OP
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The going rate for DM
- Thread starter opie
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$650 with us... great program
Mr Carcharodon
Contributor
So let me see I can summarize the above posts correctly. You want to pay $800 up front, and on an ongoing basis pay $400 per year for a class where you will get no meaningful training. And after the class you will be qualified to be an un-paid assistant who hustles tanks around and cleans toilets.
Yeah, sounds like a rocking good idea to me. Sorry to blunt but this part of the dive industry looks a lot more like a pyramid scheme than a class.
Dive Master $337.00 Pay before Dec. 31 and you have all next year to complete.
This is a LDS thats within driving distance to the OP.
This is a LDS thats within driving distance to the OP.
Work paid for all of my DM work, I think it was about $500 and I don't think the crew pack was included in that.
If I had $500 - $600 to spend I would have put in into a Fundies course and forget the DM. But free is free.
If I had $500 - $600 to spend I would have put in into a Fundies course and forget the DM. But free is free.
As many have said, it depends upon what you have included.
Mine was $500 for the course...intership program. This did NOT include the crewpack on the front end, nor the application fee ($71.50??) to PADI at the tail end. Insurance, if I recall, runs around $450/year or so.
Mine was $500 for the course...intership program. This did NOT include the crewpack on the front end, nor the application fee ($71.50??) to PADI at the tail end. Insurance, if I recall, runs around $450/year or so.
I'm not sure what you mean by no meaningful training. There's a lot of academic material covered that go deeper into the physics. You could learn that on your own but such is true of most course material. Mainly what you learn is leadership and how to be observant of others. And it's part of the path to instructor.
As far as benefits it's true that DM pay is hardly lucrative but YMMV. Most probably get free air fills and shop discounts. My shop asks instructors to give a soft "tip speech" early in the class and it makes a world of difference. Most people are happy to tip but just don't know that the DMs are unpaid. It makes no difference to me. I've accepted classes knowing tips would be nada but I've also had classes where I left with over $100. I've gotten to lead FG dive trips that run $500 a pop, that more than covers costs right there. Then there is the staff Xmas party like a few nights ago, a tasty fajita dinner with endless pitchers of frozen margaritas, mmmm.....
I think DMs fall into two groups: those who make a brief stop as DM (because they have to) on the way to OWSI, and others (like me) who get there and then say "stuff that for a game of soldiers", and let it lapse and get relegated to being a rescue diver again.
People who remain a DM for life? I am guessing that is a pretty rare breed.
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