Becoming a Divemaster is as rewarding a journey as any, the process of training, and the skills learnt not only translate to the diving fraternity, but in further ventures also. Due to the entry level professional rating that the Divemaster course allows you to accomplish, this qualification is unique to all other dive courses before it.
Becoming a Divemaster is time-consuming, emotionally and physically demanding, and in turn can be expensive. For that reason, the course is not for the faint of heart, in fact it is critical to determine if being a Divemaster is the fit for you before you begin. Despite this, for me personally, having been a Divemaster for 7 years, working rigorously in the dive com munity, I can say that the rewards of the Divemaster certainly outweigh the costs.
A Job
Achieving the Divemaster qualification will allow successful candidates the opportunity to work in the diving community. A dream job for many, living on a beautiful island, staying fit, diving on reefs with a plethora of underwater species and being able to make a living – could there be anything better? To be honest no, nothing is better, yet be realistic, many people consider being a Divemaster such a dream, and therefore there is not always the most abundant amount of jobs, especially that pay well. Continuing your education in diving, such as becoming an instructor, adding a skippers licence or compressor maintenance qualification to your resume, or in other situations following a technical diving path will certainly make one look more employable.
Travel
Most diving jobs will usually be located outside your country of origin. For example growing up in England, despite the fantastic cold water diving, many more dive centres are based in the Caribbean or south east Asia for example. Having the opportunity to explore the remotest areas in the world is what makes being a Divemaster so special, especially due to the fact that many jobs are seasonal, giving the chance for divers to travel to many countries and ecosystems during their diving career.
Teamwork
Working with a like-minded group of colleagues is as rewarding as any job you will ever have. Many of your fellow divemasters or instructors will be from other countries, with different sets of skills and varying experience in diving and other life skills. For sure not all will be compatible with you, yet divers usually form friendships for life.
Ready to find out more? Visit our course section on our website or www.padi.com