Thinking about doing the DM course...

[Hostage]

I have been wishy/washing about doing this the past 2 years. I thought I had finally brushed off taking the course, though after talking to a diver I respect a lot, it might have changed my mind. This buddy is a DM and has more regs (mostly double hose) in his basement than any dive shop I have ever seen. He suggested it would be a great next course for me. As he said it, it seems to give it more credence. I know more DMs than I do OW divers and I thought the field is just over saturated.

I led my first dive the other day and I really enjoyed it. The wrecks that I have dove many time seem to become a lot more interesting as I showed friends things that were new to them. It feels like I can only dive a site so many times, before I get bored with it. Though showing someone these "boring" sites, is a lot of fun. I have no interest in quitting my day job and it seems like a great opportunity to learn to lead more dives in my club.

I am looking at 3 shops that i could take the course with. Two are just PADI, the other one is SSI and PADI. The later is by far the cheapest and they are the newest. I think they are looking for DM's, so it gives me more chances to dive. I did take a couple of classes with them, the first year they opened and I could tell they were new to the game. I think they are better organized as it has been 2 years, since I did my rescue class. I also like them the best, personality wise. I also worry with the other two as they are so established, they seem not to need any more DM's.

So in all, I don't want to do it for the money, but I do enjoy being a "tour guide" on a wreck. I like the guys who own the place that is offering it the cheapest, though I still worry they might not have all the kinks out. At the same time as they are so new and they are in need of DMs.

-Hostage

 

[Karibelle]

I can't speak to SSI, but as far as PADI DM goes, one of the required materials is the current Instructor Manual. So as a DM candidate, you'll have access to the information about what is supposed to be included in your course and all of the requirements you're supposed to meet... thus making "working the kinks out" something that perhaps you and your instructor can do together. That is, at that level of training I believe it's partially your responsibility to ensure you are getting everything you are due.

Having said that, I also believe that in many cases, you get what you pay for, and again, at that level, it's much more about what the course involves than how much it costs, IMO. In a PADI DM program all the requirements are the same, but they're not all presented in the same way across all dive shops, nor is there the same amount of mentoring and experience provided by all dive shops.

Good luck in making your choice!

 

[TMHeimer]

Good idea to go with the shop that needs DMs. I have asked in about 4 different shops in the States (when we snowbird) if they could use a DM should someone not be able to make a class. All say they have more DMs than they know what to do with. Plus it is a common belief that shops like to hire their own as they know how they were trained. Good idea to check with the shop as to what you'd be doing when you are on staff (and the pay, even if you're not doing it for the $).

 

[underH2Oman]

So if I understand you correctly you are not wanting to become an active working divemaster. You are just wanting to guide divers for enjoyment.
Have you done a list of pros and cons? as well as the associated costs. (annual renewals and insurance can be a few hundred a year even if you do nothing) Every persons list can will very but it is a good start. If you require the DM cert for your club that may be another issue but there is nothing stopping you from diving with a buddy and showing them around. If you are familiar and know what they want to see, let them know to follow you and your buddy and take them past what they want to see.

My advice is to take the money you were going to spend on becoming a DM and visit a few new dive sites. Some you might enjoy more and then you can take some friends to them as well.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you are looking to improve your diving and want some appropriate courses, take your time, look around, and think about what might be available. You might take an Introduction to Technical Diving course, for example. That course does not cost much and does does not commit you to becoming a technical diver, but what it does do is teach you a whole lot of good diving methodology. This especially includes a great emphasis on buoyancy control and advanced kicking techniques. If you decide technical diving is not the thing for you, you will come out of the course as a better diver and be a better dive leader. I wish the DM candidates I teach had taken that class first.

 

[TSandM]

I have found working with classes to be a great deal of fun (most of the time). And taking new people to dive sites definitely makes you remember what you found exciting about them when you first dove them.

There are other ways to reinvigorate your diving, though. You can try to push your skill to a new level (take a look at the 5thD-X videos on YouTube). Or you can pick up a camera -- I guarantee you won't get bored with that in a hurry!

 

[mathauck0814]

I'm struggling with the correlation of number of regulators in ones basement to amount of credence to be given to ones' advice.

Less than 100 dives and wants to be a DM. This story is seemingly coming up more and more frequently. The economy must be recovering and people have money to blow on unnecessary training that won't make them better divers?

Just go diving.

 

[DownbelowDiver]

...I have no interest in quitting my day job and it seems like a great opportunity to learn to lead more dives in my club... I don't want to do it for the money, but I do enjoy being a "tour guide"...

-Hostage

Hi Hostage

Being a PADI Divemaster comes with a lot of responsibility as you are leading a dive and acting the role model of safety, and as you say, there’s a lot of excitement to be found too!

And by all means, don’t quit your day job because there aren’t many dive operators solely offering their clients leisure dives, but PADI Instructors are in demand because of their instructional range to conduct PADI courses and programs. They can even qualify PADI Divemasters!

As your mentor delivers each step of the curriculum, the workshops is where all dive training will be put into practice (this is the initial dive training and is simulated). The final assessment will be experience-based, but even in a real scenario you will be under the direct supervision of an Instructor.

If you have 1 month to spare, you should consider a PADI Divemaster internship program with our premier PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre in Borneo.

PADI Divemaster | IDC Asia

The dive training is roughly 10 days, but within a month you will get so much real dive experience and an awesome holiday too, with UNLIMITED scuba diving you can take advantage of!
Not only can you follow our dive boat to explore the marine park where we are based, but you will be offered a discount on all travel packages our Travel Centre offer. And the world class Sipadan Island is only a hop on a plane, a skip onto a boat and a jump away from Sabah’s capital city Kota Kinabalu…and we’ll arrange it for you!

Add us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date on our activities so you get a better picture of what you can experience here in exotic and tropical Borneo!
We keep diving because it’s fun, Hostage! So this is most important: HAVE FUN!

 

[sheeper]

Being a DM is great. Working as a DM is a LOT of work!
Before going the DM route, you should be sure your skills are sharp. Take a course like SDI Solo Diver to really refine and sharpen skills. Remember, if you are the DM in the water, you are the "go to guy"! Being self-reliant is critical.

There are LOTS of people with a DM cert card. However, a working DM has to pay their annual "pro" member fees to the dive agency AND maintain professional insurance. I strongly suggest also personal DAN insurance. Working as a DM means you need to focus on the divers and their safety. It is more than being a tour guide. You have actual responsibility.

Diving up there in Rochester, NY is a bit different than here on Florida's Treasure Coast. I could DM every day (but I need my real day job!) and dive all year round. And the choices for training are varied. I went with SDI/TDI as I find their program to be better defined.

 

[herman]

Just to put a dollar perspective on it, assuming your DM class is done correctly you will be close to $1000 out of pocket before you are done. Unless you really want to work with classes and maybe become an instructor some day, you will be much better off taking other classes or just diving.