Zero to Divemaster - extended stay abroad, but need help!

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If you don't plan on working as a DM, there is no point in becoming a DM. There are more valuable courses.
Also, doing it abroad to then dive at home may not be the best idea if the conditions at home are very different than where you were trained.
And combining all the courses not to have to deal with different people takes away the knowledge that comes from seeing what different people do and learning from different experiences.
 
Do you really want to be a great diver? Or do you want a card that leads you to believe you are a great diver. Unfortunately, you just can't gain the type of knowledge you think you're going to get in a 3 month, controlled environment zero to hero class. It takes YEARS to understand everything that can and will be involved in this sport. It's not possible to assimilate it all in just 3 months. The reason EVERYONE is trying to talk you out of this is 2 fold. 1. It's a terrible idea and we know it because we've been around for a long time watching the end product of these classes. 2. It's marketing hype at a high cost. You are cheating yourself on the journey and these organizations are selling you a bill of goods that has VERY little value.

You need to know what we already know. This is not about which cert we have. It's not about an accomplishment that you can buy in 3 months. This sport is about the journey. And true accomplishment can't be bought. It has to be earned. It it takes a lot of time to earn it. But, the good news is, it's not about what your certification says. It's about sitting at the rinse bucket cleaning your gear and thinking to yourself, "Holy Crap that was the most awesome thing I've ever seen, and did you see my frigging trim and buoyancy. I was a phucking rock start. Holy ****e I was awesome." And that has NOTHING to do with a plastic card that you bought and that ANYONE could have bought, given the right amount of money.

There is no substitute for time. Focus on the journey. The true prize is in that journey, NOT being able to say, "I'm a divemaster". Because truthfully most of the time, "I'm a divemaster" is code for "I'm a newb with jacked up skills."
 
Consider doing this, which seems to be fairly common:

Go to one of the popular spots in Southeast Asia--I don't have a specific recommendation because my familiarity is with the Caribbean. Do the OW course. Do the AOW course. Then spend a few weeks just diving every day for fun and to gain experience. Listen to what others in the dive community around you are talking about--they may have suggestions. You will be spending a lot of time with these people, and you will learn things you may not have been aware of. Your outlook and goals may change. You may want to move to a different location. Or not. Then do the Rescue course. Then spend a few weeks just diving every day for fun and to gain experience. Keep listening to what others in the dive community around you are talking about. THEN, at that time, decide whether you want to do the Divemaster course and, if so, with what instructor. Maybe you will, and maybe you won't. Do not pay for a zero-to-Divemaster package up front from any dive operation, even if the price looks tempting. Take it one step at a time. Keep your options open. You will enjoy your time more, and you will reach the goal that is best for you.
 
I wouldn't trust a fresh DM that went from 0 to DM in three months...
I'm not sure if experience can be acquired that fast.

That being said: I have a friend that did exactly what you're trying to do. She just went there and did her OW, then she asked the operator for the DM course. Just go there, get an OP and make the program. Take a while but it's pretty simple.
Good luck.
 
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Do you really want to be a great diver? Or do you want a card that leads you to believe you are a great diver...... But, the good news is, it's not about what your certification says. It's about sitting at the rinse bucket cleaning your gear and thinking to yourself, "Holy Crap that was the most awesome thing I've ever seen, and did you see my frigging trim and buoyancy. I was a phucking rock start. Holy ****e I was awesome."

Well, for some of us it's not about preening at the rinse bucket thinking about how great we are.:shakehead:

I doubt that the OP is nearly as ego-invested as you seem to be. I think he wants to have fun learning how to dive and take a cheap vacation while he's at it. That's what some of these programs offer. What's wrong with that? I did it and I enjoyed it. Two months diving daily in the caribbean probably about 100 dives, for about $600 total bill at the dive shop and I knocked off a chunk of that fixing regulators. Granted, I did it after many years of dive experience, but most of my 'colleagues' were kids in their 20s just getting started, and they had a blast.
 
I knew there would be nay-sayers when reading your thread title. I've no advice on where to go so will be quick. I did Rescue with 26 dives--did some skills very well, others not so much. But I passed and had the knowledge. I would guess you could do the same with DM and then do a ton of diving (especially where you wish to DM) mixed in with reviewing the DM material and keep practicing demonstrating skills, etc. Then with a couple of hundred dives consider working as a DM. In theory that makes sense anyway. Good luck.
 
Thanks. It's good to get some perspective, and i do not want to rush things and have a miserable time for three months while stressing around trying to get my certificate before going home - definitely not! But i am still hooked on becomming a divemaster, and i am not going to give it up. But i will consider doing it over two rounds instead. I will probably book the classes one by one instead of prebooking it all, this also gives me the opportunity to change location and experience something different.

That said, do anyone have experience with diving:

1. In puerto Galera in the Philippines? I consider starting my adventure here.
2. Okinawa, i would like to end my journey here, but i am afraid that end may is still too cold to be diving in Okinawa (compared to the hot waters in the south asia.)

I do want this to pleasant, so i would really like to be able to do it all with some nice hot weather :)
 
Thanks. It's good to get some perspective, and i do not want to rush things and have a miserable time for three months while stressing around trying to get my certificate before going home - definitely not! But i am still hooked on becomming a divemaster, and i am not going to give it up. But i will consider doing it over two rounds instead. I will probably book the classes one by one instead of prebooking it all, this also gives me the opportunity to change location and experience something different. . . .

Sounds like a reasonable plan. I understand the attraction. Hanging around a dive shop and making friends with other students can be fun. As a divemaster-in-training, helping out with the work can feel satisfying--some people enjoy having a purpose for being in a place other than just being a dive tourist. I spent a month on the island of Utila and, in addition to doing a lot of diving on my own, took the AOW course and Rescue course and became acquainted with other students, divemasters and instructors. Some of my classmates from the Rescue course went on to the Divemaster course, but after giving it a lot of thought I decided to move on in my travels and spent some time diving in Belize and Cozumel before going back to the real world. I had learned a lot, had a lot of fun, but I realized I ultimately had no interest in actually taking on the job of leading other divers, which is the whole point of the Divemaster certification (or taking the next step after that and becoming an Instructor). It's considered a "professional" certification. It simply means you have been trained to lead other divers around and not much more than that. It doesn't mean you are a highly skilled diver. A divemaster MAY be highly skilled, but most divemasters do not become skilled as an inherent result of having taken the Divemaster course. Rather, a divemaster MAY become skilled by diving a LOT--practicing their profession every day over the course of YEARS--and under varied conditions, in different places in the world. I realized I could be just as good (or better) a diver than many who have the Divemaster card by taking an alternative route. If you read more on Scubaboard, you will see that there are such alternative routes to becoming a skilled diver. Just regularly diving with other divers who are skilled/experienced and learning from them may do more to make you a better diver than taking a Divemaster course. So, while I can understand the attraction of taking the Divemaster course, I just thought I would point out that you may find it loses some of its attractiveness as you learn more about diving. I think your plan of taking your training one step at a time is excellent.

Whatever you do, and wherever you go for your diving, the most important thing is to HAVE FUN.
 
I had similar dreams and ambitions after my first "try scuba" session. I started looking at all sorts of programs all over the world. As a newly certified Open Water Diver, I can tell you that when I was looking at those programs, the biggest problem is that I didn't know what I didn't know. Just going through an Open Water class can really help you get a grasp on what you're undertaking. I'm looking forward to my next set of dives more than I can even tell you, and I've revised my goals to simply become the very best diver I can and to keep learning more as opportunity presents itself.

I'm also a licensed pilot, and I can tell you that the learning curve for diving is just as steep and dangerous as for flying, yet both are very safe when done properly. Take your time, I'm finding out that the best part of diving is building experience.

Best of luck, no matter what you decide. You sound very driven which will help you in all aspects of life.
Peace
 
2. Okinawa, i would like to end my journey here, but i am afraid that end may is still too cold to be diving in Okinawa (compared to the hot waters in the south asia.)

I do want this to pleasant, so i would really like to be able to do it all with some nice hot weather :)

It's only TOO cold for diving when the water takes on its solid form. :) Where we dive around here, the water is normally 38F (3C) at the bottom. And it's enjoyable and fun - if you have the right gear.

So, it won't be too cold for diving in Okinawa. It's just a question of what you think is too cold for you. What you want to do sounds pretty expensive. In that case, the extra cost to get a dry suit may not be that big a deal. And if you get the right, good quality dry suit, you can dive just about anywhere, any time, and be comfortable. There are divers here on SB that, from what I can tell, dive in a dry suit even in the very warmest water. Or maybe it's just any water where they wear anything more than just a bathing suit.

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!
 

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