Does it make sense to enroll in a Divemaster course with no intention to work with?

[Blackcrusader]

Where is the competence line drawn?

A DiveMaster that qualified through working in a dive shop may have competence in leading novices using ‘standard' recreational kit. Maybe some generic planning skills.

They certainly do not have competence over other equipment configurations nor diving procedures outside of their trained and fully experienced competence levels. Examples: twinset diving, solo diving, sidemount, deep, decompression, mixed gasses, team diving, rebreathers.

Also for me, no sidemount, no mixed gases apart from nitrox atm. Team diving no ... no rebreather. Thing is the people I dive with do not have ego's that go I'm an instructor you must follow what I plan because you are a lesser certified diver. Once in the water all those certifications mean nothing if you cannot deal with any incident that arises on the dive. I love my vacation diving with Padi DM's doing NDL dives. I often dive with the same dive center when I go diving in once place so we get to know each other. Working DM's are great to dive with. One DM on SB got upset when I said DM's were mostly like valets showing you the dive sites and some critter identification for vacation divers.

Yet that same DM cannot join me on a deco dive. He believes that because he is a working DM chasing fish into nets he is a better diver because of his DM Cert.

 

[Blackcrusader]

So, personally I saw the DM as a string to my bow to help me get onboard boats.

I've never been refused a boat dive because I do not have a DM Card.

 

[Cthippo]

I've never been refused a boat dive because I do not have a DM Card.

He was speaking of getting a job working as an underwater camera operator, not a recreational dive boat.

 

[Wibble]

That's sort of what we've been saying. And there are some solo divers who have not used rebreathers who are both DMs and not Dms. There are some DMs who are great assistants on OW courses and relate to students well and some Cave divers who wouldn't have a clue about that. And, some DMs doing that who really suck at it. I think we all agree.

As long as they stick to their area of competence and don’t assume that as an expert with novices they are in no way an expert with other, more technical areas.

 

[TMHeimer]

As long as they stick to their area of competence and don’t assume that as an expert with novices they are in no way an expert with other, more technical areas.

Right, of course.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Where is the competence line drawn?

They certainly do not have competence over other equipment configurations nor diving procedures outside of their trained and fully experienced competence levels. Examples: twinset diving, solo diving, sidemount, deep, decompression, mixed gasses, team diving, rebreathers.

On the (PADI) course DM's are explicitly taught not to touch tech gear

A DiveMaster that qualified through working in a dive shop may have competence in leading novices using ‘standard' recreational kit. Maybe some generic planning skills.

A DM woking in a busy shop on the ocean will just as much experience and knowledge as a BSAC DL. and unlike the club diving where you're cosseted and only exposed to a few people whose capabilities are well known, in commercial diving you have no idea whether the guest is competent or not. because guests lie about their experience

Guiding and being responsible for fee paying strangers is hard and quite stressful.
I'm pretty sure the amount of people on SB that constantly belittle DM's couldn't do it themselves

 

[BlueTrin]

I didn't read all of the comments, but there is nothing wrong with additional training. Determine your expectations and move from there. Advanced, Rescue, Cavern and Nitrox at a minimum. My DM was beneficial and no reason to not take it too.

The cost is the opportunity cost of doing something else instead for the same time or money.

All the other certifications you listed here are likely to be more useful for someone who isn’t a pro or planning dives.

 

[Marie13]

On the (PADI) course DM's are explicitly taught not to touch tech gear



A DM woking in a busy shop on the ocean will just as much experience and knowledge as a BSAC DL. and unlike the club diving where you're cosseted and only exposed to a few people whose capabilities are well known, in commercial diving you have no idea whether the guest is competent or not. because guests lie about their experience

Guiding and being responsible for fee paying strangers is hard and quite stressful.
I'm pretty sure the amount of people on SB that constantly belittle DM's couldn't do it themselves

I daresay the quality of DMs you’ve seen is better than what I’m used to. A lot of the DMs I’ve seen at Midwest quarries have barely better trim than the OW students they’re helping with. I’m told many of them are zero to hero types and seeing them in the water, I’d believe it.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Guiding and being responsible for fee paying strangers is hard and quite stressful.
I'm pretty sure the amount of people on SB that constantly belittle DM's couldn't do it themselves

Hell yes it is, but if you are not going to be doing that, how is that helpful to one's diving?

 

[Wibble]

I'm pretty sure the amount of people on SB that constantly belittle DM's couldn't do it themselves

I probably could if I wanted. However, I want to go diving and am not at all interested in dive leading, especially at the novice level. So many wrecks and sites to explore, so little time to dive them.

It’s great that some want to do this. It’s also great that others want to move on to more challenging diving. Choice is good.