DM or Master Diver????

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Nether - yay for just diving!
 
I have just started my Master Divers. I am doing alot of other things with it, so at the end I will have the following
- Master Divers
- ASHI first aid
- Shark speciality
- Nitrox
- Deep speciality
- Night speciality
- Search & Recovery speciality
- Advanced Rescue speciality
- DAN Oxygen Provider
- DAN Marine Life Injuries

I feel this is a good platform to then become a DM and then Instructor. The more you have behind your name the more you know and you then are able to teach others better etc etc

BTW these are all NAUI
 
I know a lot of people bash the Master Diver achievement but hey I read a stat that said that less than 2% of all divers (non-instructor) will ever attain the Master Scuba Diver rating. I'm personally 2 specialties from MSD and I say why not? I mean, I want to take the Deep Specialty and I will probably take the navigation specialty.

I've wrestled with the DM too. On one hand I know that it will build up knowledge and confidence. On the other I'm really not excited in teaching anyone or instructing. It's a large financial commitment and for the price I think I could probably get some advanced Nitrox / deco training or even Cavern training.

For now I'm just going to dive, dive, dive.

Jeremy
 
hudman10:
Hello all,

I need help!! I'm one specialty away from Master Diver. Is DM worth the money and comitment? I have a wife ( with C card but will not dive any more) and 2 kids (5 and 3) who dont dive obviously. I want to dive more and use DM as an excuse but DM sounds like too much workand money for my current situation. Plus, do I wanna work or play when I dive?????

Brett

The progression goes:

OW -> AOW -> Rescue -> DSAT Tec Deep Diver -> DSAT Trimix Diver :D
 
Master Diver is a card, nothing else. You don't learn anything new you just pay for a card.

DiveMaster is an experience that will probably teach you more about diving than any other class you have taken.

My advice is to do the DM and ignore the Master diver. You may, after finishing DM, decide you want to become an instructor and when you do, you can sign your own Master diver application and get your first cert :).

James
 
It all depends on whether you want to teach or not. If you don't, then don't bother with the DM. You have to pay a yearly sum to remain current, so if you just want to dive for fun, then as you are so close, maybe go for MSD - it is only the price of another PIC card.

However, as others have said prior to my post, experience and getting wet is what really counts, don't get too hung up on certs or length of time diving.

Take a boat with an Advanced Open Water diver with 450 dives, a Divemaster with 65 dives, and a Master Scuba Diver who has been diving 20 years but only has 150 logged dives – I know who I would rather dive with...

Mark
 
spankey:
what ever you do dont listen to James. I think he left his head at that last deco he should have done.
It's wise not to irritate a mod... :shakehead

spankey:
The Master Diver is the highest you can go before getting into leadership and has to be done before DM. Well this is the case with Naui, not sure about Padi but would think its the same.
PADI Master Diver is well below NAUI Master Diver. AFAIK, there's no obligation to become a Master Diver before going on to DM.
 
James Goddard:
Master Diver is a card, nothing else. You don't learn anything new you just pay for a card.

DiveMaster is an experience that will probably teach you more about diving than any other class you have taken.

My advice is to do the DM and ignore the Master diver. You may, after finishing DM, decide you want to become an instructor and when you do, you can sign your own Master diver application and get your first cert :).

James

Interesting. I've taken a LOT of classes. Sadly, I did buy a master scuba diver card but I also did the DM, instructor and many other classes. Divemaster training does tach about supervision and assisting with training but I absolutely disagree that it teaches more about DIVING than any other course that he COULD take. Lets face it, most of the inwater skills that must be practiced and demonstrated are just the OW skills. What's taught in DM training that makes you say it teaches more about diving?

All that said, the choice depends on what you want. If one just wants to improve their diving there are many other options. If you want to get involved with supervising or assisting with training that's something else. I don't understand the concept of working for free unless it's for your church or other charity but do what you want. I'm all for giving but I don't consider my local dive shop a worthwhile cause. If I work for them, they'll have to pay me a reasnable wage. I don't count free diving when I'm working as pay because I can afford to dive whithout having to work.

Assisting in taining can be great fun or it can be a real honest to goodness nightmare. I had to perform my first four or five real rescues as a DM candidate and none was any fun. I guess it depends what instructor you are assisting.
 

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