Dive Master

[ebbtide]

it sure does have a nice ring to it .
i will be taking the dive master Program in the near future , in fact ive started it allready and was wonderning if anyone has any tips on the program and how things went for them .

 

[sheck33]

are you talking about the PADI DM class? it depends, if you want to help other divers and help out with classes go for it, if on the other hand you want to become a better diver dont waste your money on a DM class and do the DIRF class instead.

and why does it have a nice ring to it are you sure you are doing this class for the right reasons?

 

[DiveTub]

Hang around with at least a couple of instructors. All teach a little different and you will learn alot more if you DM for 4 or 5 rather than just one.

Hang round the Service shop of your LDS you can learn an heap from the service technicians.

Skills Skills Skills. go down to your local dive or pool and practice them over and over to presentation quality. Take an instructor with you to watch you doing them so he can make comment.

Do your skills slowly and break them down into small steps.

Listen to what your instructors have to say, and take note of how and what they like there DM to do.

Don't answer questions of students if you are not 120% sure of the correct answer, instead direct them to the instructor or go find the answer out yourself first.

Never contradict the instructor in front of a class, wait till you are alone if you have questions of him.

And Finally welcome to the world of tank carrying, always carry two, one in each hand to avoid back problems later in life. When carrying equipment bend from the knees, you will be carrying heaps.

Do not expect to get paid for DM'ing, you do it for the love of carrying other peoples equipment, filling tanks and working your butt off.

If you have any specific questions let me know off forum and I will happily answer them for you

Cheers
Chris
PADI MSDT
http://homepage.mac.com/sydney_diver

 

[Aquamaniac]

sheck33 once bubbled...
are you talking about the PADI DM class? it depends, if you want to help other divers and help out with classes go for it, if on the other hand you want to become a better diver dont waste your money on a DM class and do the DIRF class instead.

and why does it have a nice ring to it are you sure you are doing this class for the right reasons?

DIRF has more of a "Whack" to it as opposed to a "ring", huh Sheck!

 

[sheck33]

Aquamaniac

 

[jasondbaker]

I just finished up DM training this week. Someone else once said that DM training doesn't make you a better diver, it helps you make better divers. The course is strongly weighted towards learning how to work with students and assisting instructors. The dive theory is great but you don't need a class to learn that.

I took the class to meet a personal goal. I wanted the challenge. I don't intend to go on to instructor.

 

[Ari]

It really depends who is instructing the class.

I have just finished a PADI DM class about 4 weeks ago. It does make you a better diver, especially if you have a good instructor. My instructor was a 50 (yes fifty) year diving veteran with Military, working and instructing background. Having around 20 dives with himm was a treat. I learned a lot about diving, emergency and the sea itself.

So it really depends on who you choose as an instructor, probably more that the actual class program.

Ari

 

[rusky4u]

sydney_diver is 100% correct so far as working as a DM is concerned !

So far as the course itself:

The theory in the encyclopedia is great, definitely PADI`s best manual. Take some time (like a few more than just a couple of days) to read it ALL.

The DM manual, hhhuuummm, yeah….you should take a look at it…a fast reading…

The Working Book is very good too, do it all, it will prepare you to the exams!
You will need, also, the Inst Manual for the exam…for standards…

A fastforward review of OWD, Advanced and Rescue is adviced!!!

Starting to join Instructors in the OWD course is a great experience, be aware that anything you do when helping your Inst during the OWD classes students have a propensity to imitate, so be careful about what you do/say!

For example: if you don`t grab the line when ascending to the surface most probably students will not do it too… so keep it by the book !

Keep in mind that students will remember/understand less than 50% of what say, so keep it simple and take good care of them, they will thank you for caring!

My DM was a very good one, I`m happy with it and it was very useful when I started working.

Always have some replacement gear near by, its amazing how things just get lost-forgotten or broken when you lead the dance… Murphy’s law, I guess….

And yes, workout you back and arms in order to carry a lot of tanks!!!!

Feel free to ask!

Have fun!!!!

 

[O-ring]

From what I have experienced, it is what you make it. You can skate through it and do practically nothing and get a c-card or you can make the most out of it and learn as much as you can and practice, practice, practice. For example, when you are doing OW checkout dives and all the students are corralled on the platform, you can practice hovering in front of them when working on skills or just observing. If you start to drift too close to them, practice your backwards kick. Keeping track of students in low vis quarries really increases your situational awareness too...I have seen this carry over into the rest of my diving already. You quickly become good at the skills that some neglect - compass, mask removal and replacement, etc. It really hammers home the stuff you learned in rescue too..

I think it can make you a much better diver in that it forces you to spend long amounts of time in a boring quarry with nothing better to do than work on skills and hang out with students (while schlepping around gear). Besides, their excitement is kinda contagious and you may end up liking it and making a lot of new friends in the process.

 

[sheck33]

practicing your skills will make you a better diver but one does not have to spend $500 on a DM class to do that.

when students descend down the line i dont hold on to it but hover closeby, i dont want to get crushed by an avalance of studentdivers dropping like rocks

hey O-ring, exactly who's gear are you lugging around anyway

and yes i am having fun helping with classes despite the fact i dont agree with the way they are being taught ut: