When you first started scuba diving, the Divemaster guiding your dives was surrounded in an aura of coolness; that person assisted you with any minor difficulty, making everything seem easy, they showed you critters you would have otherwise missed, briefed and debriefed so you came away with way more knowledge than you arrived with and made the overall experience fun and relaxing.
Now that you’ve got quite a few dives under your (weight)belt and that you’ve completed your PADI Rescue course with flying colours, you’re starting to think that amazing person, that Dive master, could be you!
Indeed, whether you’re an experienced scuba diver wanting to broaden your knowledge of diving and learn more about looking after others and/or you’re contemplating a career in scuba diving, the PADI Divemaster internship is a great course to take. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Start thinking about others and take the lead.
One of the main differences between being an experienced scuba diver- maybe even a PADI master scuba diver- and a Divemaster is the element of supervision. You are now responsible for others with the skills to assist if necessary. In short, now it’s not all about you but all about them. Now, you may not want to work in diving, you may be just doing this to become the best buddy in the world, but either way after doing the divemaster course, be assured that you will start looking out for others and be at the ready to assist if needed.
During the divemaster internship, this will be your first job. You will be an experienced PADI Scuba Instructor’s assistant with less experienced divers than yourself. At first, your main activity will be to watch the instructor to see how they handle situations and bit by bit be able to watch students/ novice divers and be on alert to lend a hand when needed, whether it be stabilising someone as they clear their mask or helping someone with dodgy ears control their descent. As you progress through the course and this becomes second nature, you’ll take on a leadership role more and more and start guiding the dives, looking out for cool critters to show whilst always keeping an eye on your divers and sea conditions.
2. Increase your practical knowledge (briefing, orientation, rescue management, debrief, tips)
As a PADI Divemaster you must be able to explain what’s going to happen during the dive, not get lost underwater, discuss the dive afterwards- with tips (buoyancy, breathing, gear) and fish names to boot- and, of course, be at the ready in case of an emergency. All these skills you will practice until you’re comfortable with them during the course. What you take away is added confidence in your scuba diving skills. It will become second nature to mentally map dive sites, quickly assess safety and emergency features, and name the fish in your head as you swim along, even if you never guide again.
3. Increase your theory knowledge
Yes, there’s a fair bit of theory in the Divemaster course, but you’ll finally get to answer all those questions that have popped into your head at one point or another (what do the numbers on the tank mean then? What the heck is a subcutaneous emphysema? What? we have a round window in our ears?). It’s fun and you’ll feel all the more knowledgeable and clever when you’ve learnt it.
4. Take it to the next level (stress test, depth, emergency deco)
If you are going to be able to look after others in an emergency, you need to be able to deal with stress and handle a ‘sticky’ situation with calm. The Divemaster course puts you in situations that will challenge you and take you to a whole new level of diving. In a safe environment, you get to take things to their limits and learn how to manage difficult situations.
5. Learn what it’s like working in a dive centre.
If you’re contemplating a career in scuba diving, do your Divemaster as an internship first, this will show you the grimy underbelly of the dive industry. You’ll probably have the great privilege of siting in the dive shop to offer information to interests divers in the evenings after a long day of diving, rinsing gear, carrying tanks, serving coffees, socialising, giving tourism information, counting towels, cleaning, tidying, organising taxis/ hotels/ massages, selling gear and a million other things that you’ll do apart from the wet bit. It’s long hours, low pay and it’s a real job, if you still love it at the end of the Divemaster internship, you know it’s a job made for you.
6. Get loads of dives in and have a laugh
You might be thinking ‘hang on, I’m not sure I want to do it’ after reading the previous paragraph, but don’t forget it’s also an opportunity to do lots of diving in great places with many different and amazing people who can teach you all sorts of cool stuff. You’ll be part of team, you’ll support one another, you’ll start building your dive network and you will have a truly awesome time. A lot of people remember their Divemaster training as one of the best times in their life. Don’t miss out!