The dissenting opinion I often see about DM training that is the training is about teaching skills and not about diving knowledge and skills….I disagree with that. I did the PADI DM course this last summer and I feel that only a small part of the course is about working with students or other DM conducted programs. Much of the course is about revisiting the basics of underwater skills for the recreational diver and showing mastery of them to a higher level of critique than before. It is true that the primary purpose of this is to have demonstration quality skills in order to show how the skill is done, but the benefit to the DM student is more of a feeling of being tuned in to what is going on underwater and having a better ability to deal with task loading situations. I found the bookwork part of the course rewarding as well. Overall I believe the DM course gives you a good foundation to build upon for future learning about diving. After the course I found that subsequent dives were more rewarding. The Assistant Instructor and Instructor courses are focused on teaching skills. The DM course is the last in the line of the Going Pro succession that involves diving skills.
It is true that the other way to pursue becoming a "better" diver is through technical training. That will involve underwater skills and bookwork as well...they are not the same as what is covered in the DM course. Going tech also involves equipment changes that you'll have to make that push the overall cost much higher than the DM course. There are some skills taught in tech diving that I think should be part of the recreational curriculum (like trim/weighting techniques, streamlining of gear, fining techniques, gas management, and the value of slower ascent rates). These can be studied to a certain extent without official training, and there is training for these you can do after the DM course if that is what interests you. I have been considering going some tech training, but the more I think about it the more I have been leaning away from it in favor of just going out diving.
In terms of tips, here is what I can offer:
- If the LDS you are doing the training through has a pool, then go and practice the skills in between classes. I suggest especially working on the buoyancy skills…you’ll probably need to move weights around on you so you can maintain a static position on the water and not turtle or have floaty feet.
- Buy your multilevel dive wheel now…learn it and start practicing with it. There are only a handful of questions that require doing the multilevel calculations, but still it is nice to now have to sit there scratching your head on the exam. The classroom session on the wheel was really fast for us, so you have to have practiced with it before hand.
- In addition to completing the knowledge reviews, do the workbook sections and review what you highlighted in the books when reading in preparation for the knowledge review. It will make the class more rewarding because you will retain more afterwards….so basically you’ll get more for your money and time.
