Too soon?

[dutch-scuba-kid]

Maybe you can help me out with this. It's not so much of a problem. More like a general wondering which I would like to know your opinions on.
I'm currently taking up the 2*CMAS course (Rescue Diver) and my dad who's been diving for about a decade longer than me is taking up the 3*CMAS (Dive Master) course. We are still working on the theory. Open water skills will follow soon. Next month or so.
Well, I was just studying the theory for my course from the book. And I have to say, it's not that complicated. My dad on the other hand, who hadn't looked in a book for 7 years, had a lot of trouble with his course. So when I was finished and I understood everything I decided to do hís course together. So after a while I started explaining things to him and stuff, making my dad realize I also knew the Dive Master theory.
So on the last theory night, my dad told the instructor about it. Shortly after... the instructor comes up to me, saying I can take both the 2* exam, as well as the 3* exam.
While actually, I should do my 2* exam, then do the open water skills, and then do a minimum of 40 open water dives as experience, before I could move on with the 3* course! So I have to say.. I'm doing it pretty fast. But, being the pessimistic guy that I am, I found a downside.
I'm worried, that if I will take both exams and pass them, I won't look in the book anymore for years, and start to forget things, since there's no need for the book anymore anyway.
Knowing I want to be a diving instructor (don't worry, I'll switch to PADI in a few years. ), I really can't afford to forget these things (I think.).
So, I'm willing to take both the exams, but I was thinking about not having my 3* diver theory marked off yet. So I would have to take it again in a few years (keeps me sharp. hehehe). Everybody I know tells me I'm crazy and I should just have it marked off if I will pass for it.
So what's your opinion? Would love to hear some.
Thanks.

Ramón.

 

[simbrooks]

Ramon, the difference between you and your Dad is he has experience and you being younger have somewhat of a sponge for a brain - you pick up stuff faster (i am sure i will get flamed for this age-ist remark, but i do find it true). However, even if you do the exams, just remember that you are still fairly inexperienced (i am at roughly the same stage as you), book smarts is one thing, but going out and doing what you have been taught, perfecting it, is a whole other thing. Also, i imagine being the dutch-scuba-kid, that you are still in a learning institution of sorts, and as such your mind is more set at this time to pick things up and read to understand - you are in that groove, i imagine your Dad may not have been in that groove for a while - studying and reading to understand theory can be a taxing enterprise when you arent used to doing it every day. BTW, give it some dives before moving further, i am sure you and i and many others could read all the text we need to take exams in stuff, but might not have the experience and skill to truly be "at" that level realistically no matter what the minimum requirements might state.

Also, do i take it the ***CMAS a professional level? IF so, wouldnt you need some kind of liability insurance - thought i read that dive pro's need this even if they are diving recreationally in case something goes wrong and people sue whoever is a pro onboard (cos they should know better and prevent accidents for some reason - or is that just the suing Americans i live in a country with??).

Do the test if you wish (when you hit the min dive requirements), i hope you do reread the stuff you are studying, i am still constantly reading a variety of books on diving and other things i am interested in to keep my knowledge fresh and trying to add to as best i can - but also getting formal instruction to make sure i dont develop bad habits. Every dive is and hopefully will be always a learning experience. Also practice the skills which you learn in each course when you can, preferably a couple each dive to keep fresh!!

 

[H2Andy]

"you being younger have somewhat of a sponge for a brain - you pick up stuff faster (i am sure i will get flamed for this age-ist remark, but i do find it true)."

alas, all too true.

 

[dutch-scuba-kid]

hey Sim (kinda have the feeling that's your name. )

Thanks for your post. And yeah... I guess I do have an advantage over my dad, so maybe I can do it more easily than him, but that doesn't mean I WANT to do it.
I have made just 40 dives at the moment. And I didn't even want to do this 2** course if I would know I wasn't ready for it. (It took me a while thoug before I finally realized that maybe it was time to continue to the next 'level'.)
And I also share your opinion of diving knowledge coming from experience more, rather than from the books.
But I guess it doesn't hurt to take both exams now, but marking them both off, will be a problem. I guess I'll just have them mark off my 2** diver. (But everybody is giving me a hard time about just having them both checked off, because if I will pass, I will be the only one in our dive club history who ever pulled that off... it was tried before, but that person failed. It's not exactly the nobel prize, but it does sound nice to be the only one. hehehe.)
And I'm actually not sure... 3* CMAS is equavelant to Dive Master PADI (or whatever other organisation you want to compare it to) but I think you have to take some extra short course to be able to teach. I'm actually not sure, since I interest myself more for PADI anyway, since that's where my future will be. hehehe.
And ofcourse, I will try to keep it up. Hitting the books as much as possible, and ofcourse what goes for the theory, must go for the open water skills as well. Will try to do them regularly... just to keep up.
Thanks again for your post.
Hoping more will be rolling in soon. Maybe some of you have experience with this?

Ramón.

 

[simbrooks]

The scariest part is that i have 9 years on you (not diving, just chronology), i know even now that my mind isnt quite what it used to be back then!! There is no harm in mentally pushing yourself (sometimes even physically if its safe to do so) and aiming high. I used to have high aims, i started towards some of them and then got disillusioned, but that is definately another thread!!

BTW even with the PADI DM you are only an assistant to the instructor, watching the students, not actually the teacher. Again i am nowhere near that level, not even sure i would want to go into teaching! But this doesnt mean i dont want the knowledge, skills or experience that further education has to offer. It sounds like you are fairly well grounded for a young guy, just make sure when you get these extra qualifications that you dont develop the "swagger with attitude".

 

[dutch-scuba-kid]

It sounds like you are fairly well grounded for a young guy, just make sure when you get these extra qualifications that you dont develop the "swagger with attitude".

Hahaha, I'll make sure of that. I wouldn't want my name to be mentioned in the other thread about lousy buddies.
And thanks again for posting.

 

[voop]

dutch-scuba-kid: noone here can tell you if you're ready to head for the CMAS *** diver-level (which, btw., isn't an "instructor-rating" as such, but may be roughly equal to a PADI DM in that it allows you to lead CMAS * and ** divers on exploration dives -- but iirc NOT assist with divers in training) unless we've been diving with you. I haven't -- but you know you have a standing invitation to come to my neck of the woods to dive almost any time....

As has been repeated in many threads, #dives != experience and #dives != skills. I've seen divers with 20 dives who were excellent divers, and divers with houndreds of dives whos idea of bouyancy would involve oscilating between the positions of "surface" and "bottom". And even the best diver with 20 dives still would lack something in the experience department (there are only so many different environments and situations one can encounter in so many dives...)

I'd say just dive and dive and dive. If you want to become instructor at some point, taking one more or one less exam isn't going to be the big issue anyways. Having water-skills and theory understanding is. Get that (use your "sponge-brain" to absorb anything you can, and your youthfull energy to dive as much as possible), and passing to instructor-level will come naturally.

If you take the exam, then good luck Remember, though, that the card in and by itself doesn't make you a better diver. Becomming an instructor is, similarly, not a goal in and by itself. Becomming a good diver who other people would trust to learn diving from is.....the instructor card just means that the agency you're an instructor for trusts you to follow their written procedures and hand out c-cards.