Just started Divemaster training and now my Instructor is leaving!!

Hey guys,

Just returned from a week diving in the Seychelles (Beau Vallon). Incredible diving including a surprise visit by a whale shark at the end of a deep dive. I came home with my decision made - I signed up for Divemaster, bought all of my equipment and got going on the manual... when...

My Instructor has just told me she's leaving the dive centre and her new job is in another country!! :( She leaves in 4 weeks time and have no where near enough dives or the time to fit them in as I work full time.

I'm totally confused now what to do! She has suggested that I follow her and do a two week course, in her new location, as part of a holiday (having completed the manual / workbook at home and reached the required dive number stated by PADI). The other option is to sign up to a different instructor at the centre. I don't believe that the other Instructors will teach me to the standard I really want - they seem certification number orientated only. There are no other divemasters working at the centre.

An additional problem was that I signed up on the premise that I would get free dives during the course until I reached the 60 required (at least) in return for assisting the Instructor during the weekends. I would now have to pay for 34 dives from my own pocket if I now wait to do the course abroad with her. She also said that she wasn't sure if the offer of the free dives would stand once she left.

Has any one else been in this situation? Any pearls of wisdom? :confused:

Nat
(I always seem to be in a dilemma, eh?)

A good relationship makes the learning experience so much more enjoyable. But you raised some valid financial aspects associated with all those dives.

By the same token you entered into an agreement based upon apparently agreed upon expectations. Can you discuss this with her and see if she can accommodate you at her new place?

Well, one of the options we discussed last night was for her to contact her new boss and discuss with him the possibility of doing a divemaster - Instructor internship with me. That brings its own considerations - do i take 6 months unpaid leave from work and I hope I have a job to return to or do I see where diving takes me and jump in with both feet? To be honest, I wasn't really interested to think about being an instructor at this stage - just want to make myself a safer diver with the option available to assist / teach.

Why is nothing ever simple?!:p If I'm honest, it's the finance side of my DMT that worries me!!

Is there no other Instructor in the area?
If not, I'll go through the course with you...


I live in Fla... :-)

If I'm understanding this you have 24 dives total(60-34) and your already deciding to do DM? What's the urge to jump in sooooo fast? I'd rethink it, especially leaving your current job to go to another country. Like others said, I'm sure there has to be another descent instructor. How about doing the DM at the same center, where you'll get the free dives under another instructor. After your done you can visit your instructor in the other country and do another internship or work under him/her to refine your skills.

Hey guys,

DM is purely "desire to learn more" driven. I want to know more, for my own knowledge. Ok, sure, I wanna be able to teach and be a good teacher and I want that as an option..

I feel completely let down with what I was offered and what I've now got. The new instructor (Manager) has arrived and is boasting about doing confined 1-5 in 35 minutes in the pool!! NOT an option for me as a student-sorry, no! All I want do is learn and then apply with my own style. I negotiated a programme where I dive for free (up to 60+) whilst working in the centre, when I can ...sitting on as many courses as possible to LEARN.

I fully appreciate what you're saying. The centre is one of the better ones in the area and I'm frustrated. I'm not looking for a quick progression. Probably part of working within a hospital - I HAVE to know how things work..what's likely to go wrong, how do you deal with it.. etc. It's in my nature. DM is another step - for me - to understand the equipment, the physiology, the physics, better.

Perhaps that's something else to debate - Do people "Go Pro" for the right reasons? Is it for themselves as a diver, or for the status. I just want to be safe underwater, knowing I aim and have the potential to teach...

Opinions please..

Nat

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hbh2oguard

If I'm understanding this you have 24 dives total(60-34) and your already deciding to do DM? What's the urge to jump in sooooo fast? I'd rethink it, especially leaving your current job to go to another country. Like others said, I'm sure there has to be another descent instructor. How about doing the DM at the same center, where you'll get the free dives under another instructor. After your done you can visit your instructor in the other country and do another internship or work under him/her to refine your skills.

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I agree 100% on this.

I really think you should only do one thing, and that is get some more dives. You don't have to go through formal training to learn. Find a more experienced diver and dive with them, forget the classes for now and go diving!

Sounds to me like you wanted to go through the DM training because of the instructor you would have been working with. I completely understand that, I have been a DM for a few years and have been fortunate enough to work with some excellent instructors and other DMs and have learnt from all of them.

However, I'm with "hbh2oguard", no need to rush to get the badge. Experience is a great teacher so get out there and dive, dive in different places with different people, find experienced divers that you like, trust and can learn from. Some of those will be instructors and DMs, others will just be other divers who share your enthusiasm. Maybe you can set yourself some personal goals in diving that you can practise and develop, with the help of more experienced divers if necessary. Use specialty classes if and when appropriate, navigation, buoyancy, wreck, night, search & recovery etc. all add to your skills and confidence as a diver, but don't let them become the driving force.

Fundamentally, enjoy your diving. :D There is always a risk that if you try to push yourself for a specific certification too aggressively, your passion may become a chore and that would be a terrible shame. While you're working to develop your personal dive skills, remember to stop and smell the underwater roses from time to time. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shinek

Fundamentally, enjoy your diving. :D There is always a risk that if you try to push yourself for a specific certification too aggressively, your passion may become a chore and that would be a terrible shame. While you're working to develop your personal dive skills, remember to stop and smell the underwater roses from time to time. ;)

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couldn't agree more, absolutely spot on!

If you are willing to leave the country to do a divemaster course, you should at least look at all available options.

Some places do free divemaster internships where you work a bit and pay nothing. Many places you don't work, have to pay a bit, but you at least get free unlimited diving.

It's worth checking around - don't artificially limit yourself to one instructor. There are LOTS of great ones.