Divemaster training..as it goes.

[TSandM]

A lot of lessons in that dive . . . I'll bet you don't forget your compass again!

I have to say that the decision to leave a novice diver underwater while you did a nav check is one I wouldn't have made. Maybe, in ten or fifteen feet of crystal clear water -- but certainly not otherwise. And the reason is precisely what did happen -- you lost him. And you were responsible for him; if anything had happened to him as a result of being alone in the water, you would have been up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

 

[RichmondKYdiver]

I see you recently tool the DM test for PADI - I will be taking it this week and was wondering the foolowing as I have read several different pieces of information about the test itself. One description indicated that the test soley focused on the PADI book itself with little from the Encyclopedia of Rec Diving. Another stated that there is material from both. I am just trying to narrow down what it is I really need to review? Any help or suggestions??

Same here, study book and instructor manual. I did dive theory online.

 

[Saldiac]

A lot of lessons in that dive . . . I'll bet you don't forget your compass again!

I have to say that the decision to leave a novice diver underwater while you did a nav check is one I wouldn't have made. Maybe, in ten or fifteen feet of crystal clear water -- but certainly not otherwise. And the reason is precisely what did happen -- you lost him. And you were responsible for him; if anything had happened to him as a result of being alone in the water, you would have been up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

So you would've surfaced with the diver? We were quite a bit further out so possibly a surface swim might've led to overexertion on his part. But you're right, I wouldn't have lost him (temporarily).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Yep, the diver was in your care. Leaving him alone on the bottom was negligent. If you are his buddy and actually responsible for him you both surface.

 

[aprivetera]

Had a similar experience with a school classmate who came over to El Salvador to dive while I was just starting my DM training. Knowing he was a little hard headed, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt (it had been over two years since we had graduated, he had got his OW license, maybe he opened his mind a bit). As soon as we got on the boat, I started to see my friend just I remembered him when he had a little trouble setting up his gear.

I quote my friend: "Where I learned the inflator hose was over the right shoulder".

Riiiiiiiight. I just smiled and reassured him that on every BCD I have seen it is over the left shoulder. But, anyway, I helped him do his predive safety check and we were in the water.

Immediately the group went left and my friend went right. I started banging on my tank to get the attention of the instructor who - with a certain twinkle in his eye - pointed at me, pointed at my friend, and made the buddy sign. I understood. I was to catch him.

I spent the rest of the dive keeping equidistant from the instructor and my friend to the limit of the visibility (maybe 5-10m). When I had to make a choice between the two I would swim over to my friend, get his attention, and signal back over towards the direction of the group. Apart from a slight issue with him shooting up towards the surface at random intervals, we finished the dive "without too many problems".

On the second dive we went to a wreck where all that remained was the skeleton of the hull. The visibility was less than 5m and the surge was increasing. Needless to say, group went left, friend went right. I got the instructor's attention and signaled I was going to catch him. Once I caught up to my friend, I realized my wife thought I was signalling to her to follow and before I knew it we were all three separated from the group.

Luckily, I knew the layout of the ship well and we had said if we got seperated we would meet at the tower of the ship. So I grabbed my friend and signalled to my wife the direction of the tower. We all made it back to the tower and were reunited with the group. Phew!

A great lesson for me that day. I felt like I did everything right and the instructor thanked me for the support with a wink and a smile. It was definately a challenge, most of all because as much as I wanted the group group to stay together and swim like little ducks in a line, I knew the my friend was in need and I was sure that the other divers had the necessary skills.

It's a lot of tough decisions, but I have to say this far I have loved every dive.

A

 

[tdtaylor]

As part of my DM training I was leading two divers on a tour about to finish their OW training with a DiveCon. I started out leading and switched with the DC at the turnaround, but about halfway back he didn't know the way. I then took the lead. About 4 or 5 minutes later, the 10 foot visibility went to zero. I had to put my compass against my mask to barely see it. Well, needless to say, I lost them, but the students stopped and the DC ran into them and lead them on. We were fortunately in a quarry, so not really a big deal. But I lost my group on my first guided tour :-(

But the leading/following scenario worked, and I was absolutely impressed that the two students remained cool when the viz went south- now that was impressive.

Terry

 

[Instructor_Tom]

As you go through your DM internship, there will be dives when it's a joy to have students that listen to instruction and follow your lead; and there will be students who will try your last nerve, and leave you wondering why your doing this. The thing that will not change between dives is your responsibility to care and protect those in your care. My DM was my most challenging certification to date but is also the most rewarding one. seeing students progress from non-diver to OW and beyond is a real joy. once I finish my full tech Cave it will be time to start my instructor cert.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[LottaBeachNoOcean]

I'd appreciate any and all feedback:

I've got 32 dives in to date (all but 5 within the past 12 months) and am giving heavy consideration to taking the PADI DM training through a very active LDS in Sept/Oct.

I am AOW and Rescue Diver certified, do not have the required 50 dives and I don't know if there are any number of required prerequisite specialty certifications (Are there?).

I don't think I'll have any great difficulty with the books/on-line portions.

I am extremely comfortable in and under the water. Financial considerations prevent me from diving more often and I was told that becoming a DM might subsidize my diving expenses.

Without knowing me or anything more than what I've just said, in your opinions am I rushing this training?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TMHeimer]

Most will agree you need more (and varied?) dives. I started DM with 158 but that's just me. There are no specialties required. You do something with Deep diving and Search & Rescue (I believe) in the newly changed DM course, unless you have those specialty certs. Deep cert. would be a good idea anyway IMO.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'd appreciate any and all feedback:

I've got 32 dives in to date (all but 5 within the past 12 months) and am giving heavy consideration to taking the PADI DM training through a very active LDS in Sept/Oct.

I am AOW and Rescue Diver certified, do not have the required 50 dives and I don't know if there are any number of required prerequisite specialty certifications (Are there?).

I don't think I'll have any great difficulty with the books/on-line portions.

I am extremely comfortable in and under the water. Financial considerations prevent me from diving more often and I was told that becoming a DM might subsidize my diving expenses.

Without knowing me or anything more than what I've just said, in your opinions am I rushing this training?

Thanks in advance!

" I was told that becoming a DM might subsidize my diving expenses" very misleading and often used to entice new divers into becoming DM students. Before you get to DM even did they tell you how much DM will cost you outside of the course itself? Do you own a full set of gear? You should. What about all the trips to the pool and dive sites that your training will require?

DM's unfortunately rarely make enough to subsidize their diving. And this is partly due to DM's themselves who choose to work for free and devalue the rating for others. Why buy the milk when you can get the cow for free right? That's how shops look at it. Being a DM may allow you to write off some expenses but in order to do that you have to show some kind of income from it. Ask the shop if they plan on hiring you and what the rate of compensation will be when they do? Ask them what kind of gear discount you will get and how often. How much will you get for doing pool sessions and checkout dives as an assistant?

And will you be required to do other things like work in the shop or rinsing and hauling gear while learning to be a DM? None of which is required by the way but shops seem to think it's ok to use DM candidates as free labor justifying it by saying those are DM duties. And how many classes will you get to intern if they are very busy? How many of their prior DMC's are now employed , not used but actually employed, by them and making some kind of money that justifies their statement?

Personally a DM, IMO, needs not only more than 50 dives to start but should have experience in salt and fresh water, cold, low vis, and be a damn good underwater navigator. I also think they should be required to take some type of tech class, even just a good intro to tech, before starting DM.