What is the difference between a Divemaster and an Instructor?
If you’ve ever considered taking the step from treating diving as a hobby to making it a career, you may be wondering what qualifications you need and what is involved in being a dive pro. One common question which comes up is: what is the difference between a divemaster and a diving instructor? Which is the higher level qualification and what is involved in (a) attaining these certifications and (b) working in these roles? Let us explain…
PADI Divemaster
A divemaster’s primary responsibility is as a dive guide, leading certified divers around sites to ensure their safety and enjoyment.
Of course, once you are certified to PADI Open Water level or above, you are able to enter the water – with a buddy of course – and dive to your heart’s content. While some people choose to do this, in most dive sites around the world common practice is to dive with a guide, and these professionals tend to be Divemasters.
Divemasters – often referred to as DMs within the industry – know their local dive sites intimately and can guide tourists and visitors to the best spots. They organise trips, groups, logistics, and often look after a dive shop’s all-important “dive board” which shows who will be on which boat going to which site and what time. They also plan dives, give pre-dive briefings, and help with allocation of rental gear, as well as looking after and communicating with divers underwater during the dive itself.
They regularly play an important assistant role to Instructors during student teaching sessions, helping to handle gear or carry out buddy simulations, but are not permitted to teach PADI courses independently.
If teaching isn’t necessarily your thing but you love being underwater so much you want to be paid to be there, becoming a PADI Divemaster might be the right choice for you.
What do I need to be a divemaster?
In order to begin the PADI Divemaster course you must be over the age of 18 and in decent physical health and condition – you will require certification from a physician declaring you fit to undertake the course.
You must hold the following certifications: Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, EFR Primary and Secondary Care, and Rescue Diver.
You must have at least 40 logged dives before beginning the course and at least 60 before completing the course.
What will I learn on the PADI Divemaster course?
The divemaster course takes several weeks to complete, with many hours of private study and elearning covering topics which range from how to conduct a drive briefing, the science of gas absorption by body tissues at depth, and even which knot tying techniques to use in different search and recovery circumstances.
In the pool and ocean you will learn mastery of PADI’s core “24 skills” covering everything from replacing your regulator underwater to controlling your buoyancy without the aid of a BCD.
You will also learn how to plan a dive, map a dive site, create an emergency action plan for your dive shop, and you’ll undertake physical tests including a timed 400m swim and timed 800m snorkel.
You’ll learn how a dive shop operates and be required to participate in the smooth running of the operation, ensuring the right safety equipment is on the boat and how to deal with customers. By the time you earn that cherished black certification card you will have the skills and knowledge to conduct yourself as a PADI dive professional.
Diving Instructor (PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor – OWSI)
While a Divemaster’s core responsibility is to guide, the main role of an Instructor is to teach. If imparting knowledge and communicating comes as naturally to you as being under the waves, this may be the role for you.
After being a certified diver for at least six months, after completing more than 100 logged dives, and after earning your Divemaster qualification, you are then eligible to take the Instructor Development Course (IDC) to graduate to the level of Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI).
During the IDC, which is often run as an intensive two-week course, you will build on the skills learned at Divemaster level and be taught how to communicate these safely and professionally to your students.
You will also gain a better understanding of the education and training courses PADI offers in order to better advise students as they progress along their own diving journey.
A PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor is qualified to teach all PADI core courses from Open Water up to and including Divemaster.
Upon completion of the IDC you will take the PADI Instructor Examination, carried out over several days with multiple components in and out of the water, to confirm you have understood and can carry out what you learned during the IDC to a standard which will reflect well on PADI, the world’s largest scuba diving training organisation.
Taking the next step
Here at LLV, as a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Resort, we have the qualifications, resources, and specialist instructors necessary to train our divers to Divemaster and Instructor level.
There are two IDC courses with accompanying IE exams scheduled for the remainder of 2023, one in September and one in November (see graphic above).
And by choosing to take one of these courses – whether a Divemaster internship or an Instructor qualification – at LLV you can benefit from the best facilities in Puerto Galera.
Not only will you maximise the quality of your learning, working with our highly-qualified PADI professionals, but you’ll also optimise the environment in which you’re taking on new knowledge and new skills.
You can rest in our luxurious rooms, enjoy confined water training in the area’s largest swimming pool, and benefit from our modern facilities including spacious air-conditioned conference room in which to receive classroom lessons.
So if you want a career in diving which will give you you the freedom to ply your trade anywhere in the world, get in touch with us to discuss taking a divemaster internship or participating in the next scheduled Instructor Development Course.
Click over to our Accommodation Page to book a stay, or our Diving page to look at the courses and prices we offer, and get in touch: Phone: +63 917 570 3415 | WhatsApp / WeChat / Viber: +63 917 570 3415 | Email: [email protected] | Go to our Contact Us page
