I'm a Rescue Diver!! Now what?!

[nat]

Hey,

Just wanted to say a big thanks for everyone's support and advice. I actually feel very proud .

Diving has become a real passion and I'm so eager to learn more skills and gain experience that I'm really drawn to the DM route (and let's face it, the free diving too ). I'm looking to have the option at least of working in the industry.

The biggest surprise for me about it all, and especially my friends here, is my new found discipline for not drinking the bar dry and then asking the club bouncer can we all just have one more before they turn the lights off ... Think that's when they knew they'd lost me to the sport!!

Do I need insurance as a DMT? I'm with DAN but to be honest I've not had a chance to sit and chat to my Instructor about all of the nitty gritty of it all.

Natalie

[shinek]

Good for you, go for it!
Check with your instructor/shop or PADI to be sure, but I think while you are in training you should be covered by their insurance. DAN is for your own health, we are talking about liability here, very different. If someone has some sort of incident and gets injured or worse, who will they or their family be coming to with law suit in hand? As far as I know, PADI are still using Vincencia & Buckley, but I am sure there are other companies who provide similar coverage. In my case, I do not work as a Divemaster at a resort or on a dive boat, just in the pool and open water training. As such the insurance coverage I have chosen is limited to that and I seem to recall costs $200 or $300 a year. Some dive operations may cover you under their policy or offer to pay your premiums as part of their agreement for you to help with their classes. Its worth asking!
As was said earlier, check with the instructor manual as to what you are allowed to do while in training and then as a certified Divemaster. In some cases, the insurance coverage will only cover you if you can show you kept within the standards.
Enough of the scary stuff, look on the bright side, you are about to undertake an arduous but extremely rewarding journey. Throw yourself in and enjoy it, you'll have a lot of fun and learn a huge amount along the way. It'll make you a better diver and give you potential employment options should you choose to go that route.
Good luck.