Question True requirements to deserve the title of Master Diver???

[elgringoperdido]

Some of you think you're master divers, or that you're becoming master divers? No. Not remotely close. Not ever. Master scuba divers, maybe, but not master divers. You're appropriating a position that people who earned it in the Navy definitely deserve. You do not.

That's a good point. I guess we're being sloppy with the language. I saw that film about Carl "cookie" Brashear (Cuba Gooding) and MCPO Billy Sunday (Robert DeNiro). They had to go through quite an ordeal to become Navy master divers. Recreational MSD courses are not as intense as that.

I read that the Navy master diver includes an initial 7-week course in diving followed by years of experience, then applying and getting accepted into a more advanced 15-week course in salvage, repair, recovery, etc. And there's a government clearance and calisthenics and tests of willpower and endurance.

According to the US Navy website, just to qualify to enter the regular Navy diver program (not including master), a candidate must:

• Swim 500 yards using side- or breaststroke within 14 minutes
• Rest 10 minutes
• 42 push-ups within 2 minutes
• Rest 2 minutes
• 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes
• Rest 2 minutes
• 6 pull-ups (no time limit)
• Rest 10 minutes
• 1.5 mile run within 12 minutes 45 seconds
• Pass a Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL BUD/S physical fitness screening test in Boot Camp and in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP)

According to the Naval Undersea Museum, "The requirements for master diver are extremely difficult for good reason — mistakes can cost lives. A qualified master diver must be able to supervise and direct all types of diving, including treating any diving accidents. He or she is an expert in diving equipment and systems, diving techniques, diving physics, and diving medicine. During assessments, evaluation boards purposely disrupt master diver candidates to test their focus and calm in an emergency."

Hard core.

 

[tursiops]

please refer Master Scuba Diver

Perhaps you mean the number of dives during the course. My question is about a number-of-dives requirement to take the course. For example, PADI requires 50 logged dives. If NAUI has no such requirement, it certainly does not have much meaning. It appears you could get the cert with fewer than 20 dives, all being training dives. Meh.

 

[TMurrr]

Just throwing this out there, but there are a couple 'specialties' within the recreational diving space.

Photography - have you mastered photography and diving such that you XYZ? Win awards? Take cool GoPro videos for instagram? If then, you are a master (of photography / videography) diver

Hunting - can you safely collect lobster and shoot fish, while maintaining proper buoyancy, balancing safety and monitoring air consumption as well as being a safe and aware buddy for your buddy?

Travel / Tipping - now this is possibly the most important scuba skill to master in the recreational space. Do you travel often and tip well? If so, come dive with me at my master diver exclusive resort... nvm

 

[Nemrod]

Perhaps you mean the number of dives during the course. My question is about a number-of-dives requirement to take the course. For example, PADI requires 50 logged dives. If NAUI has no such requirement, it certainly does not have much meaning. It appears you could get the cert with fewer than 20 dives, all being training dives. Meh.

If 50 dives is all that is needed, wow! It should be more like 500 dives in many environments to even begin to think a scuba diver has mastered the sport/hobby. It is kind of like putting Turbo or Nitrous stickers on your car and it has neither. Oh well, whatever makes people happy.

 

[Leatherboot69]

If it’s so meaningless why do you all moan about it so much?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If it’s so meaningless why do you all moan about it so much?

because we have a finite set of things to whinge about. The other items include, but are not limited to:
1. the predominance of open water courses being taught on the knees
2. GUE daring to have objective standards. Those bastards!
3. the existence of split fins. In the words of Andy Davis, those are for chicken legged office dwellers.
4. the existence of jacket style BCDs. Only an idiot doesn't dive a BP/W
5. the terms advanced and master when it comes to AOW and MSD.
And, many ... many ... MANY more!

 

[Leatherboot69]

because we have a finite set of things to whinge about. The other items include, but are not limited to:
1. the predominance of open water courses being taught on the knees
2. GUE daring to have objective standards. Those bastards!
3. the existence of split fins. In the words of Andy Davis, those are for chicken legged office dwellers.
4. the existence of jacket style BCDs. Only an idiot doesn't dive a BP/W
5. the terms advanced and master when it comes to AOW and MSD.
And, many ... many ... MANY more!

 

[rhwestfall]

I'd have to locate my notes (long ago, not happening), but the class topics (from my calendar) and elements/dives (from my memory) for the NAUI MSD were as follows (everything was about diving up here, cold, dark, limited vis):

* Every NAUI class reviews and performs rescue techniques.

1. Responsible Diver Techniques (entries/exits [you ever do an entry from 15' above the water surface?], air share/buddy breathe, BC breathe, CSEA, navigation, weight check, gear configurations, signals, weather, probably more stuff....)
2. Wreck Diving (diving from a boat, including etiquette, sketch/measure/document, identify features and then select object from other written documentation, terminology)
3. Equipment Operation/knowledge/care/inspection and basic maintenance
4. Deep/Decompression Theory (SAC/RMV, Rock Bottom/gas management, narcosis, lights/signals, exposure protection (cold), equipment selection (cold) and primer to deco. Dive on a wreck at 130' to the mud in Lake Erie (cold & dark)
5. Search & Recovery (search patterns, rigging, lift bag use, lift calculations, gear planning and implementation, teamwork)
6. Plan/conduct a night river drift...

Master of nothing, but a substantially broader experience base than OW/AOW...

The LDS used the class to identify DM candidates....

I originally certified in a YMCA program that actually covered OW/AOW/some rescue, and a significant part of this MSD, and did deco planning. When I took AOW, Rescue, and MSD as classes, it did repeat topics many times... but you still learn when working with another professional.

YMMV

 

[GS-111]

Q: True requirements to deserve the title of Master Diver?​

More dives than posts?

 

[Cthippo]

I think the real take away is that a recreational diver will never be considered worth or respectable on this forum, and even full cave divers are only begridgingly respected.