Dive Master Certification
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Aqua Safari as well as others offer DM and AI courses from $850. Takes 50 hours or more, one week min. 60 logged dives required.....GPdiver:
tony
"How long to complete DM?" is a question that either reflects a poor attitude or a skimpy program. The DM course requires and needs the candidate to complete a number of skills to a degree of proficiency and to also demonstrate leadership abilities, rescue skills, and proper attitude and role model behavior. To ask for a definite time limitation to complete this is naive unless you feel you already posess all the required skills in abundance and just need to be tested. To ask of a facility that they place such a time limit is only insurance that if they give you such a time your certification will be essencially a "met minimum requirements" cert.
theskull
theskull
GPdiver:
an absolute minimum of three to four FULL-TIME intensive weeks. That means 7:00 am until we are finished for the day, which could mean anywhere from 4:00 pm to 10:00pm. This is provided that all skills and requirements are not just met, but exceeded.
The DM course is the first professional level course offered by PADI. With that said, unlike the recreational level courses, a much higher level of proficiency is expected and required. An instructor does not have to certify you if they feel you are not a strong DM candidate. This will be the most intense of any PADI courses you have taken thus far.
To come to Cozumel or any other resort destination to complete this course for that matter requires a very high level of committment. It will not be a vacation, you will work hard. It is definitely something to give very strong consideration to.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
beachdivequeenbelam
Guest
Around here the cost is 495 dollars(does not include admission fees to dive sites) but it takes however long it takes for you to be good and profiecient enough to pass above standards. WE dive every weekend. You have to supervise at least 40 classes. We sometimes do 3 classes a day so thats 12 a weekend. I am in the DM class. He teaches us as though we will become instructors and expects us to pass like we were going for our instructors exams. You get what you work for. A short program is not what being a DM is about. Being through, consistent, obsservant, and learning from your mistakes and that takes time. Be the best that you can be not the minimum that is required for you to be. Also to work as a DM you will need some strong references so just keep that in mind too. You will be professionally responsible for everyone's lives on your boat or resort.scubatexastony:
Good Luck
Bridget
Bridget
scubasean
Contributor
beachdivequeenbelam:
Holy cow! 40 classes?
I'm told in Monterey that I will follow *two* OW classes from start to finish, participate in an advanced training course, complete several knowledge-based reviews which are tested, do a bunch of swimming, and a few other things, and be done...
beachdivequeenbelam:
and there is no where in the PADI Standards that requires a DM candidate to "supervise" 40 classes. Furthermore, as a DM candidate, you are not "supervising" anything. You are ASSISTING the instructor. If you are in fact supervising student divers, then you are in serious standards violations and could face serious consequences if anything is to go wrong under your "supervision."
The PADI DM course does in fact require an internship and/or practical training exercises. Per standards, the candidate is required to complete practical exercises 1 -3 and the full internship, OR all practical training exercises. I require both the intership and all practical training exercises.
Practical Training Exercises
1. Mapping project - candidate is required to map a dive site
2. Equipment exchange - total equipment exchange (except weights and wetsuit) underwater while buddy breathing
3. Divemaster conducted program - Conduct a simulated or actual PADI Discover Snorkeling, Scuba review, discover local diving (aka: lead certified divers on a dive), or PADI Skin diver course, WHILE UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION of a PADI Instructor, in a manner that shows a complete briefing, effective and safe inwater supervision, and an effective debriefing.
Keep in mind that Discover Local Diving IS NOT the same as a Discover course. Discover local diving, in English, is exactly what you do everytime you go to a new dive site and "discover" the new diving environment. This is for CERTIFIED DIVERS only. A DM candidate should NEVER be supervising non-certified divers.
Internship requirements:
Divemaster candidates must PARTICIPATE in at least:
1. One PADI Open Water Diving course confined water session
2. Four additional confined water training sessions from any PADI course or program.. This may include sessions from the OWD course, Discover Scuba Diving course, Peal Performance buoyancy course, and other PADI specialty courses and PADI programs.
3. One PADI open water diver open water training dive.
4. One PADI Adventures in Diving (AOW), rescue diver, or PADI Specialty diver course open water training session.
5. Three additioanl open water training dives from any PADI course or program.
6. One supervisory situation with certified divers not in a formal course. ie: leading certified divers on a dive at a ratio of 2:1
For all internship requirements, a PADI Instructor must be directly supervising and must fill in any gaps or make any corrections necessary to ensure that divers receive complete and accurate training. Besides directly supervising program conduct, a PADI Instructor must assess divers skills to assure mastery consistent with program standards.
The other practical application exercises consist of some of the same things the internship does.
Often instructors will add to the requirements for the DM course to ensure that the candidates get enough practical experience ( I do this on a discretionary basis) or if they feel the candidate needs additional work. I have also known instructors who have placed the demands on the students so high, that the student will quit before completion. If they do make it through, then they have really proved themselves. The objective of this is to weed people out who insist on becoming a divemaster whether they have the leadership abilities or overall diving skills necessary to be an effective, safe divemaster. I don't really agree with this approach because the candidates are investing alot of time and money for the course. I would rather be up front and tell the candidate that I don't feel they are ready for the course at that particular time.
Anyway, 40 classes does seem excessive, but if that is what the instructor requires and you agreed to it...then that's what is required.
Good luck!
I think there is a little bit of conflicting information here.
The PADI DM course curriculum can easily be completed in ten days.
Becoming a Divemaster and earning the experience, jugement and learning the job, is a completely different thing.
If you want the card for bragging rights, take a quick course pass the exams, do the swims, draw the map and you have the hat.
You want to work as a DM, become an instructor or develop a dive career, cristi's estimate of at least a month is more like it. I personally ave a stack of DM/Instructor candidates that come here for months at a time and take a go pro program that teaches both the curriculum, AND the job.
The PADI DM course curriculum can easily be completed in ten days.
Becoming a Divemaster and earning the experience, jugement and learning the job, is a completely different thing.
If you want the card for bragging rights, take a quick course pass the exams, do the swims, draw the map and you have the hat.
You want to work as a DM, become an instructor or develop a dive career, cristi's estimate of at least a month is more like it. I personally ave a stack of DM/Instructor candidates that come here for months at a time and take a go pro program that teaches both the curriculum, AND the job.
cancun mark:
Mark is right...BIG difference in WHY you are getting the certification.
If you are actually planning to work as a divemaster and want to learn the JOB, then more time is needed.
My problem though with the "quick class" is that the candidates may have a false sense of qualifications. I would rather put them through the intensive course teaching them all the ins-and-outs rather than skim them through by basic standard requirements.
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Just to give an idea on times. Based on Mark and Christi's type of program I've been working on my DM since May. I should be finished in mid-September.
As another point of reference, there are 4 people in my DMC class. I do not believe the other 3 will be finished when I am. I've been motivated by the fact that I want to get this finished before my baby is born.
So basicly you are looking at about 4 months with motivation. Christi quotes a month which is certainly doable in Cozumel, where you would be able to do the work daily. Here diving is mostly a weekend venture.
James
As another point of reference, there are 4 people in my DMC class. I do not believe the other 3 will be finished when I am. I've been motivated by the fact that I want to get this finished before my baby is born.
So basicly you are looking at about 4 months with motivation. Christi quotes a month which is certainly doable in Cozumel, where you would be able to do the work daily. Here diving is mostly a weekend venture.
James
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