Which PADI Course: Divemaster or Master Scuba Diver

[Peter Guy]

Jewel - with your background and diving history, I'd suggest the following:

a. Go diving - use your drysuit and dive locally between your trips to Bonaire.

b. Join a local dive club and if one doesn't exist, start one.

c. Don't gobto Bonaire again until you have gone to at least two different places - West Palm and L A for example.

d. Find a technical instructor WITH EXPERIENCE and take some diving lessons - not classes.

Get a couple 100 dives on your BCD and ask the question in your post.

 

[jewelofnile69]

Jewel - with your background and diving history, I'd suggest the following:

a. Go diving - use your drysuit and dive locally between your trips to Bonaire.

b. Join a local dive club and if one doesn't exist, start one.

c. Don't gobto Bonaire again until you have gone to at least two different places - West Palm and L A for example.

d. Find a technical instructor WITH EXPERIENCE and take some diving lessons - not classes.

Get a couple 100 dives on your BCD and ask the question in your post.

Hi Peter! Thanks for your response.

As to my responses...

a) Trying to get some more local dives in. We are hitting up a quarry this weekend and will likely do 3 or 4 more weekends of diving in WI/MI before summer is out.
b) Found a good dive club...we'll be meeting up with that group for the first time in a few weeks...we talked with the head guy extensively about a week ago (and he happens to work for my company!!!).
c) Well, Bonaire is already booked for next February but we'll be hitting Key Largo before then (and I've dove outside of Tampa before as well) so does that count? LOL! But for 2014 we plan to go to Belize.
d) Looks like we'll have to find someone as my husband's photog partner (who is one and was our first LDS) is way too busy (and has a newborn) but I'll take that advice and do so.

Question on your last comment...what does the "ask the question in your post" mean? LOL

---------- Post added ----------

I would like to clarify/reply to some of your comments, diplomatically of course While I do not know you personally, I do know that you are a frequent poster and very knowledgeable about this thing we all love, Diving. Not my intention to "start a war" here;

Just wanted to say thanks for offering your thoughts on this. Especially as (after working in a gym on and off over the past 15 years both in the civilian world and the service) even when people sign a gym waiver that says that can't sue (and the running "myth" is that you can't sue the military) people still win cases against gyms, the military, etc.

 

[Peter Guy]

Jewel -- thank you for your response.

You started this thread by asking -- Divemaster or Master Diver? IF you did what I suggested, after another 150 dives, you'd probably be asking a very different question.

For what it's worth, I really do enjoy diving in warm clear water and looking at the pretty fishies. HOWEVER, if you want to truly improve your diving skills, DON'T do it so much. Go and experience other types of diving conditions, which is why I mentioned L.A. The water there is not as cold as your local quarry probably is (and certainly not as cold as our diving in Puget Sound and north), but it is cold water diving and a very different type of diving experience than in the tropics.

I'm a very big believer in getting lots of different diving experiences, not just a lot of dives. From having lots of different experiences, one becomes a much stronger/more confident diver which is something I believe is your goal. I am also a BIG believer in taking classes from a lot of different instructors and especially ones with different backgrounds and training.

 

[jewelofnile69]

Jewel -- thank you for your response.

You started this thread by asking -- Divemaster or Master Diver? IF you did what I suggested, after another 150 dives, you'd probably be asking a very different question.

For what it's worth, I really do enjoy diving in warm clear water and looking at the pretty fishies. HOWEVER, if you want to truly improve your diving skills, DON'T do it so much. Go and experience other types of diving conditions, which is why I mentioned L.A. The water there is not as cold as your local quarry probably is (and certainly not as cold as our diving in Puget Sound and north), but it is cold water diving and a very different type of diving experience than in the tropics.

I'm a very big believer in getting lots of different diving experiences, not just a lot of dives. From having lots of different experiences, one becomes a much stronger/more confident diver which is something I believe is your goal. I am also a BIG believer in taking classes from a lot of different instructors and especially ones with different backgrounds and training.

OK, gotcha! I wasn't sure what you meant about the question piece...but now it makes sense. You are right, 150 dives later and I would've been asking a completely different question. Thank you so much for your feedback.

Interesting to know that about L.A. We may have to look into that. And yes, I want to improve my diving skills.

Reasons:

1) I'm a full believer in that whatever you do you should always give 100% of yourself. I have NEVER understood why people half-ass things in life. Completely blows my mind.
2) I believe in doing everything safely (which does not mean I'm not spontaneous or do daring things) which generally means learning lots and regularly continuing my education even on things I'm relatively good at.
3) I never thought I'd enjoy diving (totally had an irrational fear of the water/ocean) but have come to absolutely love it and want to do it as much as possible.
4) I'm all about learning from different people because of the way different people teach, the things/experiences they bring to the table, and just because I like to meet people.


Thanks again for all of your responses. My goal is now to make Peter proud!

---------- Post added ----------

Oh, and we now have a Munising, MI dive weekend planned where we are going to try and hit up 2 - 3 wrecks. It's so unbelievably clear up there on Lake Superior...but cold.

 

[TSandM]

When I started diving, I gave myself "report cards". At 50 dives, and 100, and 150 and 200, I wrote up an assessment of where I thought I was for skills. How was my buoyancy? How was my navigation? How was my situational awareness? How was my fitness?

If you do something like that, look at where you don't meet your own expectations, and consider arranging some training to work on that. If you find navigation challenging, consider taking a nav specialty class and getting some help with it. If your buoyancy is not where it should be, consider either doing a buoyancy class, or, if you're wanting to fine-tune buoyancy that isn't bad to begin with, consider an Intro to Tech or Fundamentals or Cavern class. If you match your educational choices with your needs, you'll be more likely to take classes that are both satisfying and interesting.

Since you aren't interested in teaching or guiding, you'll be spared my rant about people rushing into professional training . . .

 

[Dive the World]

My husband and I are continuing on with our scuba career and trying to become as proficient and knowledgable as we can. This summer we will be doing our AOW (see another thread I started), nitrox and rescue diver certifications. Next spring/summer we'd like to continue on. Can anyone tell me the real difference between divemaster and master scuba diver for PADI? I was surprised to see that most dive places around here charge more for Master Scuba Diver than for Divemaster. Is that because of all the specialty dives? (Granted, it's only like $25-50 more between the 4 local dive shops so it's not the cost that would drive our decision.)


Anyway, any knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hey Jewel,

Since you used the word career - I would say go for DiveMaster. Divemaster is the first step towards professional level and is more focused on Dive Leading Skills and assisting instructors in some cases or being a guide for dive sites.

MasterDiver is just bunch of specialties. 4 or 5 I think. Each with 4 dives.

I am neither but close to a DiveMaster - and would say it would be much more beneficial to you as a diver and also as someone who may be able to help someone else.

Since you are doing your AOW - and your Rescue - which is probably something all diver should do - a great course by itself.

Make sure you do alot of dives -

Most people I know (including myself) would rather dive with an OW Cert with a 100 dives instead of a DiveMAster or Masterdiver with 50 dives.

 

[boulderjohn]

There can be some real value to taking some specific specialty courses. Some of them can help you a lot; some not so much. Take a look and see if you think any will help you on your progression to being a great diver. If you take 5 valuable specialty courses, then you will qualify as a Master Scuba Diver. If you only find 4 such courses, then you won't. No real loss--don't take the 5th course just to get the card.

There are other courses you can take that will also be valuable. Ask around, keep reading ScubaBoard, and you will get a sense of what those are. I have taken a lot of courses over the years, including a number of professional courses. Just for the purpose of this post, I measured my stack of cards--1 1/2 inches.

But I don't qualify for Master Scuba Diver.

 

[jewelofnile69]

When I started diving, I gave myself "report cards". At 50 dives, and 100, and 150 and 200, I wrote up an assessment of where I thought I was for skills. How was my buoyancy? How was my navigation? How was my situational awareness? How was my fitness?

If you do something like that, look at where you don't meet your own expectations, and consider arranging some training to work on that. If you find navigation challenging, consider taking a nav specialty class and getting some help with it. If your buoyancy is not where it should be, consider either doing a buoyancy class, or, if you're wanting to fine-tune buoyancy that isn't bad to begin with, consider an Intro to Tech or Fundamentals or Cavern class. If you match your educational choices with your needs, you'll be more likely to take classes that are both satisfying and interesting.

Since you aren't interested in teaching or guiding, you'll be spared my rant about people rushing into professional training . . .

Great idea!!! For my fitness career (I compete in physique contests) while I'm in the "off season" I give myself points for things like this. I like the idea of applying it to diving.

Most people I know (including myself) would rather dive with an OW Cert with a 100 dives instead of a DiveMAster or Masterdiver with 50 dives.

Great point!

There can be some real value to taking some specific specialty courses. Some of them can help you a lot; some not so much. Take a look and see if you think any will help you on your progression to being a great diver. If you take 5 valuable specialty courses, then you will qualify as a Master Scuba Diver. If you only find 4 such courses, then you won't. No real loss--don't take the 5th course just to get the card.

There are other courses you can take that will also be valuable. Ask around, keep reading ScubaBoard, and you will get a sense of what those are. I have taken a lot of courses over the years, including a number of professional courses. Just for the purpose of this post, I measured my stack of cards--1 1/2 inches.

But I don't qualify for Master Scuba Diver.

LOL, I won't ask about what else you've measured. But seriously, thanks for your thoughts. And I like the idea of taking specialty courses that 1) I will find interesting and 2) I will learn a truly useful skill that I can actually apply to real life.

Thanks all!

 

[bbarnett51]

I have a little different take on this. The Master Diver is a very good program IF YOU RESEARCH INSTRUCTORS! If you find an instructor that understand your objectives then I recommend doing the other 3 specialties. I am an SSI MD and found stress and rescue, navigation, and night/limited vis to be really good tough courses. Deep was just ok and nitrox was Erroll worth it. YOU WILL BE A BETTER DIVER.

As far as the card being worthless, I slightly disagree. I had a dive booked recently and after presenting my C Card the owner said he was going to take us to a better dive sight that was more advanced BC we were master divers. So some ppl recognize it.

The main thing is that nothing trumps experience except experience AND knowledge. Its like anything you do. You can pick up a guitar and play all day, you can golf every weekend but you won't learn near as much as doing it with a coach.

How would you know what to do with an unconscious diver, perform search patterns, get comfortable navigating in the dark or silt ingested water, handling a panicked diver that is trying to pull the reg out of your mouth or inflate their BC at 100'. All of these things need to be learned and experience doesnt teach it.

I think its a real shame to tell a new diver NOT to seek professional training.