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PADI Divemaster Course

The Divemaster rating is the first PADI Membership level.  PADI Divemasters supervise diving activities for certified divers, assist instructors with training student divers, and instruct skin diving and snorkeling.  This rating denotes an individual who has exemplary diving skills and role model behavior, solid rescue skills, professional level knowledge of dive theory, dive management and supervision abilities, and competence as a certified assistant.

To qualify for PADI Divemaster training, you'll need to:
  • Be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization.
  • Be certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization.
  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Submit, to the instructor, medical clearance for diving signed by a physician, attesting to fitness to dive.  The medical clearance must be current within the previous 12 months.  The physician signing the medical clearance cannot be the applicant.
  • Have completed and logged at least 20 dives.
  • Submit proof of Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) training (or other qualifying CPR/first aid training) within the last 24 months.
The PADI Divemaster course is divided into three modules:  Knowledge Development, Water Skills and Stamina, and Practical Application.  Divemaster candidates must satisfactorily complete all course performance requirements, have a current CPR and first aid training, and show proof of at least 60 logged dives showing experience in night diving, deep diving, and underwater navigation to be certified as PADI Divemasters.

A Renewed PADI Divemaster who is in Active status is qualified to:
  • Supervise both training and nontraining-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives.
  • Assist a Teaching status PADI Instructor during confined water and open water training sessions for any PADI Diver course.
  • Independently guide Open Water Diver course students on the tour portion of Open Water Diver course Training Dives 2,3,and 4 at a ratio of two student divers per certified divemaster.
  • Accompany Open Water Diver students under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor during surface swims to and from the entry/exit point and during Dive 4 navigational exercises, as well as remain with other student divers when the instructor conducts a skill, such as an ascent or descent, with an individual student or buddy team.
  • Accompany student divers during Adventure Dives or Specialty training dives under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor.
  • If insured (where required), teach and certify PADI Skin Divers independently.  This also includes conducting the PADI Seal Team AquaMission:  Skin Diver Specialist.
  • If insured (where required), conduct the PADI Discover Snorkeling program.
  • If insured (where required), conduct subsequent dives under an instructor's indirect supervision for Discover Scuba Diving participants at a ratio of two participants per certified divemaster, after participants have satisfactorily completed the first dive with a PADI Instructor.
  • If insured (where required), conduct the PADI Discover Local Diving experience.
  • If insured (where required), conduct the PADI Scuba Review program for certified divers, or for PADI Scuba Divers who want only to refresh their skills.
  • If insured (where required), conduct the skin diving skills segment of the PADI Open Water Diver course during either Confined Water Dive Two, Three, Four or Five.
  • Teach Emergency First Response courses after successfully completing an Emergency First Response Instructor course.
  • If qualified as a Discover Scuba Diving Leader, independently conduct Discover Scuba Diving (2003 revised program) in a pool or in confined open water.
Upon successfully completing the PADI Divemaster program, you receive a certification card and wall certificate denoting this rating.  You'll also become a member of PADI and receive benefits, including the ability to purchase professional liability insurance (which may be required to conduct some activities).

Required Materials:  
  • PADI Divemaster Manual
  • RDP - all three versions (Wheel, table, and eRDP including associated instructions)
  • The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
  • Diving Knowledge Workbook
  • Instructor Guides for programs Divemasters may conduct - Discover Scuba Diving, Discover Snorkeling/Skin Diver Course, Scuba Review/Discover Local Diving
  • The PADI Divemaster video must also be viewed.
Recommended Materials:
  • PADI Instructor Manual
  • PADI Underwater Navigator Manual
  • PADI Underwater Navigation Video
  • PADI Deep Diver Manual
  • PADI Deep Diving Video
  • PADI Rescue Diver Manual
  • PADI Rescue Diver Video
  • PADI Divemaster Video*
  • PADI Discover the Underwater World video
  • Divemaster Slates
  • Scuba Tune-up guidebook
  • The Business of Diving
  • Dive Roster Slate
  • The Law and the Diving Professional
  • The Best of the Undersea Journal
  • Peak Performance Buoyancy video
  • PADI Open Water Diver Multimedia
  • Skill Evaluation Slate
  • PADI Log Book
  • All training materials for courses leading up to PADI Divemaster level including manuals, videos, and multimedia products for the PADI Open Water Diver course, Adventures in Diving program , and Rescue Diver course
The Recreational Dive Planner (Wheel, table or eRDP) is required for the PADI Scuba Diver/Open Water Diver and Adventures in Diving program. If the diver does not already have an RDP, the PADI Dive Center, Resort or Instructor conducting the course must ensure the diver has one for planning course dives and for use after the course . The PADI Divemaster course requires the candidate to personally have and know how to use all three versions of the RDP.

The PADI Divemaster course now requires both the Diving Knowledge Workbook and The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving for candidates to use when studying for the theory exams. While it's strongly recommended that divemaster candidates have a PADI Instructor Manual, the three instructor guides relevant for divemaster-conducted programs are required.

If you have any questions about the course, feel free to stop in or call.

GO PRO!!!
                                  

641 Painter Street  Media, PA 19063  tel 610.565.3483  fax 610.566.4148  diveusa@comcast.net