Becoming a Divemaster is the most important step into the leadership level of diving, because in addition to learning a great deal of new material, you will also be revisiting everything covered in your previous courses.
So what should you prepare before the course even begins? In my view, the single most important thing is to find a dive shop that's the right fit for you — once you have a solid start, everything else falls into place.
The most significant change you'll experience as a Divemaster is a shift in role. You go from being a receiver to a giver. Where you once simply followed your instructor's directions underwater, you are now stepping into a supporting role. This means your approach to learning must change dramatically — rather than passively absorbing information, you need to seek out what needs to be learned and prepare in advance.
The five-day Divemaster course is extremely intensive, and the daily workload is substantial (if your instructor isn't assigning you homework, they're cutting corners). That's why preparation beforehand is absolutely critical — only by previewing the material ahead of time can you absorb it more effectively.
So let me walk you through what to pay attention to and what to prepare before the Divemaster course begins.
I'll break it down using the three pillars of K.S.A.
Knowledge for the Divemaster
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Start by reviewing the OW, AOW, and Rescue Diver manuals you already have. Chances are you've forgotten most of the content since you took those courses, so work through the review questions again and look up the correct answers. This way, when you're assisting an instructor with students, you'll be able to answer their questions confidently.
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If you can get your hands on the course materials early, make absolutely sure you work through the knowledge reviews for Units 1–9 of the Divemaster manual before class starts. You will not have time to complete them during the course itself, and going through them in advance will give you a much stronger grasp of the curriculum.
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The course package also includes the latest edition of the instructor manual and the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. Take some time to flip through them — particularly the section of the instructor manual covering the Divemaster course outline. This will give you a clear picture of what you'll be learning in the weeks ahead.
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I've put together a summary of five core theory topics for anyone who's interested — feel free to check it out.
(A link will be available in my upcoming book.)
Skills for the Divemaster
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OW course – 24 core scuba skills: Start studying what a proper, standardised demonstration of each skill looks like, so you can teach them to your students in the clearest, most straightforward way possible. Whenever you get the chance, find a swimming pool and practise. These skills require deliberate repetition to execute slowly and with control — the hallmarks of a polished demonstration. 24 Core Scuba Skills Video Playlist
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Advanced course – Neutral buoyancy is the most critical skill. A diver's ability is fundamentally judged by their buoyancy control — and this is even more true for instructors. Spend more time refining your buoyancy, and also work on deploying a delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) underwater, along with basic navigation and compass use.
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Rescue course – Rescue exercises 1–10, with particular focus on Rescue Exercise 7: the unresponsive diver at the surface. This scenario is a mandatory component of the instructor examination, so you must be thoroughly fluent in it.
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Swimming ability: The watermanship assessment requires you to demonstrate a 400 m unassisted swim and 15 minutes of treading water (with hands clear of the water for the final two minutes). Swimming fitness cannot be built up quickly over just a few days, so start working on it before the course begins.
Attitude for the Divemaster
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Dive more, dive more, and dive more. PADI (certification agency)'s minimum requirement is 40 logged dives to enrol and 60 to graduate, but honestly I think the bar is too low. I always encourage my students to come in with more experience, and ideally to dive with different shops and different instructors — exposing yourself to a variety of teaching styles and leadership approaches.
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Pick up diving-related books — for example, dive site guides to Kenting, Green Island, and Orchid Island, or field guides to marine life such as Marine Natural History of Northern Taiwan. Buy on Books.com.tw — these resources will enrich your dive briefings enormously.
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Finally, I strongly encourage you to own a complete set of your own dive equipment, and to invest in mid-to-high-end gear. I often say that students tend to buy the same gear their instructor uses — which means the equipment you wear is quite likely the type your future students will want to purchase. So choose a setup you can confidently talk about, and that you know how to care for yourself.
Equipment introduction: https://nettycoon.com.tw
What You're Really Facing
Does all of this seem like a lot to prepare before the course even starts?
It is — because leading people underwater is never a simple matter.
During my courses, I always ask my students: "Do you know what it is you're truly facing?"
They look at each other, and answers begin to surface.
Then I slowly give them mine: "Human lives."
When we lead students underwater, what we are facing is human lives. The weight on your shoulders doesn't come from the scuba tank or the equipment — it comes from the responsibility of bringing every single diver safely back to shore. Seen in that light, all this preparation is really the very least you can do.
I also tell my students: my job is to hand you the 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 advise you to reconsider — because the training only gets harder and more demanding from there.
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