My journey towards the three stars (3*)

[Germie]

Well, things really are different in different countries. Our 3* syllabus includes:
17 theory sessions, each about 45 minutes, plus the theory exam
4 practical sessions topside
10 ocean dives, however the instructor has some freedom to combine some of them as long as the necessary skills are covered and mastered by the student.

I'd be hard pressed to do that in a weekend...

We had a book, but no real exam. This is now changed, a new book. I haven't looked yet if there is an exam or not. There was a chapter about decompressiontheory, a lot of people did not like it, haha.
I have done a lot of courses (sports, hobby, work, not only diving) by only doing an exam. I prefer the option to do self-study. I need agencies or instructors who can give you this freedom. There is nothing wrong with self study. But as for a lot of things, not for everybody. I did my 3* with an instructor I paid for as I needed some progress. In my club it was group theory sessions, and it would take almost a year and nobody had time. I needed the 3* or DM fast, so decided to pay for it. The 3* fitted best as you don't have extra costs for fee or insurance.

The biggest difference between cmas and other agencies is how fast you can get a cert. Not the overal quality, that is ok with all. Within cmas it is normally slow. it is in clubs, so voluntary, etc. You must like it. I am still a cmas member and instructor and commercial instructor, but have done all my courses by paying for it, the commercial way. I had no time to progress only 1 cert a year, I am a person that want it now. Of course I have in my club people who do not like the commercial agencies or certs, but there is no proof that the quality is bad. If you have time then the club is an option. But as the instrucors do it as a hobby, they have a normal job also, so a no, no time this weekend is normal. If you pay for a course, you pay for the instrucrtor, so the instructor is there when it fits you. That is the biggest difference. Commercial instructors have paid a lot to become instructor. And if they teach higher levels such as tech, the costs were really high. The commercial instructor had and has its costs that has to be covered. And even then it will take 10 years or never to earn it back. That is why diving has its price. Faster is more expensive in money, but cheaper in time. Slower can be cheaper in money, but more expensive in time.
A cmas course on a club is most times only planned if there are more than 1 persons who want to do it.

 

[Storker]

I had no time to progress only 1 cert a year, I am a person that want it now.

And I wanted to get some experience in different situations and different types of dives before progressing to the next level. Given the amount of diving needed to get that experience and the amount of diving I do (typically some 30-ish dives/year), that takes time.

The only certs I've ever taken with less than a year of diving inbetween was my OWD and my AOW.

 

[Germie]

And I wanted to get some experience in different situations and different types of dives before progressing to the next level. Given the amount of diving needed to get that experience and the amount of diving I do (typically some 30-ish dives/year), that takes time.

The only certs I've ever taken with less than a year of diving inbetween was my OWD and my AOW.

I dove and dive 4-6 times a week, just as hobby. So in 10 months I did open water, aow,icediving, and 3* and had 200 dives. That is completely different from 30 dives a year. 2 years after my open water I did my first 100m dive and qualifying dive for full tx. That was dive 521. 18 months after ow I was full cave certified, dive 390.
So you need to do how you think is the best way. There is nothing wrong with doing it more slowly, but for me a club way was too slow. Just my personal opinion as I still teach in a club and sometimes see divers who want to progress also faster, but can't do that in a club. Others don't mind and take more than 1 year for a next level.

 

[Storker]

you need to do how you think is the best way.

Bottom line, eh?

 

[leadduck]

A friend who teaches both PADI DM and CMAS*** (commercially, not in a club) explained to me that their content is similar, but in CMAS you get a lot more theory (physics, gas planning, staged decompression, physiology, ...) already at the CMAS* and CMAS** level, compared to PADI AOWD and RD which have only little theory. So the PADI DM student has to learn more new theory that the CMAS*** student already had before.

 

[Germie]

Bottom line, eh?

cmas is mostly slower and cheaper in money, more expensive in time. No safety issues.

 

[admikar]

A friend who teaches both PADI DM and CMAS*** (commercially, not in a club) explained to me that their content is similar, but in CMAS you get a lot more theory (physics, gas planning, staged decompression, physiology, ...) already at the CMAS* and CMAS** level, compared to PADI AOWD and RD which have only little theory. So the PADI DM student has to learn more new theory that the CMAS*** student already had before.

^^This. Every new level is just building up on theory, except for leadership part on level 3.
Since I (and every single one of my companions) had to pass core skills before, skills for *** are surface swims of 1000 m with gear and 1200 m with fins, mask and snorkel, compass navigation (you need to hit a 15 m "gate" from about 500 m maintaining depth of 5 m with 0,5 m allowed deviation), simulated deco dives, rescue of unconscious diver from 20 m, dive while being dive leader (briefings, control of your "group", safety protocols etc). Of course, this dive is done with instructor right behind you and only experienced divers. Also, this dive was the hardest for me, since entire group is poised to mess you up ( one perks of being in a "friendly" club environment).
What I like about CMAS philosophy is that some people were outright denied a training on grounds of their "maturity". As my instructor once said: Since most of the people I teach will be diving with me later, I prefer someone to be angry at me, than to clean up their mess.
Those people are welcome to go somewhere else and get their certs, but until deemed ready, will not lead in our club.
Prerequisites are compressor, boat, oxygen provider and CPR licences.
Also, if you wish to act as DM, you must have insurance.

 

[Storker]

this dive was the hardest for me, since entire group is poised to mess you up ( one perks of being in a "friendly" club environment).

There's nothing like bad friends, right?

 

[admikar]

There's nothing like bad friends, right?

Understatement, to say the least.
Upside, I'm considered experienced now.

 

[barth]

cmas is mostly slower and cheaper in money, more expensive in time. No safety issues.

It’s funny /ironic. Here at cmas/nob 1/3 of the divers is instructor. There are a lot of instructors at cmas/nob. All my cmas/nob dive buddy’s are instructor. (But it is hard to find a (good) instructor to give a training.)

But it’s also said, almost all my cmas/nob dive buddy’s told me about things the didn’t like about their diveclub. Like a cavediver who is telling me that a instructor is teaching students to do a backkick while the instructor isn’t able to do a backkick by himself. The cavediver did offer the diveclub to do the training by himself. But the diveclub told him that another person will do the training (who isn’t able to perform a backkick by himself). Almost every cmas/nob buddyhave stories like that.

But there are still a lot of great cmas/nob divers. But like most agency’s it’s important which instructor you chose, because 1/3 of the divers is instructor and some instructors are much better than other instructors.