Padi Dm Course

[Sparks]

Hi all,
Started my DMs last weekend....has anyone got any advice, hints, tips or suggestions on how to get the most out of the course?
Cheers..

[Kirstie]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Hi all,
Started my DMs last weekend....has anyone got any advice, hints, tips or suggestions on how to get the most out of the course?
Cheers..

Be prepared to lug endless amounts of kit around, spend a lot of time bobbing up and down between 6m and the surface, and hold people's hands.

Am partway through mine and still enjoying it, although I'm dreading the swimtest (which I'll probably do in Crete in Sept).

Good luck and have fun

[B]

Well done on starting your course... the DM Internship (which I presume you are doing) is all dependant on you really... you really do get out of it what you put in...

so.... ask questions, show willingness, support the instructor and you will find that you are given tasks and responsibility and skills that will eventually make you a super DM...

be alert, help with student diver flow, keep an efficient eye on students both on surface as well as underwater, whilst on skills and underwater tours stay with the group and be a strong support for the instructor... nothing worse than having to worry about the group staying together and the DM staying with the group...

and most importantly.. smile and enjoy... hard work but worth it...

B x

[peterdevlin]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Hi all,
Started my DMs last weekend....has anyone got any advice, hints, tips or suggestions on how to get the most out of the course?
Cheers..

yeah .... do it as quickly as possible so you can get back to some decent diving ;-)

[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by B

help with student diver flow,

What does that mean?

Best tip for a DM is to spend alot of time watching people, spotting problems and managing them in a way that prevents them re-occuring.

It's fine line ... sometimes you need to step in and fix the problem for the student where immediate safety is concerned, other times you have to be there to support the student whilst they fix the problem themselves.

A little game I used to play with other DMs was who could resolve the most problems. It requires you to be constantly assessing the situaion, pre kit up, during kitting up and then in the water. Always make sure you're closest to the problem so you can resolve it.

Be professional about this of course and always support your instructor....if the Instructor is talking ... shut up ... the students want to listen to them not you! However some students will find you more approachable than the instructor so use your judgement to give sound advice or defer to the instructor. Always let the Instructor know what you did .. especially at the beginning.

Make sure your own diving is squared away.

HTH
Mal

[B]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

What does that mean?

Best tip for a DM is to spend alot of time watching people, spotting problems and managing them in a way that prevents them re-occuring.

It's fine line ... sometimes you need to step in and fix the problem for the student where immediate safety is concerned, other times you have to be there to support the student whilst they fix the problem themselves.

A little game I used to play with other DMs was who could resolve the most problems. It requires you to be constantly assessing the situaion, pre kit up, during kitting up and then in the water. Always make sure you're closest to the problem so you can resolve it.

Be professional about this of course and always support your instructor....if the Instructor is talking ... shut up ... the students want to listen to them not you! However some students will find you more approachable than the instructor so use your judgement to give sound advice or defer to the instructor. Always let the Instructor know what you did .. especially at the beginning.

Make sure your own diving is squared away.

HTH
Mal

Well said.. you are good eh...

student diver flow... a true PADI term... oh my god I have been brainwashed...

B x

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

What does that mean?

Officially, it means making sure the students are lined in the optimum position up ready for the next exercise, and then adjusting as required during the exercises.

Unofficially it means grabbing them by their tank valves and lugging them from here to there, then doing Barbara Woodhouse impressions .... SIT! .... STAY!!

[Tony F]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

Unofficially it means grabbing them by their tank valves and lugging them from here to there, then doing Barbara Woodhouse impressions .... SIT! .... STAY!!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Unofficially I thought it meant sending them straight from the changing room to the till to pay for the kit you've just advised them is a 'must-have'!

[purple vonny]

If you are old enough to remember MASH, react like Radar and do things before being asked.

Make sure you can kit up and de-kit really quickly.

Be subtle when correcting people so that you don't humiliate them.

Learn how to fix things and trouble shoot with equipment.

If bits won't fit together (like inflator hoses) use spit. It's magic.

Watch how the instructor works with students and if you respect and admire the instructor, pick up hints and tips and use them (I did and I learned a lot of tricks).

Work through all of the Diving Knowledge Workbook. If you can answer all those questions you will be fine in the theory exams.

Best of luck.

[Buoyant Babe]

Can't add much to the sage advice of the previous posters. However, be prepared to deal with some 'trying' people. Grin and bear it, shrug it off, but keep your cool.

A lot of people (blokes especially*) are embarassed when they learn to dive and find they aren't immediately dive-gods, or struggle to pick up seemingly simple tasks. Some get stroppy, some become a bit obnoxious or arrogant. Mostly they are covering up their own apprehensions or embarassment.

Hxxx

*My worst student, however, was a woman so far up her own arse I'm surprised she didn't turn herself inside out. I don't know what she was doing on a course as she knew it all already!