Divemaster or just Dive!!!

[MauiScubaSteve]

The chance that a DM candidate would achieve excellence in every aspect of the DM course, on their first attempt, is highly unlikely.

OK, let's look back on the history of dive instruction;

Let's just say all recreational certifications descended from the LA County Lifeguard program.

Let's just say that PADI "dumbed" it all down to the "too easy" certification courses we have today.

Let's just say becoming a PADI instructor is so easy that lots of people who are not really graceful (or even comfortable) in the water are now MSDT and higher.

I'm of the opinion that if you can't show excellent mastery of the PADI DM dive skills in a week you should seriously reconsider whether you are really cut out for DM certification.

And the book/test; read the book, do the exersizes, fill out the knowledge reviews, pass the test. It's designed so an 18 year old without a high school diploma could pass it.

Seriously, the people clamoring for 6-9 month DM programs fall into two catagories from what I see;

The first are all the people who got their DM from some ex NAVY Seal, and think everyone else should have to do the 50 push ups in full doubles dive gear.

The second are all the dive shops/instructors who make DMC's part of their bottom line; slave labor that actually pays them for the privillege of being slave labor.

PADI DM is so easy, if you can't do it in 2 weeks I don't think you should!

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I'm gonna spend most of my time in the water either way...

Not true... if you going to do your DM, you will not be spending most of your time in the water. So if you want to dive, forget the DM for now.

 

[Downing]

I was thinking about picking up the DM manual sometime just to check it out. I'm never going to go pro, so I won't take the course. But it would interesting to learn what it's all about.

 

[TMHeimer]

There is a LOT of academic material to cover. Particularly with the physics and physiology, but also with the dive/decompression theory and equipment. I think many people would have a very tough time passing the 8 tests in 2 weeks, unless they have no job and study a whole lot each day. And I have a Masters Degree (though in music, not academics), and was an A student back in H.S. I guess everyone's different, but my advice would be to take your time with all the aspects of DM. Even if the training is much slacker than it used to be.

 

[DevonDiver]

Let's just say becoming a PADI instructor is so easy that lots of people who are not really graceful (or even comfortable) in the water are now MSDT and higher.

Let's try not to turn this thread into another pointless 'agency bash'. I found becoming a PADI instructor no easier, or quicker, than becoming a BSAC or SSI instructor. If anything, PADI had the most comprehensive instructor development course of all three.

I'm of the opinion that if you can't show excellent mastery of the PADI DM dive skills in a week you should seriously reconsider whether you are really cut out for DM certification.

This is what I was trying to illustrate in my previous post.

If an instructor only wishes to 'tick boxes' of the DM skills with their student, then it is possible to complete the course quickly.

It is a DM course, not a DM assessment.

The idea of a course is to develop skills, experience, knowledge and capability. That takes time. How long it takes depends on the student's pre-existing capacity, coupled with the desired end state.


Your posts seem to view the DM course as an assessment. That the candidate should already possess the skills, knowledge and capability...and that the course just confirms that. Tick the boxes..."done, done, done" and here's your certification card.

And the book/test; read the book, do the exersizes, fill out the knowledge reviews, pass the test. It's designed so an 18 year old without a high school diploma could pass it.

I studied History and Politics at college. I have post-grad qualifications in management, HR and project management. When I started the DM course it had been a longtime since I had sat in a classroom and considered physics, biology etc.

I think that situation is simular for many people, regardless of their intelligence or standard of education.

The DM academics can take a while to settled in your head. As you say, they aren't hard, but they are unfamiliar to many people.

PADI DM is so easy, if you can't do it in 2 weeks I don't think you should!

That comes across as very arrogant.

Yes... virtually anyone can pass the DM course in 2 weeks. Nobody has disputed that.

If the course is run to the minimum allowable standards, by an instructor who isn't concerned by developing his student, and viewed as an assessment (with some remedial work) - rather than a high-quality development programme... then 2 weeks is just fine and dandy.

That's why so many people have advised the OP to avoid the 'short-course' options.

 

[TMHeimer]

long[/B]time since I had sat in a classroom and considered physics, biology etc.

I think that situation is simular for many people, regardless of their intelligence or standard of education.




That's me also. Probably was even a longer time away from academics for me. Months of study-- a little, to an hour or more daily-- and I felt I had a firm grasp on it all.
And I'm retired without a job.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

There is a LOT of academic material to cover. Particularly with the physics and physiology, but also with the dive/decompression theory and equipment. I think many people would have a very tough time passing the 8 tests in 2 weeks, unless they have no job and study a whole lot each day.

All one has to do is look at the numbers from the Instructor Factories; every year there are a serious number of people without Masters Degrees passing the DM tests in pretty much a week. When you do DM in 6-10 days you are spending the whole day, every day.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Your posts seem to view the DM course as an assessment. That the candidate should already possess the skills, knowledge and capability...and that the course just confirms that. Tick the boxes..."done, done, done" and here's your certification card.

That's why so many people have advised the OP to avoid the 'short-course' options.

ScubaBoard - View Profile: mckinness

Did any of you look at his profile page? That's why I think he should "Get 'Er Done!":dropmouth:

 

[DevonDiver]

Did any of you look at his profile page? That's why I think he should "Get 'Er Done!"

I can only speak for myself...(look at my profile).... but I still find ways to improve my diving and dive-leading skills.

Regardless of the divers' base level of skill or experience at the start.... 2 weeks is a very short time to get the most from the course.

As I said...it is a course of instruction, not just an assessment and certification.

 

[beautybelow]

The original post only mentioned "pursue" the DM training. I think that would be a fair question actually. You could begin to pursue most anything in 8 days. Or you could just do some fun dives.