SDI DM post grad?

[stuartv]

I am considering pursuing my SDI Divemaster certification. But, I cannot seem to find any information on the SDI website or here on SB to tell me what to expect after I complete the certification.

Do I have some kind of annual fee I have to start paying to maintain my DM cert? If so, what happens if I don't pay it? If I go through a period of not doing any DM work and not paying DM annual fees to SDI, then I decide to become active again, what happens? Do I just pay the annual fee to reactivate my DM card?

Do I have to be affiliated with a shop? What exactly does that mean, to be affiliated with a shop?

If I am not affiliated with a shop what does that mean? I have no professional liability insurance to cover any diving activities that I am involved in? Can I get that insurance on my own? Is it prohibitively expensive if I'm not affiliated with a shop?

Can I be affiliated with more than one shop?

If I am affiliated with a shop, does that put any requirements on me to work for the shop? I'm guessing that is just up to the individual shop?

Does it cost a shop something to have me be affiliated with them?

TIA!

 

[sheeper]

sent you a lengthy PM with some answers for you!

 

[stuartv]

In case anyone comes along later and reads this thread looking for info, what I have now learned is this:

If I take the class and get my SDI DM cert, I pay the SDI Pro fee (I think $50, but not positive), and I am now officially an SDI DM. But, I am not affiliated with any shop and I don't have to be. I don't have insurance until I either buy it for myself or a shop adds me to their policy.

If I work it out with a shop to become affiliated with them, they may or may not add me to their insurance. If I do very little work for them, probably not. If I work for them a lot, maybe so.

If I'm not covered by a shop's insurance, I would be wise to get my own individual coverage. I used this link to get a quote for individual "dive pro" insurance:

Dive Insurance for Instructors, Facilities and Dive Vessels | SDI | TDI | ERDI

It came out to $530-something per year for normal recreational diving. An additional $45/year if I were leading Tech dives (but I'm making no assertions that they would pay out if I were leading Tech dives without a Tech DM cert). There's another add-on charge for leading CCR dives, but I didn't check that.

The "pro fee" to SDI is an annual thing. So, to be a totally independent SDI certified DM, with insurance, it would cost around, roughly $600 per year.

 

[sheeper]

The "pro fee" to SDI is an annual thing. So, to be a totally independent SDI certified DM, with insurance, it would cost around, roughly $600 per year.

and of course another $5,000 or more in gear

 

[stuartv]

and of course another $5,000 or more in gear

I'm already Tech certified (TDI AN/DP) with all my own gear. I can't think of any more gear I would possibly have to buy! I know some shops might insist that I do DM work in, for example, an integrated BCD instead of a BP/W. I will ask questions like that ahead of time. If the shop requires that and isn't going to provide me that kind of equipment to use as part of my DM course tuition, then I'll find a different shop to train with before I spend my own money to buy their equipment. I have hoses laying around. I can configure my regs however they want, if they don't like the bungee necklace arrangement.

 

[underH2Oman]

Regarding insurance- If you get insurance through the shop remember to check and see if you have coverage when you are on your own. Insurance can very by region so make sure you k now what you have. Here in Canada I insure all my DM, AI or instructor through the shop policy, but it only covers them while working for the shop. If they are not on a shop event (pool, trip, class, etc) they do not have coverage under the policy.

 

[tursiops]

Regarding insurance- If you get insurance through the shop remember to check and see if you have coverage when you are on your own. Insurance can very by region so make sure you k now what you have. Here in Canada I insure all my DM, AI or instructor through the shop policy, but it only covers them while working for the shop. If they are not on a shop event (pool, trip, class, etc) they do not have coverage under the policy.

I think this restriction on shop-provided insurance is pretty common. But for what Stuart wants to do, he is going to need his own insurance anyway.

 

[sheeper]

Stuart...there is ALWAYS more gear

 

[Oldbear]

 

[Hawkwood]

Forget dive gear. It's the crap and tools to fix everybody else's stuff, emergency O2, first aid stuff, AED, etc. That's the expectation here when "leading" dives.