Well not yet, but I’m taking the course now. In PADI’s words:
What can PADI Divemasters do?
- Work at local dive centers, on live-aboard dive boats, yachts and at exotic resort locations
- Assist PADI Instructors with students
- Lead PADI Scuba Divers on guided dive tours
- Teach and certify PADI Skin Divers
- Teach PADI Discover Snorkeling programs
- Conduct PADI Scuba Review programs for certified divers
- Lead certified divers on Discover Local Diving experiences
- Teach Emergency First Response programs after successful completion of an Emergency First Response Instructor course.
It will be a challenge as there are some skills to really hone up on
The course consists of all the following:
Confined Water Sessions (meaning in the swimming pool
The confined water sessions of the Divemaster course start with the watermanship section. This section is designed to ensure that you have a reasonable level of personal fitness, and a fairly competent swimmer. Each exercise is timed, and a score awarded for the time in which you complete the exercise. You need to reach a certain total to pass. Swims can be retaken if necessary, until the totals needed have been reached.
Water Skills and Stamina
- 400 meter/yard swim (supposed to be done in 10 minutes, today I took 12 as I’m one of the worlds slowest swimmers. But not bad for just starting some extra swimming work. Surya did it in 9 minutes)
- 15 minute survival float
- 800 meter/yard snorkelling
- 100 meter/yard inert diver push/tow
- rescue of a non-breathing diver at surface
The following skills must be performed Demonstration quality Basic. This means that the skills are done in a slow passed over exaggerating all the moves that you do to perform the skill. For example, normally you would clear your mask in a matter of seconds, using 1 hand or 2 hands. But now that a student is watching you how to do it so, the more clear and exaggerated you perform the skill the better. After all students copy you, so if you do it perfect, there is a high chance they will do it perfect as well.
Demonstration quality Basic Skills
- Equipment assembly, adjustment, preparation, donning and disassembly
- Predive safety check (BWRAF)
- Deep water entry
- Buoyancy check at surface
- Five point descent
- Remove and Replace weight system
- Fin Pivot (Neutral buoyancy)
- Five point ascent
- Snorkel-regulator snorkel exchange
- Remove and replace scuba unit underwater
- Hovering (30 seconds in midwater)
- Buddy breathing stationary, donor and receiver
- Buddy breathing while swimming, donor
- Mask removal, replacement and clearing
- Buddy breathing while swimming, receiver
- Alternate Air Source (AAS) ascent
- Free flow regulator
- Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA)
- 15 meter no mask swim
- Air depletion
Other sessions that must be completed are a stress test, where you and your instructor/fellow student, will perform a full equipment exchange while buddy breathing, and a rescue assessment. This should be OK, I did that in the Rescue Diver course.
And, to complete the confined water sessions (in the swimming pool) a student must assist a PADI Instructor on an actual PADI dive course, during this session the instructor will have you help and assist with the students in a real life training situation.
Open Water Sessions
Also there are open water sessions (meaning going on dive trips) to assist with students in the open water environment and supervising certified divers (dive guiding and dive briefings.)
I already did some of this. It is fun.
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