Is dive master worth it?

[TSandM]

If you are just looking for classes to challenge yourself or add interest to your diving, consider an Intro to Tech, or GUE Fundamentals class. You can certainly do Fundies in a single tank, and depending on instructor, you may be allowed to take other agencies' Intro to Techs that way, too. Such classes will emphasize really fine-tuned personal diving skills, as well as introducing some concepts like gas management and a more nuanced approach to ascent strategies and decompression. Best of all, the things you learn in such a class would be immediately applicable and useful to any recreational, single-tank diving you do.

You have a GUE instructor not too far from you -- Steve Blanchard is in Ottawa, and I know he does a lot of diving in the St. Lawrence and in the lake.

 

[TMHeimer]

It was mentioned that being a DM is a good excuse to go diving. I guess you could look at it that way, but you have to remember that you have a lot of responsibility and it is work, not fun dives. If you just want to dive more then just dive more.

 

[Rogersea]

I will echo the position of "if you want to go on to be an instructor then its definitely worth it"... It may also be worth it as incentive to keep you active in the sport at a relatively low cost(assisting with courses, discounted trips).

My current position assuming that you will not pursue becoming an instructor is to take the money you would have invested in DM training and spend it on doing a bunch of local dives or take a great dive trip where you end up making 20+ dives and get a lot of new experiences.

Since you have already taken at a minimum three courses it is time to exercise the skills you already have.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[gcbryan]

If you don't have a desire to be an instructor there is no reason to be a DM unless your girlfriend/boyfriend is an instructor and you want to help out for that reason.

Otherwise, you are better off getting away from the whole structured dive class environment and find your own dive buddies and go out and dive and get some experience.