Why do so many poorly skilled divers...

[Randy43068]

I don't think PADI has the corner market on "knuckleheads" as DMs.

I agree with you!

 

[Kingpatzer]

One thing that's kind of interesting is that I bet most people here when they go on a dive trip seriously consider price as a factor for who to go diving with.

How many of those complaining about knucklehead DM's are diving with the cheapest operators out there?

 

[Randy43068]

One thing that's kind of interesting is that I bet most people here when they go on a dive trip seriously consider price as a factor for who to go diving with.

How many of those complaining about knucklehead DM's are diving with the cheapest operators out there?

I'd rather not have a DM on the trips I take...

I'd prefer paying a fair price and not have the knucklehead on the trip with me.

 

[agwatts]

What I did not share in my post, is the person I refer to will not be graduating or passing his DM any time soon, if ever.

 

[Randy43068]

What I did not share in my post, is the person I refer to will not be graduating or passing his DM any time soon, if ever.

sounds good to me.

 

[24940]

What I did not share in my post, is the person I refer to will not be graduating or passing his DM any time soon, if ever.

But the LDS made good money off of him, so the program served its purpose.

 

[wsims57]

One of the problems is that the organizations like PADI really push hard to get people to continue thier education. It is also how lax PADI has gotten in certifying divers. I have over 750 dives and I feel I am almost ready to be a DM. I have seen some really bad divers that are out to get certified in everything they can and cant even do the minimum expected. But shops will let them certify because the requirments are so easy. End result is unqualified divers becoming DM's.

 

[Randy43068]

One of the problems is that the organizations like PADI really push hard to get people to continue thier education. It is also how lax PADI has gotten in certifying divers. I have over 750 dives and I feel I am almost ready to be a DM. I have seen some really bad divers that are out to get certified in everything they can and cant even do the minimum expected. But shops will let them certify because the requirments are so easy. End result is unqualified divers becoming DM's.

Now see there, folks like you would probably make a great DM. You seem to have the right attitude and a goodly number of dives under your belt.

In fact, I think you're be very good at it.

 

[beester]

What???????? I don't follow the intricacies of the various certifications offered, but I was honestly shocked to read here that only 20 dives were required to begin a 'dive master' course. This, if it's true, is nothing less than pure insanity. Someone with 20 or 30 dives is a beginner, just barely competent. How can a rank amateur assume any level of responsibility for other divers?

It seems to me that a certification level which includes any level of authority and responsibility should require a few years of experience and at least 100 documented dives under various demanding conditions. How can it be otherwise? 20 dives? Are people crazy? Maybe just corrupt.

I totaly agree... I find it very strange that you can take courses towards instructing after only 20 dives.

With the certification agency I dive with it's a bit different:

DM requirements:

Min age 18
Min 1 year rescuediver
Min 40 dives since certified as rescuediver
At least 120 logged dives of which
40 dives at 100 feet
20 dives at 130 feet
30 dives at 100 feet in sea
4 dives in tropical sea
4 dives in inland quaries

I myself am an AOW equivalent slowly working my way up to rescue diver... and I have 120 dives and when I finaly have done pool/theoretical/open water tests I'll probaly be about 30 dives further.

However this being said... if I would be PADI certified I would probably also go after DM too soon... because of the same reasons someone else stated, as a newby you think that you'll get additional experience by getting higher certifications instead of just diving.

Reading back the above requirements... their reason is to slow down people wanting to become DM (4* CMAS)... if you would dive normaly in our local waters it would probably take you about 2 additional years after rescuediver and at least 100 additional dives to get to the requirements in a normal way. However with us you also see excesses... people who chase these requirements (for example no longer intrested in the dive itselve... only in the fact that they need x amount of dives still at 130 feet).

Requirements will always be victims of abuse no matter how strict or what certifying agency.

 

[divinotter]

Okay, the problem with certifying DMs with little experience is that it tempts them to ‘work’ beyond their skill level if the enticement is strong enough. My husband and I were on a Caribbean live aboard when a ‘new’ DM as we later found out he was, took us for a drift dive over a deep reef system surrounded with blue water – no problem. Their method was to line everyone up on an attached line, descend as a group and after sufficient bottom time, ascend near the ball attached to a reel the DM holds. As we descended it was obvious we were not on the reef and were hovering over blue water – the DM headed toward the only reef he saw and as we got to 100 feet we noticed it was a good 30 -50 feet below us AND sloping DEEPER. Not wanting to waste nitrogen load for subsequent dives and realizing something was not right, my husband and I immediately thumbed the dive – did a long safety stop while watching the DM ‘lead’ the group deeper and deeper- finally ascending after a good 20 -30 minutes and doing a safety stop – never having come near any ‘reef’ we could see. As we ascended early another DM jumped into the water near us, threw up his hands and yelled “What the ******* was that?” We laughed so hard that to this day, we will sometimes say that on any less than great dive. The problem is that people will blindly follow the authority figure and if they are not well trained AND experienced, it could lead to a serious situation. I have no doubt this person will be a good DM some day, but in the meantime- never relinquish complete responsibility for your own dive or safety to any DM or anyone else in ‘authority’.