if you could do DM over again, what would you do differently?

[oreocookie]

I'll be starting my DM internship in about 2 and a half weeks and I'm really excited about it. Right now, since I can't start my academics yet (only getting the crew pack when I get to Roatan), I'm looking for advice about the whole experience. If you could have a do-over on your DM course or internship, what would you do differently, if anything?

Any aspect of the course or internship is fair game here; focusing too much/not enough on a certain portion of the course, not getting to know fellow DMTs better, etc.

 

[TMHeimer]

I would do the 5 months of once weekly into the city pool to train for the 400 swim. BEFORE starting the course. I would google (now available) sites where you can view the 20 basic skills.

 

[DevonDiver]

I wouldn't change anything about how I did my DM course. I devoted nearly every weekend for 18 months, doing an internship in the UK, but took referral paperwork with me on several holidays to get experience/sign-off for the 'guiding certified divers' components in a holiday/warm-water location (Thailand). I logged over 250 dives on the course alone... and the UK dive center allowed me to pick-up, for free/cost of manual, multiple specialty certifications by assisting (in-training) the instructors on those courses.

I learned an awful lot about teaching, multiple instructor styles, dive logistics and safety from that prolonged and diverse training. It made taking my subsequent BSAC and PADI instructor courses a breeze. The cold-water training did a lot to improve my situational awareness and control. UK diving regulations meant I got a quick handle on risk assessments and paperwork. The time spent in warm-water internship meant I understood the different demands of 'mass-market' recreational diving in a 'holiday' environment.

Best advice I can give is: Don't rush it. You get out of it, what you put into it. Of course, you need to find an instructor/center that allows you to define what you can put into it. 'Off-the-shelf' minimum/fixed duration 'courses' would never allow that. Fast-track courses never deliver.... and 'Zero-to-Hero' schemes are falsely labelled....they don't produce heros. 2-4 weeks of training won't make much difference to the 'zero'...

 

[k ellis]

I would learn to swim before I took the course and not during the course. It almost killed me LOL

 

[TSandM]

First off, I would have glommed onto the best DM around me at demonstration skills, and I would have begged, pleaded and pestered him or her to work with me, one on one, to master doing all the skills beautifully. That's one place where I don't think I'm as good a DM as I could be.

Second, I'd have swum, and swum, and swum . . . the DM swim tests aren't difficult to pass, but they're difficult to get high scores on.

Otherwise, I enjoyed my class. Working with students was (and is) great fun and always a learning experience.

 

[tc]

Wouldn't change a thing.

I spent 9 months working with actual classes in a busy shop and gained a ton of experience that the short courses can't possibly match.

 

[tracydr]

Doing my DM right now.
I would have done more to get in better shape. I passed the swim tests with decent scores but it wasn't easy.
I also would have gone through all the basic skills and practiced them before hand, using a mentor or you-tube videos as a guide to the basic critical skills.
finally, I would practice buddy breathing a lot, before my class started. Don't remember the last time, before this summer that I shared a single regulator with someone.
My OW was nearly 20 years ago so some of the basic skills were sort of "new" since you don't really do some of them exactly how you would for a demo.
Finally, read all the materials, including the Instructor Manual and Encyclopedia. There is a lot of really important information spread all through there.

 

[Divejones]

i topped the scores incl academics, well, i took a long time, like Devondiver says, don't rush it, relish it, every moment is fun, incl further readings on the academics a lot of materiel available on the net, relevant or not, doesn't matter, good to know them, for sure, i remember working my ass off in the nearby lake swimming for hours on end, to get it right

 

[Ste Wart]

Look to get educated beyond what the course offers.

20 skills: well the're all on the PADI OW vid, just watch and repeat. Too easy (I had 20 dives when I completed this part)
Watermanship: Very easy, don't focus on getting 5's it matters little beyond bragging rights.
Academics: Plug away at the Encyclopedia every night, you can DL from torrent sites so there is no excuse for not being up to speed when you arrive in Roatan.
DMTs are arrogant by Nature !!!They will assume the dive god complex: within moments of taking hold of the manual, and more-often-than-not, know less than the average OW diver. Socialise with them in the evenings (Sundowners being my recommendation) but do not heed their advice, this is what your mentor is for.

Learn the compressor! Sounds daft but many DM courses don't have basics like filling tanks, and this is a big part of the job!
Equipment Maintenance/Repair: You are next to useless if you can't fix most hisses and leaks that creep up on dayboats with customers and shop equipment. Get a member of the shop to run you through stripping and servicing the shop regs. It will save you money later on (for your own kit) and will make you more competent while on Guided dives.
Gas Blending: Ok an extra course, but one that doesn't require an Instructor ticket, again makes you more useful in the shop.
Sales ability: Know the products you are selling, not only courses but dive sites/ dive trips. You are often the first point of contact for a customer, and the title 'Dive Master' is there for a reason.
Look for professionalism: If your mentor isn't adhering to standards; neither will you. Check they have slates for all CW/OW training and that they are the proper PADI ones, it looks professional. Snorkels: wear one! Whether you think it is useful or not, OW students look to you as an example, regardless of how they are viewed after the course.
Learn the dive sites: Not just how they look, but how they react to the time and tides; not such an issue on Roatan but elsewhere punctuality and knowledge of high water can be crucial. Risk assessment is part of the dive professional's job description.
Pack the boat yourself: Don't rely on others, you are the dive master, you must verify the O2 is there; full and functional, spare kits, all tanks etc etc. Within the first week you should be excelling in this to show the shop you are worth having around.
Be Punctual: The rum is free flowing on Roatan and so are the parties, you have the rest of your time there to Party, wait until your DM is finished then hit the Monkey La-las.

 

[oreocookie]

Thanks for the insight and advice, guys. The Wart, your response was more than I could have asked for. I got an old (2008, i think) copy of the instructor manual but hadn't thought to look for the encyclopedia as well, duh.