DM and AI training

[Conor]

Thanks Adrian, thats pretty much what I thought. I got the impression that the less training you required the earlier you could be an active member in the club (I could have got this wrong).

My plan as regards clubs is.....complete DM (as I said could be a year away and may be with AI), talk to the local PADI club to see if they have use of a warmwater dm for pool work etc, if so carry on the PADI route, other waise revisit the local BSAC cluba and cross over as DL (I think this is a direct SALT???) and start on the BSAc instructor path.

Conor

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Conor

...cross over as DL (I think this is a direct SALT???) ...
Conor

Correct Conor

[Houseplant]

Originally Posted by Conor

cross over as DL (I think this is a direct SALT???) and start on the BSAC instructor path

That's exactly what I did and it's working out well. I'll do the instructor thing as soon as my life gets a bit less busy which should be soon hopefully.

[dlegros]

Originally Posted by Conor

One of the things I find pushing me to do my DM is the prospect of working with and helping other divers (in particular novices). To this end I was thinking of carrying on after DM (probably in a year or so) to do my AI.

A good approach, see below

Here the questions start.....
Is it worth doing the DSD DM or just go straight to AI?

Possible, but you will only gain the ability to carry out DSD, whilst an AI can do a lot more (see Rod's Post)

Is it worth doing the AI even if you don't expect to complete an IDC?

Absolutely, you can do the AI duties, if you are happy there, there's no need to continue

Can a 'non active' DM do the AI training?

Define "non-active", if you are up-to-dat with your PADI fees, you can take the course. However...

If you are not involved with students in a teaching environment, you will find the course harder. Being in the water with students, and in the class (especially with a manual, following along) will give you a lot of preparation for the AI/IDC

[QUOTEThe reason for this last question is that I will probably not be DMing all year round, as I am not connected with a shop/club in the UK. In an ideal world I would like to 'help out' by DMing etc during my holidays, would this mean I would have to be 'Active status'. Is I do have to join how much is the annual membership?[/quote]

To be active, you need to pay up every year, this year's fees are £56+VAT if you use the automatic renewal system, or £59.33+VAT if you don't.

Sorry its a bit babbly, but I'm just trying to get an understanding of the way forward.

Babble away! Hope this helps.

Dom

[gmul]

Conor, I was initially trained by BSAC thru' Club Diver and Sports diver but internal politics meant that I would never have done Dive Leader. I did the DM course as an intern over approx 6 months with the only Padi facility in N.Ireland (the only one at the time anyway) having first had to do the Rescue Diver course and First Aid course. I had kept my membership of the BSAC club active the whole time and also did the BSAC Instructor Training Course (requirement is Sports diver). I then walked into the club with the DM ticket and "crossed" over via SALT to Dive Leader. I also got SALT certs for Resuce Diver and First Aid.

I did the DM course for different reasons than you seem to want to but the effect was the same. I have never used the qualification once since then as the Padi centre had it's own full time staff but doing the course served a purpose. Although I knew deep down that I would not continue down the Padi road, the course greatly increased my time in the water over a relatively short period, both with students in a "leadership" capacity and simply going diving - invaluable experience in and out of the water.

[Brian Jarvis]

Worth remembering that BSAC divers can't crossover to PADI as instructors. They have to do the IDC/IE irrespective of other (non PADI) qualifications. PADI instructor crossing to BSAC has only to do the IFC then 12 hrs teaching under supervision (as I recall) to get to instructor. God knows how much doing both from scratch could cost but from a time and economics perspective if you wanted the pair then it makes sense to do PADI first.

[onthetrain]

Originally Posted by chrisch

Conor, if you are not in it for hte money how about joining a club and instructing there? The flexibility is somewhat more than PADI and you get to jump off the PADI "just another course" gravy train for PADI...

If you are "working" (albeit unpaid) in the UK you will need the HSE stuff as well. That's a lot to shell out unless you intend to get some revenue back.

Chris

What he said. It doesnt appear you want to earna living teaching Scuba. Cross over to BSAC or SAA. And get onto their Instructor training schemes. As an RD any decent club will be glad to have you, especially if you want to help them teach. Why spend £1000 plus than have to keep shelling out to PADI to maintain your instructor status?

Alan

[TonyG]

The thing to remember guys that as soon as you start part time working with a shop/club even in PADI, it is a case of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. Very often you do not pay for the course, only the PIC.

[Conor]

Thanks for all the reply guys, lots of food for thought.

I have run out of green to give

[Tony F]

Originally Posted by Conor

Thanks for all the reply guys, lots of food for thought.

I have run out of green to give

I decided, foolishly or otherwise, to go for simultaneous progression via PADI and BSAC.

Presently (subject to four more exams and a Rescue Review) I'm on the verge of becoming a DM and I have completed the DSD internship. I would strongly recommend you do so too if you go this route as it adds virtually nothing to the course but makes you more 'useable'. I think I'm likely to do the AI early next year and then decide if the IDC/IE is for me, if I go on that'll be perhaps at the end of the year or in 2007.

I'm also now a BSAC ADI - IE. I've done the IFC (fantastic course) as a Sports Diver. I plan finishing my DL during 2006 and maybe progressing the instructor training with the TIE, PIE & OWI at the end of 2006 or in 2007.

My observations:

BSAC in keeping with the stories has taken me an age, partly my fault as I could have 'SALTed' but chose to 'go the distance'. That doesn't seem to count for very much though as rather thought it would because I'm used and abused during my branch's pool sessions and treated pretty poorly for my efforts and enthusiasm, I get no credit for any experience I have outside of the branch or for opting to go through the system. Progression has been really slow but all branches are bound to be different.

PADI progression did not come fast and furious for me either. I purposely took the longest DM internship in history and although I have gained very limited OW experience because of where my school/club is based, I have racked up a lot of pool time with students/club members and unlike my BSAC branch I do feel every inch a part of the team.

Once qualified as a DM I'll need to stay active and provide a HSE medical but my school covers it's DMs insurance wise so I won't have to shell out for that. I'll be 'working' for club membership and fills.

As an ADI I feel I'm only asked to help out when the club is scraping the barrel, and when I do so it's at my expense but on the other hand there's no obligation on my part to be insured or have the HSE medical.

Anyway point is although I don't consider myself experienced by any measure and many YDers are much more worldly wise than me I am in the mist of exactly what you're looking at, so if you want some objective opinion feel free to PM.

HTH