PADI - DM active vs inactive

[Sharayshe]

Hi all,
Hoping some of you can provide clarity.

What are the benefits for a DM to remain in active status?
The reason for my question is that I am aware of an inactive DM working as a DM at a resort. This person is the only qualified SCUBA professional on staff. The offer lodge offers refreshers, DSD's and DM lead dives.
Should the DM be working as a DM if not in active status?

 

[tursiops]

Hi all,
Hoping some of you can provide clarity.

What are the benefits for a DM to remain in active status?
The reason for my question is that I am aware of an inactive DM working as a DM at a resort. This person is the only qualified SCUBA professional on staff. The offer lodge offers refreshers, DSD's and DM lead dives.
Should the DM be working as a DM if not in active status?

If not in active status, he is not a "qualified scuba professional," he is just a diver. Whether anybody cares is a different issue.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

When I was an active DM, I had to carry liability insurance, DAN emergency oxygen provider, have an up to date certification in first aid, CPR for adult, child and infant. If he/she is inactive then he/she probably doesn't carry any of these. If the dive lodge allows this to happen, you have to question their standards and if they have any type of insurance to cover their divers. I would report this to the proper certification agency.

 

[JackD342]

If that was in the US and some incident or accident occurred, the lodge and the inactive DM would be on the hook for any and all liability without a leg to stand on, or the support of any agency or insurance company. Sounds like they are also misrepresenting those classes and service to their clientele.

Again in the US, for a PADI pro to be active, they need to be "renewed and insured" - current on their annual membership dues, and carry proper professional liability insurance. If inactive for a long enough period of time, there are some added hoops to jump through before returning to active status. Other agencies/regions may differ.

 

[Scuba Scott]

Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Scubaboard. I see you just joined today and this is your first post.
I am wondering if they let it slip the DM was inactive or how you found out?
Most people are not aware that inactive status is even a thing so you must have some knowledge of the pro side of diving.
Have you read any of the posts in the thumbs down section? There are many there like this.

 

[yle]

Hi all,
Hoping some of you can provide clarity.

What are the benefits for a DM to remain in active status?
The reason for my question is that I am aware of an inactive DM working as a DM at a resort. This person is the only qualified SCUBA professional on staff. The offer lodge offers refreshers, DSD's and DM lead dives.
Should the DM be working as a DM if not in active status?

PADI DMs and instructors have to pay their dues to PADI every year to be recognized as "active" members by PADI. This allows the DMs and instructors to get liability insurance also, which is important in the US (as was mentioned above.) An inactive instructor cannot issue certifications, since those have to go through PADI.

The situation you describe, an inactive DM leading dives, giving refreshers and DSDs... is kind of be like a taxi driver having their license suspended (which would prevent them from getting insurance.) Nothing would physically keep them from driving people around in a taxi and collecting fares from customers. But their situation could get... complicated... if something went wrong with a customer.

The DM (and the shop) might feel there isn't much value in sending PADI the dues or having liab insurance if all they do is refreshers, dive guiding and DSDs. But PADI would be very interested to know if the shop is representing itself as a PADI shop and allowing the DM to represent himself to customers as a PADI DM without paying their dues. PADI gets very prickly about that kind of thing.

 

[ChuckP]

Add to the fact, who's number are they using to complete DSD pics if they even are.

Devils advocate here - is this person possibly an active DM with another agency and the shop isn't portraying they are PADI???

 

[JackD342]

Add to the fact, who's number are they using to complete DSD pics if they even are.

Devils advocate here - is this person possibly an active DM with another agency and the shop isn't portraying they are PADI???

OP has not specified an agency.

 

[yle]

OP has not specified an agency.

Title of the thread specifies an agency...

 

[yle]

Add to the fact, who's number are they using to complete DSD pics if they even are.

DSD participants typically have no idea about standards... so it would be very easy to just take them diving and ask "wasn't that fun??" and that's it. We know that PADI wants us to send in paperwork, but since there's no cert associated with it, there's no closing of the "loop", so to speak. Also, PADI requires that the DSD booklet is used for participants now, but it would make sense for shops to skip that if they're already cutting corners (because the little booklets aren't cheap... especially for a shop in a country with a less-than-developed economy... like South Africa.) The participants would never know the difference.

Devils advocate here - is this person possibly an active DM with another agency and the shop isn't portraying they are PADI???

Yep, possibly. Of course "PADI" is kind of synonymous with "tourists you can dive here!" in many parts of the world. But regardless of whether or not the DM was active with another agency, if they're using the PADI name and not paying PADI dues... PADI would definitely consider it shenanigans.