The PADI Divemaster Course ....become a dive professional!

Before you get started you will need to have the following pre-requisites;

Certifed Rescue diver with either PADI or another certification agency
Have at least 40 logged dives
Be 18 years old
Have a current CPR/first aid certification

So, during your PADI Divemaster course you will be working closely with a training facility and staff. There are a large number of facilities to choose from throughout the world, with a big variation in the diving areas, so you need to have a think about what sort of divemaster program or internship are you specifically looking for? Do you want to dedicate maybe at least a month to this, diving most days, studying and getting completely immersed in the program or will you be trying to fit the program around other commitments, e.g. work. Now you've made that decision, do you stay in your current location or do you head somewhere else? Maybe somewhere tropical? With such a wealth of choices it can be hard to make a decision. in this program you expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills to the professional level. PADI Dive master training develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers. This can be the start of a whole new adventure into the world of diving.

During the PADI Dive master program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You will complete a number of exercises and skills in the water including stamina and problem solving activities.

The academic sessions can be tough so take a break occasionaly!

For your divemaster course you have a 9 knowledge reviews to complete from your Divemaster Manual. These are very important at the start of your course as they outline your role, position and responsibilities as a PADI Divemaster. They also cover risk management, origins of the dive table as well as dive planning concepts.
Eight exams are required to complete your Divemaster training. Three of these exams are based on your Divemaster Manual and cover the concepts presented here including assisting with students and working with certified divers. The other five exams are centered around expanding your dive theory knowledge. The topics are physics, physiology, dive skills and environment, Equipment and the Recreational DIve planner.

Physics- Light, heat and sound in water
Buoyancy and the weight of water
Pressure and water
Relationship of Pressure and Gas Volume, Density and Temperature
Partial Pressures of Gases
Gas absorption and elimination

Physiology- The circulatory and respiratory system
Responses to nitrogen and pressure changes
Problems in Body Air spaces

Equipment - Scuba cylinders
Regulators
Instruments
Enriched air diving equipment

Dive Skills - Rescue techniques
How to perform different low air ascents
Navigation techniques

RDP - The origin of the dive table
How to plan and make one level and multi level dives

Don't leave all of your academics until the last minute. Prepare as much in advance as possible using the Divemaster manual, encyclopedia of recreational diving and diving knowledge workbook and don't forget to ask questions to your instructors if you are unsure of ANYTHING! It can be hard going sometimes but you can do it!

Througout your divemaster course you should be doing plenty of the diving. It´s the reason you are doing this course, right?
There are 2 training options depending on the amount of dive experience you have. There options are either through Pracitcal training or Internship training.
The Internship training option is for candidates that wish to gain as much experience as possible by working with dive professionals or need to build their dive experience. This option means that you will be assisiting instructors with real life courses, you need to assist an instructor with students on a minimum of 5 dives for PADI certifications including Open Water course and PADI continuing education course which could be advanced, rescue or specialty course. You will also practise assisiting certified divers by helping gear up divers, giving dive breifings, assiting divers pre and post dive and guiding certified divers. All Theory, Stamina and training excersises must also be completed. This options takes approximately 6 weeks.
Other candiadtes might already have a lot of dive experience and already have completed atleast the 60 dives required for divemaster certification and have experience in Navigation, Deep and Night diving. They may be suitable for the Practical training option. With this option candidates are tested for their skills in scenarios where they will be assisting an Instructor in simulated dive classes and also assisiting certified divers. All Theory, Stamina and training excersises must be completed.
There are 3 required excercises during your dive training. The first is to complete a map of one of the dive sites that you will be visiting. The divemaster manual outlines some pointers to help you with this task. You will need to mark important features of the site including depth, distances, topography, compass points and interesting features.
The second of your tasks is your equipment exchange. Whilst buddy breathing you are to exchnage ALL of your dive equipment with a buddy. During this excercise you must not hit the surface or both be using regulators at the same time. You do not need to exchange wetsuits or weight belts. The importance of this excercise is that it is a problem solving activity and NOT a stress test.
The third activity is to conduct a Divemaster conducted program. This can be either a Discover snorkelling program, Discover Local Diving or PADI Skin diver course. This will either be real or simulated and is used to allow you to practice and develop your skills as a dive leader.

This section of the Divemaster course builds on skills already learned throughout your other diving courses and assesses your general watermanship skills.

The first part is the stamina section where you will have to complete four tests. For each of these tests you will be able to score from 1-5 depending on how fast and how well you complete each task. You have to score a minimim of 12 total so for each of the skills I have noted the time needed to score a 3 so you can have an idea what standard you are aiming for.
Task 1 - 400m swim. Time needed to score a 3......11 minutes max
Task 2 - 15 minute tread. To score a 3 you need to complete the tread without touching the bottom or breaking.
Task 3 - 800m snorkel swim. Time needed to score a 3...approx under 19 minutes
Task 4 - 100m tired diver tow. Time needed to score a 3..4 minutes 30 max.

You will need to demonstrate an excelent rescue of an unconscious diver, giving rescue breaths and removing all equipment. This can be done either with or without a pocket mask.
Don't forget to call for help and maintain regular ventilations every 5 seconds!

Final part of your waterskills is to complete the 20 basic scuba skills. Each skill is marked on a scale form 1-5 with 5 requiring each skill to be performed slowly, correctly and with exaggerated movement. The mask removal skill must be performed to at least a 4 standard in order to pass.

As a PADI divemaster you are now able to look for that dream job working in the dive industry. You now have a great responsibility and are able to lead and assist instructors in many different ways. Here is a list of the tasks that you can perform as a PADI divemaster.

Supervise both training and non-training-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives

Lead certified divers underwater

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 Scuba Review program to refresh a certified diver

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 AquaMission for those enthusiastic junior divers

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. This can also be taught to non-divers......something to think about!

And your biggest responsibility is to have fun with what you are doing. Remember its a lifestyle and a passion to be a divemaster and you can pass that on to everyone that you work with.