I've been scuba diving for more than 15 years. My first diving trip to Roatán, Honduras really got me excited about the sport, but only recently have I decided to take my skills to the next level.
I want to be a Divemaster. The process is difficult and it takes time, patience, and a great instructor to achieve it.
Being a certified Divemaster is a big deal. The certification (I am going through the PADI course) means that I could eventually supervise a group of experienced divers. However, contrary to what most people think, the majority of scuba chartered dive trips are led by a certified Dive Instructor.
The requirements for Divemaster certification are intense, but you might be surprised that on most charter dives, a Dive Instructor must also be present in addition to any Divemaster(s) onboard.
Even though I won't be chartering any trips by myself with this certification, this fact is really okay with me. Right now, I have no intention of setting up my own dive shop or dive crew. I just love diving and I want to be a helpful, knowledgeable resource for other divers.
I have a boat and dive with my friends quite often. We pack up our gear, gas up and head out: just us. Achieving Divemaster certification will allow me to feel security and confidence to bring some of my family members who are PADI Scuba certified, but haven't dived in a while.
I have two family members who had really bad, even unsafe experiences with unhelpful Divemasters on Scuba charters (separate locations and dates). Both my sister and my stepmom had really bad impressions of diving and really didn't want to dive again. But, thanks to my helpful instructors, my family is getting back on the boat, and I look forward to being able to dive with them on my own boat soon.
To me, achieving Divemaster certification is NOT about having a cool cert on my PADI card or a badge of honor that I can brag about. I truly want to help others have great diving experiences. I am looking forward to helping not just to my family, but hopefully others during a Divemaster internship.
!I hope to see you in the water soon. Happy diving!