So you start on the road to becoming a scuba diving professional. Exciting stuff I know. The professional programs, whether it is PADI Divemaster, SSI dive control, or with any of the other great scuba training agencies out there all have pretty intense programs because, lets face it, becoming a scuba professional is a pretty intense thing huh? So why would you want to take on something else I hear you cry? Easy, because you want to be the best and most prepared you can be for your future career.
With you scuba professional training there is undoubtedly a large array of training and skills you partake in. Certainly with the PADI program, there is a deep scenario, a search and recovery scenario, and general training covering supervising and leading amongst other things. A lot to take on, so what could you jump in on to really set you apart?
With the deep scenario, you look at how to set up a deep dive, additional safety aspects and emergency procedures, but these are only touched on. By completing the Deep Diver specialty you are getting full expanded deep diver training, great for preparing yourself to lead groups of certified divers on deeper dives. Additional skills can include rigging and carrying of an additional air supply and navigation at depth. Speaking of underwater navigation, that is one of the skills that as a Divemaster you very much must have honed. Unfortunately I can see I have been scuba diving with various Divemasters throughout the year who have no concept of navigation. The course doesn’t just look at compass navigation, but at naturally navigating a reef, things to think about and looks at plotting courses as well. A great addition to your diving skills.
What other recommendations do I have, every specialty course in its own way I feel had a good benefit to complement your dive professional training, whether it is fish ID to give you a better idea of what you are looking at and describing to your customers or Enriched air so when you divers are using or asking about it you know the benefits and risks of using it. But the one I feel stands out in my mind more than anything is the self reliant diver program.
The self reliant diver program trains you, not so much to be a solo diver, as the buddy diver system is still very much the recommended way to dive, but instead looks at ways that you can be self sufficient. When working as a dive professional, there are many instances when you have to be very self sufficient. If in the unlikely event, something happens to your dive equipment, your students may not be eager to help would still be in the process of learning the basics. Because of this, the self reliant diver program in my mind stands out as an essential part of your scuba dive professional training. What training do you think you would want to take to build on your pro training?