Divemaster roles/duties/responsibilities by agency

[sandanbob]

Good morning!

I was wondering whether anybody knows of a comparison of what the Divemaster (Guide, or other name) certification means by agency. Can they teach snorkeling, lead dives, etc.?

Perhaps somebody has looked at this?

Thanks, and have a great day!

Bob

 

[rjack321]

Only 2 universals...
1) Assume all the liability
2) Get none of the money

 

[TMHeimer]

I doubt you could find an actual comparison -- a list, etc. Of course you could search each agency out and make a comparison list. I know there are a very few courses a DM can teach with PADI- such as Discover Scuba, Review (now Re-Activate I think). I would imagine that guiding dives may be pretty universal.

 

[sandanbob]

Thanks!

I was thinking in terms of a list or chart, something like the equivalency charts of different ratings (both recreational and professional) between the different agencies. Or, lists, something like this for PADI:

(copied and pasted)

As well as guiding you are able to do the following:

• Generally supervise both training and non training-related activities by assisting divers and student divers in the planning, organizing and direction of dives.
• Assist PADI Instructors on PADI courses and independently guide some portions of the course.
• Conduct any subsequent dives for Discover Scuba Diving participants, after the participants
  have satisfactorily completed the first dive under the supervision of a PADI Instructor.
• Conduct the PADI Discover Snorkeling program.
• Conduct the PADI Scuba Review program for certified divers.
• Teach and certify PADI Skin Divers independently including PADI Seal Skin Diver for children.
• Conduct the skin diving skills segment of the Open Water Diver Course.

With additional training you can:

• Teach Emergency First Response courses after successfully completing an Emergency First Response Instructor course.
• Independently conduct Discover Scuba Diving in a pool or in confined open water
• Teach the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty course under the direction of a PADI Instructor after earning the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty Instructor rating

 

[VikingDives]

That would be a busy chart. Off the top of my head, comparing SDI to PADI, a DM can assist an instructor, an AI can teach skin diving/snorkeling, and an instructor has to teach discover scuba (Try Scuba). . .

Then there's training. SDI's academics are MUCH more rigorous for DMs than they are for PADI (and IMO, it's better material than any of PADI's material). That's SDI's gatekeeper course. PADI doesn't require much academically until you hit instructor, and then, still not as challenging as the SDI DM materials.

PADI has more in-water requirements for DMs than SDI. PADI's skill have to be demonstration quality. SDI's DM skills have to be "divemaster quality." Which I interpret as demonstration quality, but that's open to interpretation.

PADI DMs have to demonstrate 2 or 3 skills while neutrally buoyant to earn a top score during training. SDI DMs have to (as of Jan 1) demonstrate all open water skills neutrally buoyant.

PADI DMs have the most market share. I guess the question is, why are you looking to compare them?

 

[sandanbob]

Thank you for the responses. Bill, my initial DM was through PADI, and more recently I did a crossover with another agency (PSS.) That got me to wondering what the range of DM roles is, since those two are different. I believe I saw that SSI allows it's DM's to teach their Ecology line of specialties (as they don't require dives) once they get certified to do so.