When is to soon to get DM Cert.

[MikeFerrara]

Walter once bubbled...
I don't know of any agency that has adequate standards (IMHO) for this course.

I don't care much when someone enters the program, but to be certified, that standards need to be raised. I would love to see a required internship on a dive charter. Number of dives is important, but in many ways, it is secondary to experience dealing with people in different diving conditions. Somewhere between 50 to 100 days interning on a charter boat should be adequate for most people to gain the necessary experience.

If a DM had to work on a charter we would be a little short here in the midwest. It would also make it hard for divers with careers to meet the requirements especially since DM's don't get paid around here. My best DM's are professionals who would never have the time to work a charter. In fact, IMO there are too many DM's and instructors who are not musch more than beach bumbs who work for room and board and little else. The industry could do much better if it wasn't so cheap.

However, the DM's I train work many many classes before they finish the course. I agree the exit standards are too slack. My NEW DM's have more experience with students than many instructors and dive skills that are far superior. They are also divers who have training beyond DM training. Also I haven't much respect for the DM or instructor card of someone I don't know. I have had divers come into my shop and introduce themself as a DM or instructor and express a desire to work. Nobody works with my students until I do some diving with them and get to know them and they work some classes with me. This is true bothe in the class room or in the water. The card says the agency will allow them to work that is no indication of what I will allow. Thus far none have taken the time to go through this process so all of my DM's are divers I have trained. I think the others are insulted by the fact that their card doesn't mean anything to me.

These are divers I dive with all the time and we help see to it that they dive not just DM. IMO, too many instructors and DM's only do training dives and never challange or extend their own abilities.

 

[Butch103]

but also some life experience........Mike mentioned some of the DMs were really just beach bums......I don't doubt it.......I have seen both younger and older instructors and DMs...have to say the older ones were better...Why???? Not just the diving skills, but the life skills....Older folks (26 + arbitrary figure BTW) tend to have better life and people skills......(Obviously not all cases )....I do believe this should also be a factor in becoming instructors and DMs.:boom:

 

[WgOaLnFg]

Thank you all for the replys that you have given, and I will take each one to heart before I make a final decision.

Just to re-assure you, I have never considered becoming a dm just so that I can have the ranking of that.

I understand that experiance in many situations is a must in diving, and having the ability to adapt to different situations while diving.

I would never consider myself a better diver just because I have the dm ranking. My two dive buddies have been diving almost half the time that I've been alive. One has over 15 years, and the other over 10. And yet, as far as certifications go, I am equal to both of them. Yet, would I consider myself to be a better dive because of the certificaitons, or if I become a DM before they do if they ever decide not to. Of course not, that would be stupid.

Someone mentioned that I have been taking a lot of cert. classes quickly. Yes this is very true. And there is a reason for this. My two dive buddies which I just spoke with, were already OW, AOW, and Nitrox certifed. One has cavern, and the other is taking it. Because I don't know many people that dive, yet I am trying to meet people, I am attempting to catch up to them. Most of the diving my buddies like to do are tech. divers. Although I'm not sure I'm going to want to go full cave or what-not, most of the places here in FL require at least a cavern card to dive there. So I'm getting mine. I've only been fullfilling prereqs for the cavern card.

I am not considering becoming a dm to get a job, or for the ranking. In every course I have ever taken thus far, I have learned something new. I only wish to learn more and more as I dive. And if getting my dm, helps me dive more often, sorry guys, I think I'll do it.

But who knows, at the rate I've been trying to dive, I might just have those close the a hundred dive come February. Right now I only have 15, but those 15 dives, don't include the hours of time that I spent in a pool practicing all my techniques - expecially bouancy!

Like I said, thank you for all your input and advise.

 

[cadet diver]

Just so you know, once you have your DM, if some one is injurred when you are diving with them, not leading the dive, but just diving, you could be held liable. So a DM C-card is not something that you should take lightly.