![[Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column] 3 Landmines to Avoid When Choosing a Dive Shop Before Enrolling in the PADI Divemaster Course](/_images/41b991943cad-1440w.webp)
Every time I begin an instructor course, I ask my candidates where they completed their Divemaster training — because the Divemaster course has a profound impact on everything that follows in the instructor program.
We often hear students reply outright: "I never went through any of the five theory sections. What are the twenty-four demonstration skills? What does the internship actually involve?"
When I encounter candidates like this, all we can do is reteach everything from scratch — and frankly, there's a quiet frustration simmering inside, because if someone doesn't know anything and can't do anything, how could they possibly pass the instructor exam?
In my view, the Divemaster course is the single most important developmental stage. It builds everything a future instructor needs — not just teaching ability, but foundational theory, skill execution, risk assessment, and accumulated experience. All of it must be delivered during the Divemaster course. If a candidate walks away having learned nothing, they will become a hollow and helpless instructor — given the title before they've earned the substance behind it.
If you want to become a Divemaster, when choosing a dive shop you should first look into the basics: tuition (around NT$30,000 + NT$6,000 for materials — and be sure to ask whether accommodation and meals are included or extra), duration (4–5 days of core instruction, 10–14 days of internship), and which certification agency is used. Beyond those essentials, I believe there are three landmines you absolutely must avoid. Knowing about them in advance will save you from spending your time and money without receiving a proper education.
Landmine 1: A Newly Certified Instructor with Little Experience / Divemaster Course Consideration: The Teaching Instructor's Own Experience
I've come across instructors who had signed fewer than ten certifications and had already produced a Divemaster. I always wonder to myself: "Does this person actually know what this course is supposed to teach?" Because the Divemaster course goes well beyond its own curriculum — it must also encompass what was covered in Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and Rescue. If an instructor has never taught any of those courses, how can they help a candidate develop a deeper understanding of higher-level instructional content?
Beyond course content, the instructor should understand equipment — gear walkthroughs, equipment servicing, scuba tank / cylinder maintenance, and even compressor management. Ideally, they also bring some domestic and international work experience, making the Divemaster course richer and more complete. An instructor like that will give your fundamentals a far stronger foundation than most.
Landmine 2: A Dive Shop with Very Few Students / Divemaster Course Consideration: The Internship Experience the Shop Can Provide
The Divemaster curriculum consists of five days of core instruction — sharpening your skills, knowledge, and professional attitude — but even more important than those five days are the 10 to 14 days of internship. During this period, you participate in Open Water Diver courses, Advanced Open Water Diver courses, and guided dives with certified recreational divers.
These experiences help you accumulate real-world knowledge and adapt to the teaching styles of different instructors. Some shops or instructors simply don't have enough students to offer this depth of internship exposure, so they substitute simulated scenarios to complete the course. But I have to be honest — the difference in outcome is enormous. Real students generate real problems; simulated students never run into actual situations.
The two points above help candidates build a solid foundation and accumulate genuine experience. However, if the Divemaster is only a milestone on your way to becoming a dive instructor, the third point matters even more.
Landmine 3: A Shop That Has No Understanding of the Instructor Course Process / Divemaster Course Consideration: Bridging to the Future Instructor Course and Providing Greater Opportunities
First, you need to find a dive shop that is qualified to train instructors — specifically, a Five-Star Instructor Development Center with the capacity to develop instructors, or a Career Development Center dedicated to instructor-track training. The teaching instructor should hold at least the rank of IDC Staff Instructor; a Master Instructor is better, and a Course Director is better still — because those titles represent both teaching experience and recognised instructor-training ability.
Within the Divemaster course, these instructors will weave in content related to the instructor program, so that your transition later on is smoother and you can begin preparing relevant material early. This is far better than a course where the five mandatory theory sections are glossed over, basic scuba skills aren't held to a proper standard, and rescue competency is let slide — a Divemaster who finishes under those conditions is already at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers from day one.
Choose a dive shop that genuinely meets your needs.
Choosing an instructor — never pick a rookie. If they've barely started their own career, how are they supposed to teach you a course at this level? Choosing a shop — never pick one with poor business. If they have no students, how will they give you a rich internship experience? Isn't that experience exactly what you're after? Think carefully about what you ultimately want. If becoming an instructor is your goal, find a Master Instructor or Course Director to guide you — I'm confident the difference it makes will be enormous.
Watching a freshly minted intern Divemaster rushing in and out of the shop, often going to the teaching instructor the night before to discuss the next day's lesson plan — and frequently getting an earful for it — I firmly believe: what makes you suffer will make you stronger. That kind of rigorous, hands-on training will be an immense benefit to any Divemaster in the long run.
首圖連結：Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash
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