[Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column] 3 Landmines to Avoid When Choosing a Dive Shop Before Enrolling in a PADI Divemaster Course

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 how the subsequent instructor course unfolds.

We often hear students reply outright: "I never studied any of the five theory sections. What are the twenty-four skill demonstrations? What does the internship involve?"

When we encounter candidates like this, all we can do is reteach everything. Honestly, I'm silently fuming inside — because if they don't know anything and can't do anything, how on earth are they supposed to pass the instructor exam?

In my view, the Divemaster course is the single most important developmental stage. It cultivates everything a future instructor needs: beyond teaching ability, it must deliver foundational theory, skill performance, risk assessment, and experience accumulation. If a candidate walks away having learned nothing, they will be utterly hollow and helpless once they become an instructor — handed an instructor's title before they've mastered the basics.

If you want to become a Divemaster, when you're choosing a dive shop, there are the obvious essentials to check: cost (tuition around NT$30,000 + course materials NT$6,000, and be sure to ask whether accommodation and meals are included), duration (4–5 days of core coursework, 10–14 days of internship), and the certification agency. But beyond all of that, I believe there are three landmines you absolutely must avoid. Identifying them ahead of time will save you from spending money and time without receiving a proper education.

Landmine 1: A Newly Certified Instructor with Very Little Experience / Divemaster Course Consideration: The Teaching Instructor's Own Experience

I've encountered instructors who had signed fewer than 10 certifications and had already produced a Divemaster. I always find myself thinking: "Does this person actually know what this course is supposed to teach?" Because the Divemaster course goes well beyond its own curriculum — it must draw on everything from Open Water through Advanced and Rescue. If an instructor has never taught any of those courses, how can they possibly help a candidate develop a deeper understanding of higher-level teaching content?

Beyond the curriculum itself, the instructor should have solid knowledge of equipment — gear overviews, equipment servicing, even scuba tank / cylinder maintenance and compressor management — and ideally some domestic and international work experience, so that your Divemaster course is richer and more complete. With an instructor like that, your fundamentals will almost certainly be stronger than your peers'.

Landmine 2: A Dive Shop with Very Few Students / Divemaster Course Consideration: The Internship Experience the Shop Can Provide

The Divemaster course consists of five days of core instruction (reinforcing your skills, knowledge, and attitude), but even more important than the core days are the 10 to 14 days of internship, during which you participate alongside Open Water Diver courses, Advanced Open Water Diver courses, and certified fun dives.

These experiences help you accumulate real-world exposure and adapt to different instructors' teaching styles. Some shops or instructors simply don't have many students, so they cannot provide that depth of internship experience and may resort to simulated scenarios to complete the course. I have to say, though — the difference in outcome is enormous. Real clients generate real problems; simulated students never encounter genuine situations.

The two points above help candidates build a solid foundation and accumulate authentic experience. However, if the Divemaster course is just one milestone on your path and your ultimate goal is to become a dive instructor, then the third point matters even more.

Landmine 3: A Shop with No Understanding of the Instructor Course Process / Divemaster Course Consideration: Bridging to a Future Instructor Course and Providing Greater Opportunities

First, you need to find a dive shop that has the capability to train instructors — specifically, a "Five-Star Instructor Development Center" authorised to train instructors, or a "Career Development Center" dedicated to instructor career training. The teaching instructor should hold at least an IDC Staff Instructor rating; a Course Director is even better; and a Master Instructor better still — because these titles reflect their teaching experience and their recognised ability to develop instructors.

As a result, throughout the Divemaster course they will incorporate content relevant to the instructor course, so that your transition later on will be smoother and you can begin preparing key material early — rather than leaving the five essential theory sections unrefined, basic scuba skills unchallenged, and rescue competencies unchecked. A Divemaster who graduates under those conditions is already well behind their peers right from the starting line.

Choose a dive shop that meets your needs

Never choose a rookie instructor — if they're just starting out themselves, how can they possibly teach you such an advanced course?
Never choose a shop with poor business — if they have no students, how will you gain meaningful internship experience? Isn't experience exactly what you're after?
Think carefully about where you want to go. If becoming an instructor is your goal, find a Course Director or Master Instructor to guide you — I'm confident it will make an enormous difference.

Watching the newly-minted intern Divemasters in the shop rushing in and out, often having to track down the next day's teaching instructor the evening before to discuss the following day's content — and frequently getting an earful in the process — I truly believe: that which makes you suffer will make you stronger. For any Divemaster who goes through that kind of rigorous training, the rewards will be immense.

Cover photo credit: Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash

Related links:

• Director Dylan Chen's personal Facebook

• Taiwan Diving official website

• Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column: If You Want to Become a Divemaster, You Can Start Preparing in These Three Ways Right Now

• Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column: Divemasters and Instructors Are Everywhere — How Do You Stand Out from the Crowd?

• Taiwan Diving – Dylan Chen Column: What Are the 3 Qualities You Need to Be a Competent Assistant Instructor (Second-in-Command)?