DiveMaster question !!

[Sam2000]

am considering taking the DiveMaster training. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed. What should I expect? Is the primary focus of the DiveMaster course, the training of students? Learning new skills? Learning boat activity management? Employment? What are the employment opportunity's for a divemaster?

[Mako]

Good decision to go pro... the only negative point I can see since I did my DM course is that the years are passing very fast. I feel like it was yesterday but it was in 1993.

Originally Posted by Sam2000

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed. What should I expect? Is the primary focus of the DiveMaster course, the training of students?

Dive master is leading the dives. This means you will learn how to plan a dive taking in consideration all points like weather, kind of dive sites, level of divers, timing, security etc...
Briefings
Secure the divers
Detect and solve problems before they happen.
During courses you will be the right hand of the Instructor for the practice. This means you will be his eyes for the rest of the group when he is focused on one student doing his exercise. You will be able to lead the exploration of the dives.

Originally Posted by Sam2000

Learning new skills?

Most of what you will learn will be pedagogical. You will repeat and train your skills to bring it to the next level. Not only be able to do an exercise but able to do it easily. They will be only a few more skills like stress management etc...

Originally Posted by Sam2000

Learning boat activity management?

Yes, also

Originally Posted by Sam2000

What are the employment opportunity's for a divemaster?

In some countries opportunities are good, incl. good salary and in some countries it is a voluntary job... If you explain to me what are your plans are I can develop on that.

In general I would favor a course done in one month where you are assisting real students and divers under the supervision of the instructor. Doing the course like that you will see all the sides of the job, you will maybe also clean the diving center and give a hand to maintain the compressor.
It is possible to do the course in 7 days min. but go for the long way.
Ask the instructor or DC to be able to assist them a maximum during the course in order to really learn the job.
Ask if you can work some time after your course even maybe for free for a short time... maybe one month. This can give you a reference to apply for a job after... Depending where you are you can even choose a DC which can offer you a job straight after your course...
As I said give me more details and I will develop on it...
Finalize your idea to come on board... for me the life on shore is a rat race.

[DiveDevil1966]

Nice explanation Mako.

I would like to elaborate a bit more on the training side of things. Before you are signing up for your Dive Master Course make sure you have a good chat with the instructros and/or owners of the dive centre. Let them explain to you exacltly what you are doing and what not.

I have so many mixed experiences with regards to Dive Master training. I am teaching PADI Instructros all year round and it always surprises me what different qualities of Dive Master we meet during these programs.

The Dive Master Course is the most important course in becoming a dive pro, as it teaches you a lot of things, no other course will elaborate on. For example dive theroy. This will be developed during the Dive Master Course to Instructor level theory knowledge. Should you decide to become an instructor later on, the dive theroy is not a subject anymore during your Instructor Course.

As far as I am concerned Dive Masters should not be used as work force. Unfortunately this happens a lot of times. There is more emphazise on helping in the dive centre, cleaning, filling tanks, guiding etc, rather than the development to a good Dive Pro. Don't get me wrong, all the above is very important for a Dive Masters development , and to see all this, because it will be part of the job.
But the focus is not cleaning and all the other jobs the diving instructors don't like to do.
It is much easier to show a Dive Master how to clean a dive centre, than to show a cleaner how to be a Dive Master.

Have a good look around and see what is on offer and where you have the best possible education in becoming a PADI Dive Master. It will make things much easier for you to be employed as a Dive Pro and maybe by going on to the IDC.

DiveDevil