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

[theminidiver]

Good advices, @Wibble and @broncobowsher. Ty

After reading a lot (not only here in SB), I chose not take the DM classes.
I still want to do the Rescue and Wreck courses. But will spend the "DM money" diving more to gathering more experience.

 

[The Chairman]

The best course for any AOW to take is cavern. After that, just spend your money on diving.

In addition, there's a lot to read and learn right here on SB.

 

[Storker]

Thank you all. Helped me a lot

At the moment I'm want to be pretty good as rec diver. I still have less than a hundred dives. I plan to take the Tec 40 to learn more about deco dives, but it is not my goal for now.

The majority of the instructor in this dive shop are frequent tec divers (by PADI) and some of them are also trained and certified by a GUE reference instructor. They sell only PADI courses because that "PADI 5 star" thing, but the instructors are not "pure PADI".

I don't know about other agencies, but I found the OW, AOW and Nitrox courses very good. Maybe not because PADI but because well trained and experienced instructors.

The best course for any AOW to take is cavern. After that, just spend your money on diving.

In addition, there's a lot to read and learn right here on SB.

OP could also consider crossing over to another agency and taking, e.g., GUE Fundies or CMAS 3*. GUE Fundies is great for developing your diving skills. CMAS 3* teaches you to be a dive leader in a non-commercial club, and develops your diving skills. Dive leader skills are of great value if you dive independently or in a non-commercial club.

I climbed the PADI ladder through Rescue and Nitrox. After that, PADI didn't offer anything I wanted. So I crossed over to CMAS and took 3*. That and Rescue are probably the courses I've gotten the most from.

 

[Fin kicker]

I second the recommendation for PADI rescue. It was the one cert that helped not only build my confidence, but also helped me with stress management, recognition of stress in others and rescue of others.
With a good instructor, its a work out to complete it.

SDI solo was also useful for building out self reliance.

You can then go on into tech, like TDI deco. But for me the
leap from advanced to Rescue felt less than Padi to TDI.

However, I was a DM for 20 years before the TDI stuff.

Get the rescue and spend time diving, learn to be self sufficient.

 

[TMHeimer]

I took the DM course with the idea of working as one and did that for 4 seasons. I took the PADI course in 2009, which was just before the course changed to add some practical things and eliminate some academics (which I believe are now in the Instructor course). Now, a certain % of this academic stuff IMO was not really necessary to be an OW course assistant, and probably some of it wasn't needed to guide tours or DM on a boat (I did neither). However, no knowledge is 100% useless and this stuff was actually quite interesting.
The improvements you get as a diver are you must get the 24(?) pool skills down good enough for slow demonstrating to students. And you have responsibilities supervising divers and helping them with skills.
In my opinion these 2 aspects don't justify spending the money on the course unless money isn't a factor. You may be better off taking the highly touted NAUI Master Diver course (well touted by the NAUI guys). It has the academics and other stuff that the PADI DM course has without the leadership aspect (or skills demonstration probably).

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

These uploads should give you a better understanding of diving in general. I wouldn't bother with the Rescue Diver Course other than to know how to perform CPR, unless it is a requirement for further advancement.

 

[The Chairman]

I actually found a Boy Scout/YMCA life saving course to be more helpful than rescue. It wasn't the agency, but the instructor that made all the difference. There's really not much difference between boat and pool injuries, and those are more common than actual diving injuries.

 

[billgraham]

No.

 

[Storker]

I wouldn't bother with the Rescue Diver Course other than to know how to perform CPR

I guess it's up to the instructor (again).

But my RD class was one of the most useful diving classes I've taken. It taught me how I respond to a stressful emergency situation, and subsequently how I can improve that response. Sure, the scenarios were quite contrived, but still. It got my adrenaline up and it showed me how I might react if SHTF in a serious way.

If you've been in a real emergency situation, you tend to appreciate any half-realistic training you've received.

 

[tursiops]

These uploads should give you a better understanding of diving in general. I wouldn't bother with the Rescue Diver Course other than to know how to perform CPR, unless it is a requirement for further advancement.

I know you are just trying to be helpful, but those are not the latest versions of the Navy manual, the NOAA manual, or the Wreck Specialty manual.
Most people think Rescue is one of the best courses they have taken.