Just started looking into DM course. I’m not looking to be a guide or work in the industry and was told the minimum is 2 weeks for the certification.
If you are not looking to guide or work in the industry, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A DM CERT!
The DM course will not make you a better diver or even give you the advanced theory you could get in an AN/DP course, a good Intro to Tech, or something like the NAUI or SEI Master Diver courses that are instructor-level skills and theory without the teaching component.
And unlike DM, you won't have to pay an annual fee or carry insurance.
DM makes no sense for those not planning to work in the industry. Guiding with a DM cert opens you up to liability that just going diving with buddies, and you happen to know where something is doesn't.
If you have a DM cert and are not insured, something goes wrong on a dive, and someone gets hurt, or worse, that cert is going to be seen by the survivors as "You're a professional. You should have known better! I'm going to sue you!"
Two buddies getting into trouble is more like "both of you screwed up. I know you did what you could."
That professional rating is a double-edged sword.
I'm a retired instructor. At this point, I have zero desire to take anyone else diving unless they are damn clear that they are the ones in charge of the dive. They will plan it, decide if it's a go or no go, and I'm just along for the swim. I no longer have active instructor insurance, and I'm not taking any responsibility for anyone else beyond normal buddy skills.
On challenging sites or dives, I'd rather dive solo or with someone who is an active pro or, at a minimum, a skilled and experienced tech diver. Even then, I want to make it clear that I'm not in charge.
I've consulted on too many cases and offered opinions off the books to risk putting myself and what I have in jeopardy.
If you get a DM cert, and don't work in the industry, you still should be insured just in case. If something happens on a dive and lawyers get involved, you will have to explain why you did what you did or did not do. That DM cert also obligates you to file a report with the agency you have the cert through. They will be insured.
And if you aren't, they aren't going to have your back if there is the smallest indication you were acting in a professional capacity or accused of acting in a professional capacity. One agency, for sure, will throw you under the bus and even drive it back and forth over you for good measure.
www.oceanturtlediving.com
