Divemaster Internship vs paid Divemaster Course

Thinking about becoming a Divemaster? Trying to decide between a Divemaster Internship and a regular Divemaster Course?

Learn more about these two options for completing this fun, transformative training. Both have their pros and cons so use this information to make the best decision for you!

Requirements for starting the course:

- 18 years old
- 40 logged dives
- Advanced/Rescue certified
- Current EFR certification (within the last 24 months)
- Recent medical evaluation (within last 12 months): fit for diving

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[AzulUnlimited]

Get stoked to sign up for your Divemaster Course soon! Consider all of these points before deciding on the location and dive shop for your training.

[krisdeaglephotography]

The dive shop I’m interning at is both. You pay for all of your courses (this takes you from no diving experience at all to a DM) but what you get with the internship is free dives (to clock up your dives for your DM and obviously have them logged, as well as the experience doing the non-dive stuff that one needs experience in to do the actual job (shop based stuff, boat based stuff etc)

[nitroxo]

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this video! I want to become an instructor, but I wasn't sure which route to go. You not only answered the questions I were thinking of, but also gave me insight on areas I never thought about before. Thank you! :)

[inspiredvideoproductions]

Thanks for the great explanation, in my experience most dive shops will try and persuade students to undertake an internship because it gives them cheap staff.
Plus some of us are not able to take months on end away from our families, so it’s paid education all the way for me.
Thanks again, great little video.

[CaseyKlaus]

Really great info and SPOT ON! I have no affiliation with Azul or Sarah (love the Cassio calculator watch) but am a DM and what she is sharing is totally consistent with my experience. Great channel.

[SvenVoelk]

good video. some things i like to add from experience. shops i managed/ DM students i brought in to dive centers always paid the course fee (yes even as interns). however, at this point they have a contract with me/ the instructor assigned to the student. i am a huge supporter of DM internships. But, you paid - we have a clear contract what you will receive for the money. you have scheduled classroom and pool sessions with the instructor(s) assigned to you - no excuses. at the same time (it's an internship, remember!) you work in the dive center. and nope you usually don't get paid, but you get commissions as the regular staff as applicable, you are part of tip sharing (whenever i was mgr. of a shop or just the dive/ instr. team i pushed for a shared tips system for regular fun dives. doesn't matter you are instructor, boat captain, deck hand, doing an internship. you work as a team, you share the tips as a team...equally. you learn valuable lessons from selling and upselling (not my fav's). you sell equipment, you get your commission as everybody else... you are assigned this day to filling tanks, you are there with an instructor who has the license to teach nitrox and above filling. it will be tossed in in the end as freebie, because you earned it with endless hrs. filling the tanks and a couple more in the classroom (keep in mind that's all just specialty cards at this point, once you decide to go for instructor you can easily upgrade them to specialty instructor ratings). as far as it concerns me and my approach, yes you pay. but at the same time you will earn money back during your internship. we usually also paid (even not obligated to do so) DM students later on in the program some money. but the huge thing here, you get the full inside what is actually going on at a dive center in real live, compared to pay the course and get thru with it quick as possible. You learn it all, boat handling, selling, being a DM in real live... you see what the instructors actually do (or not, cause they have you LOL), you deal with clients easy and complicated, you fix and maintain equipment, compressors, boat engines, cars... you wash and polish them as well. in a good shop you will do all that with the rest of the team, not been used as the free labor. once again, research and talk to the shop where you might intend to take that step carefully!
in the end you will have earned not only your DM card (and many useful skills around it), but you will have a very good idea if continuing that line of profession any further is what you really want to do. so, my opinion - if you have the time go for the internship with a good dive center!

[unclemilton]

I wish I had seen this before I paid for my Dive masters course.

[CrazyDivers]

I did my dive master internship in Malta and looking back I would have set up a proper paperwork cauz I only got 5 days off in my 4 month of training. Yes I loved any moment of it, but I was hammered afterwards.

You are talking about resumes, could you do a video about what you look in a Diver resume and / or how to build it?

[ebytheaquaman]

Thank you for your explanation...I get more information for

[lucasfanning]

Great video and you have me very excited! Will shoot you an email enquiry from your website! Cheers \m/

[gastonice]

Glad to see this video! any spot available for july?? thanks in advance

[TheArbelast]

Hi ... I'm indonesian, i wanna ask you is you ever heard about divemaster intern proggram especially SSI in labuan bajo or bali or somewhere in that area? ... Honestly i wanna be a commercial diver but while waiting that commdive start ... I think to take divemaster intern first. Thank you god bless you all

[FaisalAlbaheth]

I got my dive masters course in no more than 2 weeks :/ 6 working days max,
too bad I am certified now but I dont Im not even conformable to be a guide .

[harrodharrod]

Why on earth does everyone have their tank so low. Can you, in clear conscience tell, that you will be able to reach your valve when needed?

[Crowellnoob]

What prices should one expect for such course? Is it common that they can help with looking for an accommodation? Many touristic places consider <6 months a tourist stay which can be 10-20 times more expansive than the one of the locals.

[nujiyuji]

Hi Sera ! Thanks for great video. I heard Komodo island is shut down now due to covid-19. Hopefully you are doing fine! Btw I'm thinking to go pro and get the dive master & IDC courses next year. I'm thinking to take the courses between Kotai in Thailand or Bali/Komodo in Indonesia. Personally I would like to take courses in Indonesia but one of korean instructor working in Kotai said people who got their dive master in Bali didnt learn properly.... so I'm very careful to decide which shop that i wanna go with. Kotai might be good for someone wanna be very senior instructor but I think it's good to have dive master somewhere have more diverse environment to experience current, macro dive, etc. Do you have any idea how different is between choosing Thailand and Indonesia for dive courses?

[eng.caiocunha]

Great Video, Thanks! I am a Portuguese, Spanish and english speaker.. I am doing my Dive Master course right now, which courses do you recomend me to boost my chances to get a job ? thank you

[Scxbah]

The biggest challenge I personally face is financing. I graduated university last year with an honours in Marine Biology and recently got my open water certification. I'd love to do a volunteer programme that incorporates a divemaster internship and a form of marine conservation but the courses are both very expensive and I couldn't afford to take time off work to do it but reading the curriculum for such courses honestly sounds like a dream. Especially the idea of travelling somewhere completely different both in terms of the climate, marine life, and culture but that same point takes me away from my responsibilities such as looking after my dog and family. Does anyone know of courses like I stated that can alleviate any of the issues? I'm based in the UK

[bidwansekhar]

How can I join your group as a student?

[austingode]

Curious … you are a Spanish speaking dive shop in Indonesia ?