Divemaster programs ?

[robrob]

I hope I am posting in the right area but here is what I am loking for and up to now not quite finding.

I want to give my girlfriend a Divemaster course (she is rescue at this point) for a gift...don't even ask what kind of trouble I am trying to get myself out of ;-)

In anycase the ones I am seeing all seem to be pool oriented and I would like her to be able to experience NE Diving. Now I am a bit of a newbie but assume given the time of year this has to be all drysuit diving so I would need to make arrangements for gear usage as well.

I would love her to be able to start pretty soon and she is available weekdays.

Does this exist up here or am i just whistling dixie ?

 

[MASS-Diver]

I hope I am posting in the right area but here is what I am loking for and up to now not quite finding.

I want to give my girlfriend a Divemaster course (she is rescue at this point) for a gift...don't even ask what kind of trouble I am trying to get myself out of ;-)

In anycase the ones I am seeing all seem to be pool oriented and I would like her to be able to experience NE Diving. Now I am a bit of a newbie but assume given the time of year this has to be all drysuit diving so I would need to make arrangements for gear usage as well.

I would love her to be able to start pretty soon and she is available weekdays.

Does this exist up here or am i just whistling dixie ?

At this time of year, you'll need to give her at drysuit course as well, it's too cold for most people to dive wet.

Does she have her AOW? Lots of people combine that with the DS course around here, and of course of NITROX course is always a good thing to take.

If she has never dove in NE, though, I would keep in that this time of year can be unforgiving and care needs to be taken.

 

[TwoTanks]

I did my DM up here on the south shore and it took almost a year. I did quite a few extra intern classes and got to work with lots of students. I also interned a bunch of open water sessions and 1 advanced OW class and 1 rescue class. It was a very thorough class but it took a lot of time. I got to work with 9 instructors and see the different ways they teach. That alone was worth the money.
I started in October, did classroom and pool sessions all winter and did pond and ocean dives all summer, finishing in September. There is no substitute for working with students. A quickie class will teach the knowledge, but not the experience.

Be aware that there is an annual fee to be an active divemaster with PADI and she can incur liability as a "professional" if a dive buddy is injured while diving with her, even if she is not acting as a divemaster. (Just something to think about before signing someone else up for divemaster.)

TT

 

[Boston Diver Services]

Boston Harbor Dive Co. runs all PADI courses, including the DM. Located in Winthrop, Jim Sullivan is very flexable regarding hours and location of classes. This course is a long one, so the open water dives might not occur until the spring anyway.

I highly recommend BHDC for all your dive education needs: http://www.bostondiving.com/

Capt. Pat Breen

 

[hurleyskis]

Check out PG Dive in Newton. I did my DM course there and it was great. Lots of opp. to assist instructors and get some real hands on experience.

-John

 

[Scallywag]

The DM's course is no quick course. When I done my DM's course I worked very closely with PADI instructor / Capt. Jim Sullivan from "The Boston Harbor Diving Company" ( www.bostondiving.com ) for about eight months. As Capt. Pat said Jim runs all PADI courses, he has a great reputation in the Boston area and is very flexable to your needs. Good luck... Paul.

 

[minigirl]

I've taught two DM classes in the past few months and it really doesn't have to take 8 months! I've had a bunch of candidates who were certified by the end of the 1 month class....but I also have some candidates who are still 'in progress'.

If you want to complete the DM on time then you must be prepared!!! With some simple preparation and a commitment to finish the course then it can be completed in 1 month!

It's important to choose a facility that has plenty of classes in progress to complete your internship (if this is the option you have chosen). I personally think that the internship route is preferable as you actually get hands-on experience with students.

And you have to be ready for the theory....commit yourself to some serious studying and it'll be a dream! Neglect the studying and you'll be scrambling to get yourself ready for the Final Exams.

Some candidates find the swim tests a challenge - if this is a weakness then go to your local pool and practice...the swimtest is not the time to discover that you can't swim very well!

Also, get all of your course registration requirements together BEFORE the class begins. There is nothing more annoying than having a DM certification held up because you can't find your Rescue Card!!


It's a great course and it's a lot of fun too!...I've really enjoyed teaching the classes..

Jane
PG Dive

 

[Scallywag]

Your right it doesn't have to take eight months!!!! It could take 1 month it could take 12 months, why rush? There is no rush.

 

[Boston Diver Services]

Did the person completing the DM course in a month work? My OW was longer than that.

 

[oceancurrent]

Did the person completing the DM course in a month work? My OW was longer than that.

In my experience a DM class takes a good 50-60 hours on the part of the candidate (not including studying). Doing it in a month would amount to at least 2h/day commitment. Unless the candidate is in a scuba boot camp, he/she would find it hard to keep up, I would imagine.

Speaking of boot camps, Cap, I've been told that these days one can get from zero to instructor in 4-6 weeks at a price in some dive institutes in Florida. The most well-known is Hall's (http://www.hallsdiving.com/career2/programs.htm ). I find it hard to imagine how would they put in 100+ dives in 30 days and even make you a specialty instructor...

I've never heard of any other self-respecting sport in which one could become a licensed instructor in less than a year! You can tell, I disagree with the "fast lane" philosophy. However I know a lot of industry people, who think it's progressive... ay ay ay

How comfortable would you be, if your instructor told you he had been diving for a month ?!?