Dive Master Course
Divemasters Wanted! Join the Squad!
Do you have a deep and abiding passion for diving? Or, do you merely love it with all of your heart? If so, you should consider doing what you love for a living: becoming a Dive Guild.
When you join the Tribe by becoming a Divemaster, you align yourself with the largest and most respected dive tribe in the world—that of Professionals. These are Divemasters and Instructors sharing a passion for diving and an active concern for the health of the world’s underwater habitats.
Divemaster Course
Looking for the first step in working with scuba as a career? Your adventure into the professional levels of recreational scuba diving begins with the Divemaster program. Working closely with an Instructor, in this program, you expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills to the professional level. Divemaster training develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers. Divemaster is the prerequisite certification for both the PADI Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor certifications.
What You Learn
During the Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems as well as help others improve their scuba. You put this knowledge into action through a structured internship or series of practical training exercises.
As you progress through your Divemaster course, you’ll expand your diving knowledge, hone your skills, and increase your confidence. Then, as a Divemaster, you’ll use these attributes to lead, mentor, and motivate other divers and experience the joy of seeing them transformed by the majesty of the aquatic realm.
What You Can Teach
After becoming certified as a Divemaster you will be authorized to:
- Supervise both training and non-training-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives
- Assist an Instructor during the training sessions for any Diver course
- Conduct the Skin Diver course and Discover Snorkeling program
- Conduct the Discover Local Diving experience
- Conduct the Scuba Review program
- If qualified as a Discover Scuba Diving Leader, independently conduct the Discover Scuba Diving program.
- Earn the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty Instructor rating to be able to teach the Digital Underwater Photographer specialty.
- Independently guide Open Water Diver course students on the tour portion of Open Water Diver course Training Dives 2, 3 and 4 at a ratio of two student divers per certified divemaster.
- Accompany Open Water Diver students under the indirect supervision of an Instructor during:
- surface swims to and from the entry/exit point and during navigational exercises
- when the instructor conducts a skill, such as an ascent or descent, a Divemaster can remain with other student divers (with an individual student or buddy team)
- Accompany student divers during Adventure Dives or Specialty training dives under the indirect supervision of an Instructor.
- Conduct the Seal Team Skin Diver Specialist AquaMission
- Conduct subsequent dives under an instructor’s indirect supervision for Discover Scuba Diving participants after participants have satisfactorily completed the first dive with an Instructor.
- Teach Emergency First Response courses after successfully completing an Emergency First Response Instructor course.
At a glance, compare what you can teach when you continue your professional diver education.
The Scuba Gear You Use
- You use all the basic scuba equipment and some scuba accessories such as a dive slate, dive knife, compass, dive watch, etc.
- It is highly recommended that you own all of your own scuba equipment, as familiarity with personal gear improves general scuba diving skills. You can find most everything at your local dive shop
The Learning Materials You Need
The PADI Divemaster crewpak includes everything you’ll need to start the Dive master program. The complete set of materials includes:
- The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving – a comprehensive overview of diving physics, physiology, and equipment.
- Dive master slates
- Dive master Manual
- Instructor Manual
- RDP Table or eRDP MLTM with associated instructions for use booklets
- Guide to Teaching (Optional)
- Diving Knowledge Workbook (Optional)
- Scuba Tune-Up Guidebook (Optional)
You also have the option to take Divemaster Online and purchase the Divemaster eLearning Crew-Pak.
Prerequisites
To take this course, you must be:
- 18 years old
- A Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
- A Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
- An Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (or qualifying first aid and CPR training from another organization) course completion within the past 24 months.
- Have at least 40 dives to begin the course and 60 for certification
- Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Other Courses That Will Prepare You for Success as a Divemaster
Here are some suggestions for other courses that will help make you more successful as a Divemaster:
- Search and Recovery (Highly recommended)
- Deep Diver (Highly recommended)
- Dive Theory Online
- Boat Diver
- Coral Reef Conservation
- Digital Underwater Photographer
- Emergency First Response Instructor
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- Enriched Air Diver (You can even sign up for the Enriched Air Course Online!)
- Equipment Specialist
- Night Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Underwater Naturalist
- Underwater Navigation
Get College Credit
You may be able to earn college credit for the Divemaster course.
Discover the unexpected, Dive St Thomas!
