I’m currently at 70ish dives, spread around the Caribbean and SoCal.


Would this be zero to hero, or would i be an enthusiastic diver earning certs and paying it forward?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Not really sure what you are saying… there’s no dive club outside my LDS, very limited local diving (cert dives are a state over), and virtually all of the regulars in the dive community are AI or working on it

Limited local diving? Checkout dives are in the next state?!?

I have no idea what you are doing or thinking. I'll see myself out now.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I find it curious that everyone involved with your LDS is already or working towards DM, AI or Instructor. It seems, from my interpretation of your post, that your LDS' business model is not about making divers but about selling people on certifications.

 

[rsingler]

@Pbdiver84 , folks have been pretty tough on you in this thread. But I'll take a different tack here.

With limited local diving opportunities, the "club" of divers may indeed gravitate toward a group of pros hanging together. If that's the local model, there's nothing particularly wrong with that, as long as you accept that it'll never be a money-maker or serious career opportunity. But it can be quite rewarding.

In your OP, you noted what I'll call strong academic skills, while acknowledging your lowish dive count and improving in-water skills. Twice you mentioned the adaptive diver program. Without trying to be indelicate, I would ask if your currently less-than-superb in-water skills are solely due to inexperience, or due instead to a physical challenge that won't be completely overcome with further training?

I ask for two reasons.
You'll find that DM training in itself is good practice on at least some of the key skills, especially buoyancy. Having to have "demonstration quality" skills before you test is a great motivator. And while we can argue about its relevance in real diving, I found learning to teach the skills circuit a lot of fun.

Second, if you have a physical challenge that means your in-water skills will always be slightly compromised, you may have a more to offer the adaptive training program in attitude and, well, adaptability.

So I'm not ready to write you off, and will take your initial post at face value.
Yes, it's fun getting there.
No, you won't make a lot of money, and indeed your shop is probably the main financial beneficiary.
If you have no adaptive diver challenge, 70 dives is in the zero-to-hero range, making active teaching very premature. But I've met some good zero to hero instructors, who had a natural teaching ability. But they uniformly had the wisdom to not take on more than their experience allowed, and didn't become active Instructors until their dive experience was significantly greater.
If "pro" is the model for your locale, I see no reason not to join the club. But don't overestimate what you'll have to offer at this stage.

 

[grantmac]

I will likely catch heat for this but I think anyone considering DM should become a confident solo diver and dive that way until it's comfortable.

 

[VikingDives]

I am a newer diver considering going for my DM and AI. I’ve encountered a lot of derision around zero to hero paths, and wanted to get the board’s opinion on if I’m going too fast.

About me: got my OW partially through an adaptive program in early 2023, then fell into helping with an adaptive diving program. 4 trips and a lot of focused practice on buoyancy as well as rescue and dive buddy certification. On my solo trips, I’ve naturally helped newer divers out and often been the only non same ocean diver besides the DM (ex teacher). For personal reasons, I had picked up all the DM prereqs except official Night certification, which I did in conjunction with an OW cert trip from my LDS.

My above water skills and connection with newer divers or potential adaptive divers are strong… my in water skills are adequate. I’m currently a non-pro dive buddy, but starting as a DMC at my LDS would get me officially into the pro/shop side of things for working with new divers. I’m currently at 70ish dives, spread around the Caribbean and SoCal.


Would this be zero to hero, or would i be an enthusiastic diver earning certs and paying it forward?

Does your lds happen to be in Denver?

 

[Pbdiver84]

Does your lds happen to be in Denver?

Thanks for the new grate

 

[Pbdiver84]

@Pbdiver84 , folks have been pretty tough on you in this thread. But I'll take a different tack here.

With limited local diving opportunities, the "club" of divers may indeed gravitate toward a group of pros hanging together. If that's the local model, there's nothing particularly wrong with that, as long as you accept that it'll never be a money-maker or serious career opportunity. But it can be quite rewarding.

In your OP, you noted what I'll call strong academic skills, while acknowledging your lowish dive count and improving in-water skills. Twice you mentioned the adaptive diver program. Without trying to be indelicate, I would ask if your currently less-than-superb in-water skills are solely due to inexperience, or due instead to a physical challenge that won't be completely overcome with further training?

Second, if you have a physical challenge that means your in-water skills will always be slightly compromised, you may have a more to offer the adaptive training program in attitude and, well, adaptability.

So I'm not ready to write you off, and will take your initial post at face value.
Yes, it's fun getting there.
No, you won't make a lot of money, and indeed your shop is probably the main financial beneficiary.
If you have no adaptive diver challenge, 70 dives is in the zero-to-hero range, making active teaching very premature. But I've met some good zero to hero instructors, who had a natural teaching ability. But they uniformly had the wisdom to not take on more than their experience allowed, and didn't become active Instructors until their dive experience was significantly greater.

Sniped slightly for length.

Yes, I have a history which means deliberate effort is sometimes the order of the day. My improvement curve is also somewhat longer than others. Not to the level of the official adaptive divers, but…

Obviously, my superlative in water skills are not and will never be draw toward DMT/AI. However, being a trainee (and one of the few divers without logbooks old enough to vote) would let me help out in other aspects and work with new divers while being mentored and working toward full DM/AI status… which is probably a year of concentrated and sustained growth away. Could be longer.

As for money… my 9-5 career is sufficient to consider activities which help my mental health without benefiting my finances.

 

[TMHeimer]

Some thoughts--
-- I did my DM after I had 152 dives. 70, at least for me, would probably not have been enough.
-- Night Cert. wasn't a DM prerequisite.
-- The DM course will polish up your 24 demonstration skills but for simply improving your own
diving this alone doesn't justify the cost.
-- To prepare for the DM course it makes sense to me to do a lot of diving where you may wind
up working. This may mean assisting on courses or leading dives.
-- Please do not work for "perks" instead of real pay. This makes a mockery of DMs being
called "dive pros" and unfortunately (at least here and in the U.S.) is all too common.

 

[Pbdiver84]

Some thoughts--
-- Night Cert. wasn't a DM prerequisite.
-- To prepare for the DM course it makes sense to me to do a lot of diving where you may wind
up working. This may mean assisting on courses or leading dives.

Certificates are required as of 2024, thanks to Linnea Mills’ death. Experience is no longer enough. My LDS also has their own prereqs.

To assist with courses, I need to at least be in the trainee program.

 

[TMHeimer]

Certificates are required as of 2024, thanks to Linnea Mills’ death. Experience is no longer enough. My LDS also has their own prereqs.

To assist with courses, I need to at least be in the trainee program.

Night Diver isn't a prerequisite for PADI DM. You need Rescue Cert., EFR, 40 logged dives and medical clearance within the last 12 months. It may be a violation for a shop to add something.

My wording was bad about assisting and leading dives. I meant it's a good idea to
get some experience in the places you may be doing those things either as a working DM
or in the DM course. Not actually doing these things beforehand. Just meant to say that I think it's
a good idea for a DM (or instructor) to be thoroughly familiar with the locale where they work-- more so than having tons of varied worldwide experience.