Why is becoming a DM considered not worth it?

[LI-er]

Bite… Lol. Nah, I did it and I learned loads from gaining five specialties and getting up to 50 dives. But I know that’s not a popular view on SB, I don’t have a problem with that. No plastic involved, we all moved to e-cards about twenty years ago.

Off topic but I bet if MSD was called ‘Diver Modular Basic Training’ you would all absolutely love it lol. “Wow, this is comprehensive and yet adaptable to local environments.”

Sorry I just saw this post. I would have responded sooner if I had seen it earlier.

Doesn't matter what MSD was called. The MSD certification does not provide a diver with any additional skills, knowledge, experience or give them the ability to do anything more than he or she did prior to obtaining the certification. It's a useless "trophy" of sorts, whether it's printed on environmentally wasting plastic or a virtual e-card.

It's great that you learned loads from gaining 5 specialties and getting up to 50 dives. But that has nothing to do with obtaining the MSD certification which is simply recognition of the achievement and yet another excuse for PADI to reach into your pockets.

 

[Leatherboot69]

Sorry I just saw this post. I would have responded sooner if I had seen it earlier.

Doesn't matter what MSD was called. The MSD certification does not provide a diver with any additional skills, knowledge, experience or give them the ability to do anything more than he or she did prior to obtaining the certification. It's a useless "trophy" of sorts, whether it's printed on environmentally wasting plastic or a virtual e-card.

It's great that you learned loads from gaining 5 specialties and getting up to 50 dives. But that has nothing to do with obtaining the MSD certification which is simply recognition of the achievement and yet another excuse for PADI to reach into your pockets.

It’s the free market Baby… If tokens of achievement motivate people to get trained and get out diving and enjoying themselves then literally who cares? People criticise PADI for making money but it must be doing something right if customers vote with their wallets. I don’t have a problem with that. Don’t like PADI, don’t dive PADI

 

[Zef]

Sorry I just saw this post. I would have responded sooner if I had seen it earlier.

Doesn't matter what MSD was called. The MSD certification does not provide a diver with any additional skills, knowledge, experience or give them the ability to do anything more than he or she did prior to obtaining the certification. It's a useless "trophy" of sorts, whether it's printed on environmentally wasting plastic or a virtual e-card.

It's great that you learned loads from gaining 5 specialties and getting up to 50 dives. But that has nothing to do with obtaining the MSD certification which is simply recognition of the achievement and yet another excuse for PADI to reach into your pockets.

I am glad you mentioned PADI at the end of your post, because the NAUI MSD program is much more challenging...having "earned" the NAUI MSD certification as well as PADI DM certification, I can assure anyone that NAUI's MSD is more thorough and challenging than anything PADI has to offer from recreational and professional level certification with the possible exception being their Tech based diving certs, as I have no experience with PADI's Tech courses.

-Z

 

[Leatherboot69]

I am glad you mentioned PADI at the end of your post, because the NAUI MSD program is much more challenging...having "earned" the NAUI MSD certification as well as PADI DM certification, I can assure anyone that NAUI's MSD is more thorough and challenging than anything PADI has to offer from recreational and professional level certification with the possible exception being their Tech based diving certs, as I have no experience with PADI's Tech courses.

-Z

It’s great that you’ve done this training but regardless, it’s basically a massive money grabbing humblebrag. The MSD certification does not provide a diver with any additional skills, knowledge, experience or give them the ability to do anything more than he or she did prior to obtaining the certification. It's a useless "trophy" of sorts, whether it's printed on environmentally wasting plastic or a virtual e-card.

It's great that you learned loads from doing eight training dives and a theory course. But that has nothing to do with obtaining the MSD certification which is simply recognition of the achievement and yet another excuse for NAUI to reach into your pockets.

(BTW for PADI MSD I did 11 training dives, and I did the PADI Dive Theory course separately)

 

[Leatherboot69]

Meanwhile, the AOW divers with ten dives are just going out and having fun diving, looking at the fishes and dreaming about their future DM course, whilst the experienced divers of SB spend their time arguing about who gets to call themself ‘Advanced’ and how Master Scuba Divers are nothing of the sort

 

[missoulaman1969]

Because it isn't designed to improve your skills. The course is designed to make you a pro, period. However, as usual, good instructor trainers could make a difference.

If your goal is to improve your diving, after rescue the best option is likely tech diving, starting from introductory courses (fundie/essential/intro/whatever you like) if your basic skills are not top notch yet.


Cool! I would love to do it but can't


See above: the DM course is not designed to improve your skills. If that's your goal, tech diving is a better path.


If being a DM is what you need to do this, just do it


Good, but really unrelated to becoming a better diver


Because it isn't a course to improve your diving


In your case, it seems you need it. Go for it

Only if you want to first improve your skills, consider an introductory tech course, before or during the DM.

Lastly, be aware of the cheap courses: ensure the quality is very high.

Good luck!

I do beg to differ on one point, IF you choose the right DM venue, it can improve your skills TANGENTIALLY.

What do I mean? See below…​

Thank you for the comment!
I mean becoming a DM will improve my diving because I will get to dive more, but I also don't mind the labour and I'd like to be able to get better at navigation (I suck at it, that's why I want a challenge haha).
I also just want to spend some time diving and working.

But the consideration about tech dive is very interesting. I love to go deep and I really want to go deeper and I know it's only possible with tech diving, although I don't know much - going deeper than 40m is not recreational anymore right?
I will look more into it.

Regarding cheap courses - it's simply cheaper because I'm in SEA and it's cheaper here, but in general I think paying for 2 dives a day for 2 months works out as mote expensive than the course.

I agree and if you choose the right place to do your DM, one that offers unlimited free diving for DM candidates, and offer to assist active DMs through the course on regular dives and excursions, you will vastly improve your skills during the course, but it’s not the course, it’s tangential.

I highly suggest taking a dive theory course as well. Many places gloss over theory just enough to get you through the DM test. Theory is extremely important to understand through the rest of your diving career.

Since you are in SE Asia, I highly suggest Bongo Bongo Divers in Dauin Philippines for your DM course, thats where I did mine. Over 100 dives in 5 weeks… actively DM’ing and guiding with them after cert for 2 weeks.

DM was so rewarding for me that 9 months later I made the leap to instructor. I had been certified since 1992 and had just under 1k dives when I did DM. Now in 18 months since DM I have now almost doubled my
number of dives without really trying…

 

[ginti]

IF you choose the right DM venue, it can improve your skills TANGENTIALLY.

Everyone agrees on this point, it doesn't go against what I said