DM or Alternative

[SailNaked]

I just went through this exact decision. I was considering Adv Nitrox/deep(deco intro) or Divemaster. I have to travel to do any real diving, so I have been taking classes to move towards my goal of Instructor and also to stay involved. So many people on here will say "get more experience" well more experience doing stuff wrong will not make you a better diver. at least with courses you can get your specific questions answered and you have a paid coach to let you know what you need to improve. I decided on Divemaster and will wait till I complete 100 dives for Adv/deep, 100 dives is the minimum for trimix training and I figured that is a good enough bench mark for deco training.

 

[Peter Guy]

SailN wrote

I decided on Divemaster and will wait till I complete 100 dives for Adv/deep,

For the record, I want to tell you I think you made the wrong choice but for valid reasons. From your post, I concluded you want to become a "better diver"

more experience doing stuff wrong will not make you a better diver.

I agree with you 100% here.

The "but" is that, at least in my experience, and those with whom I've discussed this, a Divemaster course (at least a PADI one) is designed to provide you with the diving and educational skills you need to work with students and supervise divers. It is NOT designed to "make you a better diver" in the same way that Intro-to-Tech, DIR-F, Cavern, etc. are designed to provide you with diving skills as opposed to teaching skills.

When I started my DM course I thought I would be getting assistance/coaching with my diving skills but that didn't happen. However, while doing my DM I also ended up taking DIR-F and Cavern which DID have a significant beneficial effect on my overall diving skills while the DM course had a beneficial effect on my educational/supervisory skills.

It really depends on what skills you want to acquire. At least that is my experience.

 

[Hank49]

Hi

The only problem is that I dont really fancy going Pro and dont want to be paying dues every year (I have enough bills).
Is there an alternative?
Thanks for any input

If you're not working, you don't need to pay PADI dues every year. That's only if you're actively DMing. Your sig says you're in Asia. Not sure where, but I didn't need insurance either in the Philippines. (at least back in the late 90s). I believe this is true in Malaysia and Indonesia also.

 

[AndyNZ]

Can't speak for the other agencies, but with PADI the divemaster certification is like any other certification, once achieved, it's a permanent status.

One needs to be a current PADI member with valid insurance only if one wants to instruct in a PADI course.

I'm not so sure about that, it's not really a certification but a membership. If your membership lapses, then technically you are not a DM any more.

It is possible to renew membership after a lapse, but if there have been any major standards changes or it's been a longer period of time then the chances are PADI would require some form of "DM refresher" before renewing the membership.

 

[snowmaker]

I don't think the DM class or internship is the place to learn to dive although I have seen it before. You need to be comfortable in the water before you take this class. If your not your doing yourself, your instructor and any students you may be assisting with a disservice.

The class is designed to teach you how to work with student, the instructor and other DM's. It teaches you all the agency stuff you'll need to know to work as a DM. It's not about learning to dive it's about learning to dive with students and anticipating their problems and dealing with them.

 

[AndyNZ]

1/ I was going to do DM as I'm still not fully confident in the water and want to practice the skills.
The only problem is that I dont really fancy going Pro and dont want to be paying dues every year (I have enough bills).
Is there an alternative?

Bottom line is simple, if you don't want to turn pro then don't do the DM course.

A typical DM course won't teach you much new as a diver - the focus on skills in the DM course is "demonstration quality", not good diving skills. There are exceptions, mind you, but finding a good DM course that will develop you as a diver will be tough.

There are way better options for you.

GUE-F and the UTD equivilent have been mentioned. Very worth looking in to - I did GUE-F after having done TDI technical courses, and I still learnt heaps. In reflection, I rather I'd done GUE-F ten years ago before doing anything else. It's a great course.

I would add my $0.02 worth to the voice of "just go diving". Confidence really comes from having to plan and execute your own dives, rather than follow the instructor and do what you're told. Pick some local sites and just go and dive them once a week - start with some nice conservative dive plans, and as your confidence grows see what else you want to try.

Some specialties can be well worth the coin, others you are better off spending the money on a dive trip. A lot of it depends on the instructor - shop around, talk to lots of instructors, ask them what kind of diving they've done in the last few months. You're really looking for instructors who also dive for fun, not just teaching. Find one who is really excited about the diving that you want to do and that you get on with, then get them to teach the course. I do a fantastic wreck course, because I love diving wrecks..... but it's probably a different story if you asked me to teach an underwater naturalist course, 'cause I'm just not into it.

Don't focus on just one agency, shop around and see what each individual instructor is offering and pick the courses that appeal.

I'd also say, plan a diving holiday for a few months time... give yourself an objective because it will help keep your spirits up as you trudge down to the local mud hole (I have no idea what the local diving is like near you - hopefully it's no mud holes!) every week to bust out more navigation and buoyancy practice.

And above all else, have some fun!

 

[captainbligh]

Thanks again and thats why I like these forums, such a wealth of knowledge.
Ill look into GUE, its just a shame that all the dive shops I look at are all geared to the DM, instructor type packages rather than something else. I have seen the tech diving packages but need to build up more dives and do some of the other courses mentioned here.
At the end of the day I really just prefer diving but could see some of the relevance of the DM course content.
Thanks again

 

[NudeDiver]

its just a shame that all the dive shops I look at are all geared to the DM, instructor type packages rather than something else.

You could consider finding an instructor, or even a well experienced non-instructor and offering to pay them to go diving with you and give you pointers and critique your skills. I think a lot of people would do it for fills, food and fifty bucks for 2-3 dives for the day (assuming you transport them too). It will not get you a fancy plastic card, but it could get you something a lot more valuable.

 

[mongodives]

Another option is to take the NAUI Master Scuba Diver course, you'll get the academics that DM's get as well as work on your in water skills and not have to worry about insurance or membership fees once your done or be slave labor for an instructor for 6 months.

 

[Peter Guy]

I should have added what NudeD said. I am continually surprised that Scuba training seems to be totally focused on "classes" as opposed to "training the needed skills." I think the best advice I received from my first skiing instructor was that if I found myself at some sort of a plateau then I should hire an instructor to point me on the road to the next skills plateau.

The best "class" I've taken in Scuba was merely working with an instructor who worked to fill in holes in my skill set (of which there were many). He'd dive with me (us) over a weekend and give us homework, we'd work on the stuff and 4 weeks later we'd dive with him again. It was a fabulous learning experience.