Divemaster Course Complete!

I am now a divemaster! It took 4 & 1/2 weeks of hard work – and a lot of fun – and I am done. Check it off my list: Divemaster course complete!

4 weeks of work

During the last 4+ weeks, I spent a lot of time in classrooms learning dive theory, and a lot of time in the water practicing skills. I also assisted on classes and went diving.

It helped a TON that our instructors were amazingly patient, supportive and fun. I needed some extra help on skills like tying knots and the breath holding snorkel and Nico and Sabi were so supportive. I owe it to them for being able to say Divemaster course complete!

Assisting on Courses

Leading students and other divers is really fun! To become a divemaster, you have to assist on two courses: Open water and one other. To get extra practice, I assisted on three courses: open water, advanced open water and rescue.

Open Water

This was super fun because this is the first time people dive and the first certification for scuba divers. We taught the students all the skills they need, got them to try it out in shallow water and took them on open water dives! I did have to retrieve gear and move students around in the water – grunt work – but it was still really fun. For one, it was nice to be able to share my knowledge and love of diving with newbies. They were great, and it was cool to see them develop.

Advanced Open Water

Advanced includes pretty new divers and people who’ve dove quite a bit who just want to be able to dive deeper. It’s fun because you take them on their first dive to 30 meters – although again, I was mostly hovering above them in case they couldn’t stay down, which did happen quite a bit.

Rescue Dive Course

The rescue class is a popular one to assist on because the DMTs get to play victim and get “saved”.  A lot. I spent a lot of time pretending to panic and drown. It’s great practice for the students! And it gave me a refresher since I took my rescue course a year ago.

The classes were great. Instructors work super hard, with briefings, knowledge reviews, skills, dive plans and debriefings.

They have to brief and debrief the students and all of us trainees. Days are long but really, I could never complain about spending my days in the water diving and showing other people how to dive. In the Caribbean. In February. Life has been pretty good.

Skills and Other Requirements

The equipment exchange is a stress test. So stressful. You and your partner have to exchange scuba gear (mask, fins, kit with tank) underwater while sharing one regulator. The regulator is the breathing apparatus, so, for those of you who don’t scuba dive, that means only one of us at a time had access to the air. We had to take turns breathing. Scary! I did it. I didn’t enjoy it. But it’s done.

Last week a few of us graduated from the program so we had to perform a little bit at UDC‘s weekly barbecue. I competed in the blindfolded kit set up. We had to set up our BCDs and regulators on a tank while wearing blacked out masks. I can’t believe I was able to do it. It was fun and ridiculous, and a nice stress release with a lot of laughs.

I am officially a divemaster. It was so much work that it doesn’t feel like bragging. It was an achievement. The great thing is that while I was working and studying and stressing out I was also laughing and enjoying myself with some very fun, lighthearted and awesome people. As we say, yay diving, divemaster course complete!