Should I get DM cert (for fun), or something else?

[Shafqat Ahmed]

I have no interest in becoming a professional diver, but I really enjoy chasing mastery in my hobbies (even though I'm never going to attain it). I enjoy learning for the sake of learning; the classroom portion of scuba certs are a breeze for me.

I mostly just dive on vacation in tropical destinations these days, though I got my all my certs in cold water (California).

I'm Rescue certified with 100+ dives. I average 20 dives/year on vacation, so I think I'm unlikely to attain significant growth from organic dives alone. I'm interested in taking more classes/training to supplement this, purely for the fun of learning and improving skills. The Rescue cert gave me a small taste but I want more.

A 2-4 week DM course in Bali sounds like fun, but I've often read on these forums that it's a waste of time & money. Given my goals, would it be a good fit for me? Are there any other courses/training I should look into instead?

 

[happy-diver]

Mate just go do the DM for both fun and for something else

and just remember that none of the people on these forums are you

which some of them would do well to remember as well, too

 

[seaj]

I was in a similar position a couple of years ago. Wanting to grow as a diver but not really wanting to be a full-time dive pro. To some extent, I'm still in that position an probably always will be!

The DM course will certainly increase your knowledge and is good training. However, a good portion of the course is focused on professionalism and properly interacting and supporting students and instructors. The goal is for you to focus on others, not yourself and it can be a larg part of the course.

An alternative, or even an intermediate step, is the NAUI Master Diver course. The course covers a wide range of dive topics, (equipment, environment, physics, physiology, decompression, search & recovery, etc.) In my opinion, it's a perfect fit for your stated objective. I think it's one of the top recreational courses offered by any dive organizations.

For me, taking that first made the DM course a breeze.

 

[rongoodman]

If you're interested in improving your skills you'd be better off taking GUE Fundies or maybe a cavern class.

 

[Pressurehead]

Mate just go do the DM for both fun and for something else

An alternative, or even an intermediate step, is the NAUI Master Diver course

Either or, just do as you please.
Dive and have fun.

There is an off chance you may actually learn something, just joking.

Edit: I wrote "just joking" as some here my get their knickers in a twist.

 

[Angelo Farina]

In most organisations a dive msster is less than an instructor.
My experience is opposite, for me a DM is way beyond being an instructor.
I was certified as a Cmas instructor when I was 20, and I taught in the diving school of my town for 5 years. During which I ramped uo to a 3-stars CMAS instructor level.
Still I was not a DM.
Only at 25 years I stepped into the professional world, starting working in diving resorts as instructor and DM.
Being a DM is much more challenging and dangerous than teaching to beginners in a pool or in 5 meters of waters in the sea.
A DM often has the responsibility of a group of very expert divers, conducting challenging dives, including deco and overhead environments.
You are responsible for the safety of all of them, and this is very challenging.
So I consider that a DM is the ultimate level of proficience.
If you want to be at the top in this sport, becoming a good DM is the ultimate level.
However, a DM course does not make a real DM.
You need at least a couple of years working in resorts and conducting groups of divers at very different levels for becoming a real DM.
In this field the certification card has really a low value. It is the experience conducting groups in different environments which qualifies a good DM.
So, if you are not going to work as a professional DM, you will not become a really good DM, just getting the DM card. That is just the starting point...

 

[MidOH]

Based on the above, DM sounds like a nightmare. Diving is recreation for me. I dont need another crappy job.

Fundies, advanced nitrox & deco, rebreather.

Dont go the pro route with classes, if you dont want to go pro.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Take a Cavern course. It will change your skills in the water. Best course I have taken.

 

[Marie13]

Go to Mexico and take a cavern course. It can be done single tank. Then do some cenote diving.

 

[VikingDives]

Can a DM class be fun? Sure. Will you learn some new skills? Probably not directly. You'll work on core recreational skills so you can do those to demonstration quality... You can spend your time in the water working on things like trim and positioning, but you'll learn far more from a properly taught cavern course.

I'd be suspicious of anyone who would let you take a cavern course in a single tank though. A single tank is within standards for most agencies, but if an instructor is willing to teach in a single tank, that probably isn't the best instructor for a cavern course.