Why is becoming a DM considered not worth it?

[AeroSpartacus]

INHO: a cowboy outfit. Next time I went to Ao Nang he was gone !! Good job too. I never went on the last day of the course, and every time someone mentions "sidemount" that scenario comes flooding back . Maybe it is time for me to expel the demons and go with a "proper" dive outfit, but I am quite happy with a single tank for sports diving. The only lure for tech diving for me would be wrecks.

Yea, sidemount and boat diving don't go together super well. Most of my diving is in caves these days, so it works perfectly for that.

 

[wlecyt40]

At least in this country:
1) you pay for the DM course (and get your plastic card while learning nothing)
2) you pay for insurance
3) you assume a significant duty of care and liability for baby divers
4) you get paid in "free air" and "shop discounts" for spending YOUR time helping out someone else's business.

It's all bullsheet

I actually don't pay my insurance; the shop does. Assuming duty of care? I have done that my entire adult life, both in the Army and as a paramedic. yes, I get free air, free viz on my tanks and half price hydros plus I get to use the shop code for trips to save me some money. I also get the rewarding feeling of making "seasoned divers' out of "baby divers."

 

[rjack321]

I actually don't pay my insurance; the shop does. Assuming duty of care? I have done that my entire adult life, both in the Army and as a paramedic. yes, I get free air, free viz on my tanks and half price hydros plus I get to use the shop code for trips to save me some money. I also get the rewarding feeling of making "seasoned divers' out of "baby divers."

PADI has built their entire business model around folks like you, enjoy.

 

[BRT]

Gas consumption has nothing to do with how good a diver you are.
Some people just use more gas based on physiological needs.
What they need to do is adjust to that usage with tank size.

Maybe, but good divers tend not to use so much gas. I wouldn't say it has nothing to do with it.

 

[BRT]

Correct weighting. Release air slowly until your head goes underwater. As soon as your head is underwater, let go of the inflator. Deep exhale and count to five. Breathe normally.

With this, I get people to neutral buoyancy in the pool on their first dive.

Of course mastering it throughout an entire dive takes practice, fine tuning, breathing control etc. but this is how i teach the foundation.

Do you put a nearly empty tank on them for this excercise?

 

[Still Kicking]

Do you put a nearly empty tank on them for this excercise?

Nope. Notice, I didn't say release all the air from your BC, as many instructors do.

Full tank works fine with this technique (see my note about doing a proper weighting check first). As soon as their head goes underwater they're neutral regardless of how much air is in the tank. The residual air in the BC and their wetsuit is compressed as they sink of course, so they need to add a little air as they get deeper (see note about fine tuning) but basically this technique gets them to neutrality first time, every time.

 

[BRT]

Nope. Notice, I didn't say release all the air from your BC, as many instructors do.

Full tank works fine with this technique (see my note about doing a proper weighting check first). As soon as their head goes underwater they're neutral regardless of how much air is in the tank. The residual air in the BC and their wetsuit is compressed as they sink of course, so they need to add a little air as they get deeper (see note about fine tuning) but basically this technique gets them to neutrality first time, every time.

Did you ever look into the weight difference between a full tank and an empty tank? Not hard to tell a full one from an empty one by lifting them.

 

[Centrals]

Thailand and Malaysia are definitely NOT on the same tier. Thailand is so much better than Malaysia!

I'm curious however how could Philippines be cheaper, considering Philippines is notoriously a more expensive country...
I'd be going back to Koh Lipe, because I've dived there before and I know the school. The dive sites were nice (bit as much as Komodo obviously but much better than Malaysia) and the price is quite cheap!

Where had you dived in Malaysia?
Where had you been in Philippines?
Cost of living is lower in Philippines than Thailand. Look it up.
Only Koh Tao has similar diving rate as in most places in Philippines. You probably had read a lot about the expensive private transfer but there is a much cheaper way ie. public.

 

[NothingClever]

Essentially, if you do it late you will have to unlearn your bad habits (everyone has them), and only after you can really learn new stuff. In my experience, the unlearning process is VERY painful (my personal experience). Most instructors agree with me - not all of them.

This above x 100.

Then exponentially multiply the above by the frustration of course money ill spent.

Divide this by unmet expectations.

Lastly, divide by time lost.

In all seriousness, I recommend taking an Intro to Tech course sooner rather than later and from an instructor who conducts technical dives outside of technical courses he/she teaches.

Don’t be bashful. Ask the instructor quite directly, “How often do you conduct technical dives outside of a course?”.

If the instructor only conducts technical dives when teaching a course, then there’s a high probability he/she is a mediocre dabbler.

Alright, I’m truly done this time.

Enjoy your training journey!

 

[Still Kicking]

Did you ever look into the weight difference between a full tank and an empty tank? Not hard to tell a full one from an empty one by lifting them.

I know. I lug tanks all day

You are confusing buoyancy swing of a tank with neutral buoyancy.

Yes, they need less air in their BC at the end of the dive. But that doesn't prevent neutral buoyancy at the start of the dive with some air in the BC.

I guess you are thinking of instructors who check weighting by having students dump all their air and float at eye level with an empty tank. That is not what I am talking about at all.....

I recommend you keep telling students to dump all their air, lie on the bottom and inflate their BC until they can do a fin pivot. Maybe that's easier to grasp. LOL