Dive Master Requirements

[donooo]

Time,,, it's all about the instructor.

Time,,, do you want to learn it, or just pass it ?

If you want to learn it, the card is just the entry requriement.


don O

 

[RJP]

Time,,, it's all about the instructor.

Time,,, do you want to learn it, or just pass it ?

If you want to learn it, the card is just the entry requriement.


don O

To be clear, I wasn't asking "how quick can I get one" but rather is there a specific time period required that it shouldn't take LONGER than.

I want to make sure...

- I can actually learn the stuff
- I can devote the time needed to learn the stuff
- I can keep my day job - and my marriage - while I learn the stuff

 

[JungleJoe]

As I look at it, I went and picked up the Master Diver cert, it at least shows I have experience and I have NO LIABILITY !!!

Once you travel the road of dive master or instructor, then you also need to visit www.diveinsurance.com and look that over.. not only do you have carry insurance (which they try to scare you that you have keep it for life, 7 yr limit !!!! but ppl sue anyway)

So from my standpoint, I don't wish to officially teach anyone, be glad to help people learn, I do that all the time, I just don't want to be liable for a mistake they might make some day somewhere else, and the family starts suing everyone they can... If someone dies, no matter what, there is going to be a lawsuit, and anyone that was involved with the training will be on that list.

Then you say, hey I have insurance !!!, but look over their disclaimers..... They have alot of "outs" and it's up to YOU to prove you trained them correctly. And believe me, if you don't have all your T's crossed and I's dotted, your wide open. Best to incorporate, and use that as an umbrella to shield your personal assets.

I don't think many people look at the liability aspect when they look at heading toward DM or such.

Good luck, don't mean to be such a downer, But I just wanted to point out the liability factor and play devil's advocate for a minute.

Dive safe !

 

[pir8]

Actually you need insurance at the time you are sued,not necessarily when the accident occured. The 7 year is time limit they can sue after an incident.

 

[JungleJoe]

But you never know when your going to get sued, a guy you taught 10 yrs ago dies last week.... then what ??? My instructor and I talked ALOT about my learning path, and he was the one that brought up the liability factor. His words, if your not incorporated, its just not worth the risk. Hence why I went the route I did. I have introduced alot of ppl into diving, I'll let em use my oct while I'm in the pool. Just give them a taste of it and a basic understanding, then if they want, they can go take a course.

When I am diving and meet new ppl etc and they ask for help, I'll help them as best as I can. I won't barge in on someone and say, Hey your doing that wrong... I will ask someone that I see is struggling if they need help, if they say yes, I'll do what I can to assist them. Usually during a dive or while gearing up , ppl notice I know what I am doing and ask questions or ask to dive with me. I have more solo dives under my belt than with people, but I am always happy to help someone out and share experiences. Heck, there's times that I learn a new trick or two in the process !

But I am not liable for training them....

 

[caseybird]

Imagine a newly minted DM, (60-70 dives in career) assisting an instructor and one other DM with 12 students on OW dive 1. Platform is at 28', visibility is <5', water temp 75 degrees. Three divers exhibited nervousness during pool training requiring additional pool sessions, but were able to meet agency "standards adn mastery".

This DM is watching one end of the arc of students while the instructor and other DM are assessing skills on the other end. Now the 95 lb lady one the end starts choking for some reason, and this new DM swims to her to assist. She spits out her reg, pulls off her mask and gets a death grip on her power inflator. Then, just to make things even more fun, she pulls the new DM's reg out of his mouth, yanks off his mask and starts hitting him, all the while trying to set a new breaching record.

Realistically, this story is not about the DM's water skills. Taking the 5' vis into account, the instructor used poor judgement taking 12 students into the water. After all, the ratio is a maximum, not a minimum. As the DM, if in your judgement the dive was unsafe in those conditions, you should not have gone along with the dive.
Maybe I'm missing something, but 75 degree water isn't too cold, and a 95 pound women is pretty small.

 

[caseybird]

But I am not liable for training them....

Really? You figure your lack of qualifications will cover you?
From lawyers?

 

[MissyP]

I think that DM candidates should be required to have 150 dives minimum to begin, 250 to complete, at least 20 deep, 15 night, .....I could go on. Additionally I think that a skills assessment should be done; not just swimming and treading water, but buoyancy control, finning techniques, control of panic situations, etc.

Would I have reacted the same way with the agency required minimum "experience" as a new DM? Doubtful. True, some people would be exceptional and handled it well. Most however, I believe, would not. Due to the responsibility entrusted and placed on diving professionals, the standards need to be higher.

I gotta agree with the above statement... I had 3 other DM candidates in my class- ALL 3 of them had between 20 & 35 dives.. One did some honest to goodness dives- deep, night, etc... but the other 2 would go down to 20 ft for 20 min and hang out on the bottom, come up for a bit, drop back down for 20 more min, come up, go back down for 20 min, until their tank was empty.. So they'd have about 4 dives per tank and no added dive experience.. I'm sure they learned a "lot" about diving that way <tic> . I don't understand how a person can expect to become a DM when they haven't even REALLY learned how to dive.. Get some experience first :shakehead

 

[jbd]

..... , and a 95 pound women is pretty small.

The worst beating I ever took was from an 84 year old 95 lb, bedridden woman.

 

[jbd]

I have introduced alot of ppl into diving, I'll let em use my oct while I'm in the pool. Just give them a taste of it and a basic understanding,....

But I am not liable for training them....

This whole topic has been kicked around in the past. You might be surprised how much liability you can find in this.

Your instructor friend or whoever hasn't fully informed you----a little information can be quite dangerous.