[Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column] If You Want to Become a Divemaster, Here Are 3 Key Areas You Can Start Preparing for Right Now

The Divemaster certification is the most important step toward entering the leadership level of diving — not only will you learn a great deal of new material, but you'll also revisit everything you covered in your previous courses.
So what should you prepare before the course even begins? I believe the most important thing is to first find a dive education center that's the right fit for you. Once you have a solid start, all your other preparation will actually mean something.
The biggest change the Divemaster course brings is a shift in role. You go from being a receiver to a giver. Before, you simply followed your instructor's directions underwater. Now, you become a supporting figure. Your approach to learning changes dramatically as well — instead of passively absorbing knowledge, you need to seek out what you should be learning and prepare in advance.

The five days of core Divemaster coursework are extremely intensive, with a heavy workload every single day (and if your instructor isn't assigning you homework, they're cutting corners). That's why preparation beforehand is so critical — only by previewing the material in advance can you absorb it effectively.
So let me walk you through what to pay attention to and what to prepare before your Divemaster course begins.
I'll break it down using the three pillars of K.S.A.

Knowledge for the Divemaster

1. Start by reviewing your OW, AOW, and Rescue course materials. Chances are you've forgotten most of the content since you took those courses. Go through the review questions again and check where the correct answers are — this way, when you're helping your instructor guide students, you'll actually be able to answer their questions.

2. If you can get your hands on the course materials early, make absolutely sure you complete the knowledge review for Units 1 through 9 of the Divemaster manual before class begins. You will not have time to write assignments during class, and working through them in advance will give you a much deeper understanding of the course.

3. The course package also includes the latest edition of the Instructor Manual and the Encyclopedia of Recreational Scuba Diving. Take some time to browse through them — especially the section of the Instructor Manual that covers the Divemaster course content. This will give you a clearer picture of what you'll be learning down the road.

4. I've put together a summary of five core theory topics for anyone who's interested — take a look if you'd like.
   (A link will be available in my upcoming book.)

Skills for the Divemaster

1. Open Water Course — 24 Basic Scuba Skills: Study how to perform each skill as a proper demonstration, so you can teach it to your students in the simplest possible way. Whenever you get the chance, find a pool and practice as much as you can. These movements need deliberate training to be performed slowly and cleanly. 24 Basic Scuba Skills Video Playlist

2. Advanced Course — Hovering in the water is the most critical skill. We judge a diver's ability largely by how well they can hover, and this is even more true for instructors, so dedicate extra time to refining your buoyancy. Also work on deploying a Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) underwater, as well as basic navigation and compass use.

3. Rescue Course — Rescue Exercises 1–10, with particular focus on Rescue Exercise 7: Unresponsive Diver at the Surface. This is a mandatory component of the Instructor Examination, so you need to be highly proficient at it.

4. Swimming Ability — During the water skills assessment, you must demonstrate the ability to swim 400 m unassisted and tread water for 15 minutes (with your hands out of the water for the final two minutes). Swimming ability is not something you can improve quickly over just a few days, so get your swimming practice in before the course starts.

Attitude for the Divemaster

1. Dive more, dive more, and then dive some more. Although PADI (certification agency) only requires 40 logged dives to enroll in the Divemaster course and 60 to complete it, I genuinely feel those thresholds are too low. I always encourage my students to accumulate more experience before starting the course — and ideally to dive with different shops and different instructors, so they can observe a variety of teaching styles and leadership approaches.

2. Read diving-related books — for example, guides to dive sites in Kenting, Green Island, and Orchid Island, as well as marine natural history guides such as Ocean Naturalist: Northern Taiwan. Buy on Books.com.tw. These books will enrich the dive briefings you give.

3. Finally, I hope you'll invest in your own set of dive gear — and aim for mid-to-high quality equipment. I often say that students tend to buy the same gear their instructor uses, so whatever you're wearing is quite likely the type of equipment your future students will want to purchase. Choosing gear that you can confidently talk about and properly maintain is always the best decision.
   Equipment information: https://nettycoon.com.tw

What You're Really Facing

So much to prepare before the course even starts — how can there possibly be this much?
That's exactly right. Leading people underwater is never going to be a simple thing.
During class, I always ask my students: "Do you know what it is you're actually facing?"
They look around at each other, and answers start to emerge.
Then I quietly give them mine: "Human lives."
When we lead students on a dive, what we are facing is human lives. The weight we carry doesn't come from the scuba tank or the equipment — it comes from the responsibility of bringing every single diver back safely to shore. Next to that, all this course preparation is nothing.
I also tell my students: my job is to hand you a learning list. Your job is to find a way to swallow it whole. If you can't even complete your assignments on time, I'd honestly suggest you reconsider signing up — because everything that follows will only be harder and more demanding.

[Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column] Related Articles:

• Before Becoming a PADI Divemaster, Make Sure You Avoid These 3 Pitfalls

• 24 Basic Scuba Skills Video Playlist

• Dive Equipment Introduction – Nettycoon

• Do You Really Want to Become a Dive Instructor? Read This First!

• Taiwan Diving Courses – Dylan Chen Column: 4 Diving Courses You Must Know Before Becoming a Dive Instructor

• "If You Can't Think Like an Instructor, You Have No Place Here" — The Journey from Divemaster to Dive Instructor