The PADI Divemaster Course

Mermaids PADI Dive Career Development Center have been training PADI Dive masters for more than a decade and our highly qualified and experienced dive staff will help you get the most out of your dive training. The PADI Divemaster level is the first professional diver level on the PADI certification ladder. Once at the DM level the DM will be able to search for scuba jobs and gain scuba diving employment. Like all levels we take the dive training very seriously but with a serious amount of fun thrown in. Our professional dive training has been deemed as the most comprehensive in Thailand by those that know our methods. We treat our Dive master intern candidates like customers, not like slaves, so you can focus on learning the material and not on carrying tanks.

There is a common misconception that the dive internship option is the free Divemaster course, this is not true. With the internship you work with actual students as opposed to shop staff simulating dive students. We feel the internship provides a far better learning experience and it is the only option we teach. We love to train PADI dive-masters but place the emphasis on great dive training and the fact that there is much more to being a dive master than possessing the certification card.

Many divemaster candidates don't realize that their instructor level training begins with the PADI Divemaster course. The PADI Instructor Development Program assumes that all components of the Dive-master course have been mastered and does not re-cover any of the confined waters skills or knowledge development. The PADI IDC assumes you got a good divemaster course, so you owe it to yourself to get one.

Dive Master Course prerequisites:

1. Be a certified PADI Rescue Diver or have an equivalent rating. (If equivalent candidate must submit proof of CPR and first aid training within the past 24 months).
2. Have completed and logged at least 20 dives as documented by the individual's personal logbook. Note: at least 60 dives are required to complete the program.
3. Be at least 18 years old at the start of training.
4. Submit medical clearance for diving signed by a physician, attesting to fitness to dive.

Schedule:

Much of the Divemaster learning is self-directed and while the motivated candidate can complete the program in two weeks, allowing a month makes for a more relaxed pace and gives plenty of time for all the course objectives to be met. Our dedicated Dive Master internship program here in Thailand is 2 months in length inclusive of everything from accommodation, all training aids, manuals and fees and even a full set of diving equipment to keep if you do not have your own.

Required materials (supplied):

1. PADI Divemaster Manual.
2. The PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving.
3. The PADI Diving Knowledge Workbook.
4. PADI Instructor Manual. (Supplied if continuing to IDC (Instructor Development Course) program).

Course Requirements

Experience:

The candidate must have completed and logged at least 60 dives as documented by the individual's personal logbook. These dives must include experience in night diving, deep diving and underwater navigation. We stipulate the minimum of 60 dives but the internship approach will ensure approximately 100 dives for the dive student.

Knowledge Development:

1. Candidates must read the Professional PADI Divemaster Manual and complete all the Knowledge Reviews
2. There are eight exams: Physics, Physiology and First Aid, Equipment, Decompression Theory and the RDP (Recreation Dive Planner), Dive Skills and the Environment, Supervising Activities for Certified Divers, Supervising Student Divers in Training, PADI Divemaster Conducted Programs.
3. Each divemaster candidate must complete an Emergency Assistance Plan. This is essentially an emergency plan for evacuation and assistance in the unlikely event of a diving accident.

Stamina and Water Skills:

Candidates must perform four exercises. Points are awarded from 1-5 based on candidate performance, a minimum of 12 points are required to pass.

1. The candidate must swim 400 meters/yards without stopping using no swimming aids and using any stroke or combination of strokes desired.
2. Using no aids and wearing only a swimsuit, the candidate will stay afloat by treading water, drown proofing, bobbing or floating for 15 minutes, with hands (not arms) out of the water during the last 2 minutes.
3. Using a mask, fins, snorkel and swimsuit only (no BCD or flotation aids) and swimming with the face in the water, the candidate must swim nonstop for 800 meters/yards.
4. Wearing full scuba equipment, the candidate must push or tow an inert diver in full scuba at the surface 100 meters/yards nonstop without assistance.

Rescue Assessment:

Candidates must perform a simulated rescue of an unresponsive, non-breathing diver. The exercise is pass/fail, but the candidate's performance must be of demonstration quality. Being a PADI divemaster in training you'll be assisting with many rescue diver courses ensuring that your skills are sharp and honed.

Skill Demonstration:

Candidates must demonstrate the PADI 18 Basic Scuba Skills. Points are awarded from 1 to 5 with a total of 63 points required to pass.

Required Training Exercises:

1. Mapping Project.
2. Dive Skill circuit. (Dive skills should be honed to demonstration quality).
3. Dive Equipment Exchange. (Exchanging full equipment whilst buddy breathing at about 5 meters in depth - character building).
4. Divemaster Conducted Program.

Internship Requirements:

Divemaster candidates must participate in at least:

1. One PADI Open Water Diver course confined water session.
2. Four additional confined water training sessions from any PADI course or program.
3. One PADI Open Water Diver course open water training dive.
4. One PADI Adventures in Diving, Rescue Diver or PADI Specialty Diver course open water training session.
5. Three additional open water training dives from any PADI course or program.
6. One supervisory situation with certified divers not in a formal course.

We state the very least requirements but here in our Thailand divemaster internship extensive experience shall be gained in all areas.

The Mermaids Dive Master training has been designed to offer you experience in all areas that a dive employer would request you fulfill. The dive work experience will leave you 100% prepared to answer questions, assist with training and essentially work dive jobs. Mermaids exclusive partnership with 'Divers Jobs' allow all participating in our professional dive programs to use the diver work service. 'Diver Jobs' has been a source of superb diver career beginnings with many assisted into their first scuba diving job. Dive employment has been found in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia through the dive jobs service. The dive job service can be used during or after training. An internal Mermaid divers forum board also assists with dive employment by our network of dive professionals workings the corners of the earth.