19 replies to this topic

[weescot]

Well, tonight I took the plunge and signed up for DM training. I've been thinking about it for a while and was persuasively nudged by my friendly local instrutor. It will be useful and practical to do as it is getting too hot to do anything other than get wet!

I met the other student - and am not sure if I hit the jackpot. He is Emirati with his own boat and knows these little known about dive sites offshore where the coral has recovered. The islands, whilst shallow, has excellent vis and is home to the second largest population of Dugongs in the world - so we should have some interesting open water sessions :-) But the down side he's 110kg (242 lbs) which should make the tired diver tow and rescue refresher interesting for me and culturally challenging for him.

Our instructor reckons we'll be finished July/August. Is this realistic do you think, with 1/2 pool sessions per week?

[shadragon]

It took me nine months to get my DM cert. (My instructor was sidelined for three months for surgery.) There is a LOT of material to cover (6" thick), plus all of the OW books and vids. The exam goes to great depth and a cursory read will not suffice. You have to know every word, I kid you not. You need to be conversant on the eRDP, tables and the Wheel. Hard to see how you can do your practical internship during that time, but if you can do it more power to you. It will be quite a challenge, but worth it...

GOOD LUCK!!!

[ScubaStacy]

Hey Girl! That's GREAT! I'm very excited for you!

I sure wish we lived close - I'm ready to start my DM now too!

Please keep us (me mostly) posted on your progress!

Sending good thoughts your way!

Stacy

[Dive_Girl]

But the down side he's 110 kg (242 lbs) which should make the tired diver tow and rescue refresher interesting for me and culturally challenging for him.

He won't weigh that much in the water, so it should not really effect your tow in a significant enough manner to cause you an issue for your time requirement.

In all the tows I have done for time (during my candidate program) or subsequently as a demo to my now DM candidates, I often am towing guys who are 6'+ (184 cm+) and easily weigh 180-240 lbs (81-108kg+). I just ask them to relax and NOT to try and look at me during the push (the one where you have their fins in your shoulders and are pushing as opposed to towing). When they do lift their heads out of the water to look at you, they drop their butts and end up increasing the amount of their body mass underwater. So instead of gliding them on the surface like you would an unresponsive diver, you end up pushing a greater surface area/body mass through the water. That would then affect the time of your push/tow.

Congrats and if I can ever be of any assistance to you during your program, send me a PM!

[hambergler]

Aside from STUDYING as was mentioned above, start swimming as much as possible NOW for your timed swims (you'll be glad).

Practice your skills underwater and, to paraphrase what you learned in Rescue: "go slow, breath, think, act" when you do them. "a-one-and-a-two-and-a-three...mask removal and replacement everyone--by the numbers!!" Doing the skills is just theatre underwater...

[divzac]

Certainly some excellent thoughts so far! I would echo the skills being slow and repetitive. The study is not as bad as you might think. With an attentive instructor you will get the wheel in no time, the tables you know. I did not notice what agency but I assume you are with the one that calls your goal "divemaster". If that's the case your time line seems reasonable since there are two options for your instructor to use. Sometimes a hybrid works, too. Just take it one thing at a time and remember the most important rule in training......... HAVE FUN! Enough outta me, Zach

[weescot]

thanks so much for all suggestions and encouragement! I suspect I was given an ambitious deadline as everything runs behind schedule here, unless it involves a Sheikh. I want to enjoy the training, and have fun, so we shall see. Excellent tips, and I will start with the swimming training tomorrow I am lucky the ocean is so close and I have use of a pool.

[peterbj7]

Hope you aren't required to recover your "unconscious" buddy back onto the boat, as I had to do!

I did my DM internship (part-time) largely in England, but with a couple of weeks in warm water, over just over a year. The time meant I saw and experienced many different diving situations and emergencies, which made me a better DM than I would otherwise have been. I had around 700 dives before I started the internship.

Sounds to me as if your diving opportunities after the course will be greatly improved!

What's the Gulf like for diving in?

[weescot]

Hope you aren't required to recover your "unconscious" buddy back onto the boat, as I had to do!

I am....thats why I hit the gym early this morning....

althought the Arabian gulf is 500m from my front door, I have not dived it yet. it is very shallow and sandy around Abu Dhabi - and now getting very warm. There are only a few wrecks and a few coral reefs in the area beyond - there has been some environmental damage since oil was developed, but it is recovering and I hope to dive some new sites that a recent study revelased as flourishing again. Musandam in Oman is the best diving in the area.

[robcgould]

WeeScott,

I agree with almost everything mentioned above. There is just one suggestion I have for you and one piece of advice I would like you to consider.

I am not trying to start an argument here, but... here it goes......

Go out and bite the bullet and get a copy of the Instructor Manual FIRST THING!!!!
Read that chapter about Dive Master. I am not suggesting that you use it to tell your instructor how to conduct the class but....... I have just completed a review on an instructor that modified the training organisations to suit her needs. This endangered both the student and the instructor. You will learn about this during the legal section and reading the book "The Law and the Diving Professional" (sorry you have to go throught THAT one, but we all did!) The advise about the 'hybrid' training is NOT allowed at least by my organization. You MUST totally complete ALL of either the simulations or practicle experiance section requirements. Havingreading and checking off each requirement and being familiar with those requirements will definatley help you along your path.

There are no test answers in the manual and if you cheat and use the answers to the Knowledge Reviews, you are only cheating yourself and should wonder why you really want to be a DM anyway!

RCG

Ps do not look at the paragraph about the equipment exchange while buddy breathing. It is a secret!

R

[divzac]

WeeScott,

I agree with almost everything mentioned above. There is just one suggestion I have for you and one piece of advice I would like you to consider.

I am not trying to start an argument here, but... here it goes......

Go out and bite the bullet and get a copy of the Instructor Manual FIRST THING!!!!
Read that chapter about Dive Master. I am not suggesting that you use it to tell your instructor how to conduct the class but....... I have just completed a review on an instructor that modified the training organisations to suit her needs. This endangered both the student and the instructor. You will learn about this during the legal section and reading the book "The Law and the Diving Professional" (sorry you have to go throught THAT one, but we all did!) The advise about the 'hybrid' training is NOT allowed at least by my organization. You MUST totally complete ALL of either the simulations or practicle experiance section requirements. Havingreading and checking off each requirement and being familiar with those requirements will definatley help you along your path.

There are no test answers in the manual and if you cheat and use the answers to the Knowledge Reviews, you are only cheating yourself and should wonder why you really want to be a DM anyway!

RCG

Ps do not look at the paragraph about the equipment exchange while buddy breathing. It is a secret!

R

RCG, Thanks for an interesting post. You are absolutely RIGHT regarding the "hybrid" training that I suggested. I should have put it another way by saying that practical experience in addition to your simulations class can be helpful. Although it's value is rooted in advancing DM skills and knowledge base, you are right in saying that it has no merit points in the class mentioned. Using the word "hybrid" was sloppy on my part.
Regarding another item... didn't you just tell the world about the equipment exchange by saying not to look at it??? Make it a great day, Zach

[robcgould]

WeeScott,

Ps do not look at the paragraph about the equipment exchange while buddy breathing. It is a secret!

R

didn't you just tell the world about the equipment exchange by saying not to look at it??? Make it a great day, Zach

Oh DURN!!!! Well, at least I didn't tell the world about telling the world!
Good recovery on the mis-speak. I know I interpreted it in the wrong way.

If I can ever be of any help to anyone out there, even if it just to talk standards (YUCK!) let me know. I will forward cell phone numbers or whatever. Like I tell my student divers, I am just a buddy with a little more experiance and probably less than some of you 'old timers'. I was certified in '92 and am halfway to Course Director )a place I shall never go, me thinks)
Take care dive safe and keep on learning!
Robert

[pmarie]

robcgould
If I can ever be of any help to anyone out there, even if it just to talk standards (YUCK!) let me know. I will forward cell phone numbers or whatever. Like I tell my student divers, I am just a buddy with a little more experiance and probably less than some of you 'old timers'. I was certified in '92 and am halfway to Course Director )a place I shall never go, me thinks)
Take care dive safe and keep on learning!
Robert

I just might take you up on that offer!!

I have read this post, and others in similar vein. I have ben "playing" at DM for the last year and half. I say "playing" because I sarted this educational process with about 50 to 60 dives. I think this is way too little experience to blast through a program that has so many different levels. I thought of the DM that my OW and AOW instructor had and I remember so much of the solid foundations and education that he provided me with; and I would think "There is no way that I am in any position (then) to offer that type of guidance, I don't have the experience, background, or exposure to provide other divers with the same capacity of knowledge."

I started the DM education since in many instances the best way of learning is to teach/instruct. I still believe that the DM education will help me be a better, more conscientous diver. For myself if nothing else. Conversely I have seen DM's that I thought should have had better knowledge and/or education and I did not want to be in that category.

Lastly, this lengthy process has an added layer that I did not fully anticipate since we both thought I would be done with my education in about 8 months, my current instuctor has a full time job, the Navy, that takes him away and has played pure havoc with our educational processes.

There is a lot of great advice in here, and thank you all for the thoughts and guidance.

[Dive_Girl]

If I can ever be of any help to anyone out there, even if it just to talk standards (YUCK!) let me know. I will forward cell phone numbers or whatever. Like I tell my student divers, I am just a buddy with a little more experiance and probably less than some of you 'old timers'. I was certified in '92 and am halfway to Course Director )a place I shall never go, me thinks)

When I was in my Divemaster program, my instructor was very controlling and said he would let me know what I needed to know when I needed to know it, which similar to all the other instructors around. I didn't know any better at the time but since becoming an instructor and the director of training at my dive shop, I have been very determined to not perpetuate this attitude. Great education comes with understood expectations, full disclosure, positive assistance, and solid communication. As a result, I am very proud of the experienced and diverse dive professional staff we have built at our shop and am honored to call each of them my colleagues.

My dive experience (certified in 92) and instructional stats (on my way to CD) read about the same as Robert and my attitude the same as well So, I throw out the same offer as Robert has.

[robcgould]

My dive experience (certified in 92) and instructional stats (on my way to CD) read about the same as Robert and my attitude the same as well So, I throw out the same offer as Robert has.

Lets fight over her!!! TEHE.
I totally agree with you dive girl. I had the BEST CD instructing my DM through IDC staff. Hats off to Conrad Rucker! The thing that I learned first and foremost is that we must teach to a particular standard. When I teach Open Water, I MUST ensure that EVERYONE obtains the required information. I had a 10 year old that took me over 3 months to go through the same information that others grasp in 3 days. OH WELL!!! I have always stated that I am not in this for the money and Ben was a test of that statement that I am happy to say I passed. He received the same education for the fee he paid that the most experianced refresher student receives!

When I accept a DM candidate, I become an open book to him. I want him to be the best he (OK OK or SHE) can be. It is a matter of pride that I can say that "I trained him or her" I FULLY disclose and encourage questions that begin with the word 'WHY' It challenges me to evaluate what I do and see things from a different perspective.

WeeScott and everyone else out there, You need to understand that training is exactly that. I have had several WONDERFUL DM's some that are now MSDT's that had 75 dives upon certification as DM! It is not what you walk into the classroom with, it is what you take out of it! As long as the instructor maintains the highest level of professionalism and is the best example in all areas of his development, you will do fine.

I recommend that you request (insist upon) the internship rather than the practical application when it comes time to get involved with the hands on portion of your training. I also recommend that you work with othrer instructors (in my class, you WILL do this!) It allows oyu to form opinions about other teaching styles as well as mine. Who knows, you might just find out that your 'favorite' instructor SUCKS!!!!