Going Professional

[marrrrrk]

Hello

I have only been diving for six months, having done my open water and have only done 30 dives, some in Curacao and some in Taganga, Columbia but I have become addicted and can’t stop thinking about my next dive. This has led me to consider diving professionally. I understand the certification process, but I just have a few questions and am interested in how and where other people have done their training.

I definitely want to do my Divemaster (bearing in mind i'm only OW, so need advanced OW and Rescue diver), but should I stop at this or should I also link it to the instructor development course. Also should I do an internship or practical experience, presumably an internship makes you more employable.

Where have other people done their certification, how was it and how much did it roughly cost? I hear of people doing it for free while working for the company, is this possible and where have people done this?

I would be very grateful of any help.

Thanks very much

Mark

 

[MSilvia]

Congratulations on your certification, and good luck with your dive career! I can totally relate to your addiction, but while I don't mean to discourage you, unfortunately I can't be of much help with advice about going pro. After finishing rescue, I decided I wanted to focus on my own diving instead of focusing on training and guiding other divers, so I continued my education by learning about decompression diving and mixed gasses instead.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of helpful advice from those that have been down the road you're considering, but what I will recommend is not rushing into it. Take some time to enjoy diving for fun. The experience you build can only make you a better DM/AI/Instructor when you get to that point.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Mark

Nice to see that addiction...I would say to anyone wanting to go pro. Wait. You only have 30 or so dives. Dive the hell out of your gear. Get your own gear if you have not done so yet. Dive the crap out of it. Dive in different conditions. Get your advanced, rescue and some other advanced training. and dive some more. Hook up with a more experienced diver and dive with them, learn all you can and paractice what you learned.

Go work part time in a dive shop, see how it works. Take your DM course and work as a DM. See if that is what you want to do...Now dive somemore. Work with students and various instructors. Be the best DM possible. Now you would be really ready to go either instructor or if you want to go a more adventurous way..Commercial diver. Or even the Millitary.

But do not rush to become a Pro yet....it will be there when your ready. Right now..you are not.

safe dives

 

[elmo6s]

Mark,
I would highly recommend taking the AOW (easy) and the Rescue Course and see how you feel from there. The first OW course is definately more study intensive than the AOW (basically 5 fun dives), but when you hit Rescue, and especially Divemaster, there is a LOT of studying to do (emphasis on DM). I'm just as addicted as you are - but you have to be absolutely dedicated to go past the Rescue level. So, in short, my advice is to get some more experience and training before you make the call to go pro. Good luck! Not trying to discourage you, rather trying to help you make an informed decision.
Alex
(Divemaster in Training - almost done!)

 

[GA Under Water]

From PADI Website

Your adventure into the professional levels of recreational diving begins with the PADI Divemaster program. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, in this program you expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills to the professional level. PADI Divemaster training develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers. During the PADI Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems. You put this knowledge into action through an internship or series of practical training exercises.

• Knowledge Development: 12 topics ranging from dive theory to assisting student divers in training
• Prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), 20 logged dives, 18 years old.
• Minimum Number of Logged Dives: 60 for certification as PADI Divemaster

 

[scarefaceDM]

As you can see they do not call for much experience....Business side of things..the more they sell the more they sell.

Practical side...that course has its flaws and then some.

Your best to prepare yourself prior to doing that course. depending on the instructor that is teaching it. When I did mine..it was very physically demanding. We did more than what was called for..because the instructor wanted to push hard to make us that much better. We did the standards and some just passed, which was not good enough for the instructor..so we all worked harder to make the maximum points thanks to a great instructor who accepted nothing but the best. So it all depends on the instructor who does not adhere to standards but goes further to improve on them.