Benefits if you hire professional divemasters

Does it sometimes feel your dive instructors are running low on energy?

Do guests sometimes complain (online or offline) they haven’t got the attention they expected or questions answered?

Sometimes guests write on TripAdvisor they were rushed or the dive instructor was not listening to them or the dive groups were too big.

I know you need dive instructors to teach courses. That’s how you make a part of your revenue.

However, I have been a divemaster for two seasons and I noticed quite a few advantages of having a divemaster in the team and out there on the boats.

Today, I share the benefits you can have when you hire professional divemasters. (By the way, I am extremely excited to read your opinion in the comments later)

By the way, if you are a divemaster it might be helpful to know how you qualify for divemaster jobs.

You can offer a private dive guide

Every guest wants to be special. A private guide makes them feel superior over all other guests on the boat and there a quite a number of guests out there who just pay for that feeling. You probably know that people mostly don’t buy rationally. People mainly buy emotions, status, and desires.

Not even mentioning the actual benefits of

• Diving at their own speed
• Higher safety because of the small diver-guide ratio
• Private dive briefing
• Possibly longer dive times
• Spotting more critters for themselves

Photo by quotehd.com

You can offer a private video/photographer (assistant)

A lot of guests have their own underwater video camera nowadays. However, you and I know that the majority of their recordings are crap because most of the guests don’t know how to hold a camera still. If they did a little bit of reading they might use a red filter. But that’s all that the average dive guests know about underwater photo/videography.

If you set up some good sample videos/photos and some shaky ones from a GoPro to see the contrast easily, the guests can visualize their benefits.

You can place them in your shop on a TV/tablet and on your website where people usually book so they can get excited about their possible personal memories.

The other part of your guests probably have the high-quality underwater cameras. Some of them need extra assistance when they take photos/videos. Either just as a private guide or to hold/transport equipment throughout the dive. For these people, you can offer a photographer assistant when you hire professional divemasters.

A friend of mine here in Bali does that actually regularly because he has a lot of lights/strobes and stuff to carry and hold while he takes the shots.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Bridge the psychological gap between an instructor and a student

Have you had some students who just feel intimidated because you are the dive instructor (There is a flip side to being a dive instructor isn’t there)? Even if you use your sweetest voice and words?

It might be simply the teacher syndrome from school, that kicks in. Once, I had a girl who started crying in my open water course during the mask clearing skill in the pool. It might be my serious German face and voice. I don’t know.

But I remember as a divemaster both fun divers and students came to me saying:

• I don’t know how to do this
• Do you think I can do that?
• Is it ok if I ask that?
• I did not understand XYZ in the briefing but I did not dare to ask
• Can you explain again?
• But don’t tell my instructor. He might think I am stupid

I am not a psychologist but there might be something about the authority of dive instructors that scares some guests.

If you hire professional divemasters this can be the chance for the intimidated guests to ask, get answers, feel understood and give you another positive rating online.

Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash

Higher safety level in courses and fun dives

One injured diver, to have the internet reviews chase you for a while. I hope you have not been there yet!

I have taught many of my courses with six to eight students in Australia and I wish I had a reliable divemaster with me.

Knock on wood. I had no injuries or missed students but the risks are simply higher.

During fun dives in extreme currents it can be quite helpful to have very small groups lead but an experienced divemaster. Any larger group of fun divers can easily be separated.

This means all have to abort the dive and surface which can lead to some unhappy divers. But even more important the separated ones are on their own which is a large risk at areas like Komodo in Indonesia for example.

Photo by JEROME N. COOKSON, NGM STAFF
SOURCE: CLAUDIO CIOFI, UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE

More attention for individual divers = better reviews

While the divemaster is doing the briefings, debriefings and log books with fun divers (if she/he speaks the needed language), the dive instructor gets quite some time. The fun divers feel a great attention they get which can result in another positive online review.

A dive instructor can use this time to talk to his students, set up teaching aids for the next dive, talk to the crew and find the best next dive site, fix equipment issues and more.

By the way, a capable divemaster can also sell local products, dive equipment and more. If you give the divemaster an incentive she/he can create an extra income for your dive shop.

Photo by Nigel Tadyanehondo on Unsplash

PADI expanded the teaching opportunities for divemasters

If you hire professional divemasters they can teach these speciality courses without dives (following the PADI website):

• Equipment Specialist
• Coral Reef Conservation
• Project AWARE Specialist
• PADI Distinctive Specialty Diver courses that don’t include dives
• Digital Underwater Photographer
• Emergency Oxygen Provider

A divemaster can also

• Supervise training and non-training related diving activities
• Conduct dive briefings
• Scuba reviews
• PADI ReActivate and
• Skin diver course
• Assist (Lead after the DSD qualification) in Discover Scuba Diving programs
• Lead additional dives
• Lead Discover Local Diving programs

Takeaway

During my time as a divemaster and dive instructor, I felt that it is not only safe but also increases the service level and ultimately the happiness of guests to have divemasters in the team and on the boats.

And this ultimately leads to more positive reviews and bookings in the long run.

Do you have a divemaster in your team?
If yes, why? If no, why?

Let me know in the comments. I read them all!