In less than a month I will return to Malta and to my favourite diveshop, Divewise. I had originally planned to spend July and August there, but due to change in circumstances I can only stay for the month of July. This means that I will be only able to complete the PADI Divemaster course and nothing else (though we will see, I will try and squeeze in as much as I can).
Divemaster – what is it?
According to PADI, it is the first step on the professional ladder. It allows you to do the following:
- Supervise both training and non-training-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives
- Assist a PADI Instructor during the training sessions for any PADI Diver course
- Conduct the PADI Skin Diver course and PADI Discover Snorkeling program
- Conduct the PADI Discover Local Diving experience
- Conduct the PADI Scuba Review program
- If qualified as a Discover Scuba Diving Leader, independently conduct the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program.
- Earn the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty Instructor rating to be able to teach the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty.
- Independently guide Open Water Diver course students on the tour portion of Open Water Diver course Training Dives 2, 3 and 4 at a ratio of two student divers per certified divemaster.
- Accompany Open Water Diver students under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor during:
- surface swims to and from the entry/exit point and during navigational exercises
- when the instructor conducts a skill, such as an ascent or descent, a Divemaster can remain with other student divers (with an individual student or buddy team)
- Accompany student divers during Adventure Dives or Specialty training dives under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor.
- Conduct the PADI Seal Team Skin Diver Specialist AquaMission
- Conduct subsequent dives under an instructor’s indirect supervision for Discover Scuba Diving participants after participants have satisfactorily completed the first dive with a PADI Instructor.
- Teach Emergency First Response courses after successfully completing an Emergency First Response Instructor course.
That is a lot of responsibility and a lot of work to get through. My Divemaster manual has arrived; I can now start the knowledge reviews so that I can focus on the practical aspects when I am in Malta.
I am looking forward to the challenge that this course will present and all the skills that I will learn.
Jump - Sail - Dive 
Good luck with your Divemaster course. It is challenging and a lot of fun.
In other areas Divemasters are hired by dive shops but unfortunately here in Hawaii especially, they are not, so it didn’t seem worth it for me to finish the course then have to pay out all the fees and insurance to be a Divemaster if I couldn’t work as one.
That’s a pity that you can’t work as a divemaster. Have you thought about becoming an instructor? That’s where I am planning on ending up.
I thought about it, but it’s just not for me. I have no interest in teaching Open Water to new divers. I would be interested in teaching some of the specialties that are hard to find or not available in Hawaii, but to do that you have to become an OWI which I have no interest in at all. Plus instructors here in Hawaii barely make minimum wage, so the money definitely isn’t a draw for me either.
I think I will just stick to being a Dive Medic, I still get to dive, and I get paid a heck of a lot more than minimum wage, lol.
You should check out some other parts of the world for divemastering work…