Dive Guide and Dive Master Recognition with TEXAS DIVE CENTER

When you become a Dive Master, you align yourself with the largest and most respected divers in the world—that of scuba Dive Masters and the first step to being a true dive professional. These are Dive Masters and Instructors sharing a passion for diving and an active concern for the health of the world’s underwater habitats.

Dive Master Recognition

Looking for the first step in working with scuba as a career? Your adventure into the professional levels of recreational scuba diving begins with the Dive Guide program. The Dive Master relationship at Texas Dive Center is one of both apprentice and mentoring. Working closely with your Instructor you should reach a culmination of skills, dedication, experience, knowledge and professionalism. You will come to us with most of those attributes and then we will help you expand your dive knowledge and hone your dive skills to the professional level. The course further develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to lead certified divers on dive tours in both a non-professional or professional status. Dive Guides that complete Science of Diving and have 60 logged dives earn recognition as a SSI Dive Master - which is then a prerequisite for attending a Instructor Training Course (ITC) to become an Assistant Instructor or Open Water Instructor. At Texas Dive Center, Inc. your preparation as a outstanding Dive Master will be planned and developed over a couple of months so when you are ready for that next step your will have the confidence to move upward as a dive professional. Excellent Dive Masters need to be adaptive, attentive, customer centric, helpful, moldable and much more. As a Certified Assistant, you are an extension of the Instructor you are assisting to teach divers.

What You Learn

During the Dive Guide/Master program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent digital study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems as well as help others improve their scuba. You put this knowledge into action through a structured internship or series of practical training exercises. It is not a wonder course that is completed fast in a weekend or two,

As you progress through your course, you will expand your diving knowledge, hone you skills and increase your confidence. Then, as a Dive Master, you’ll use these attributes to lead, mentor and motivate other divers and experience the joy of seeing them transformed by the majesty of the aquatic realm. Dive Masters may also earn status as Snorkel Instructors and Ecology Specialty Instructors.

What You Can Do:

As a Dive Guide you can lead certified divers on dives without pay and don't need professional insurance. Dive Guides are still considered recreational divers and not professionals. However your training is what is required for becoming a Dive Master (plus Science of Diving and 60 logged dives.

After becoming certified as a Dive Master you will be to do a lot more, such as:

• Act as a certified assistant and assist a Instructor during the training sessions for any diver course
• Conduct Local Diving experience with certified divers
• Become Ecolology Specialty Instructor

The Scuba Gear You Use

• You use all the basic scuba equipment and some scuba accessories such as a dive slate, dive knife, compass, dive watch, etc.
• It is highly recommended that you own all of your own scuba equipment, as familiarity with personal gear improves general scuba diving skills.

The Learning Materials You Need

There are several required materials that a Dive Guide/Master Candidate will need but may have received them during other dive programs so please ask your Instructor for the full list of required materials that you will need for the program.

For all your learning materials and equipment, contact TEXAS DIVE CENTER. Otherwise, you can sign up today online.

Prerequisites

To take Dive Guide course, you must be:

• Minimum age: 15 years old, 18 for Dive Master
• Have logged at least 40 open water dives totaling 25 hours or more for Dive Guide/DG Pro and at least 60 open water dives totaling 40 hours or more for Dive Master
• Have the following SSI certifications or equivalent from a recognized training agency:
• Diver Stress & Rescue, plus Science of Diving for Dive Master

Have the following SSI certifications or an equivalent from a recognized training agency, or provide proof of experience by showing at least five (5) logged experience dives in each of the following areas:

• 1 - Deep Diving (there is a depth requirement that must be met to count)
• 2 - Navigation
• 3 - Night & Limited Visibility
• 4 - Qualifying first aid and CPR training from an approved organization course completion within the past 24 months. Oxygen Provider is also required.
• Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
• Then, as a Dive Guide, if you successfully complete the Science of Diving Course you will receive your recognition as a SSI Dive Master.

NOTE: The candidate is not required to be certified in the applicable specialty if they provide proof of the 5 experience dives and the instructor can verify the candidate's ability to exhibit mastery of the skills required by the specialty.

RECOMMENDATION: SSI recommends all SSI Dive Professional candidates become certified in Enriched Air Nitrox.

Other Courses That Will Prepare You for Success as a SSI Dive Master

Here are some suggestions for other courses that will help make you more successful as a Dive Master:

• Search and Recovery (Highly recommended)
• Deep Diver (must have this specialty or show 25 logged deep dives)
• Science of Diving (must have for Dive Master)
• Boat Diver
• Marine Ecology
• Digital Underwater Photographer
• ReactRight Instructor
• Emergency Oxygen Provider (must have for DM)
• Enriched Air Diver (You can even sign up for the Enriched Air Course Online!)
• Equipment Specialist
• Night Diver (must have or show 25 logged night/limited visibility dives)
• Perfect Buoyancy
• Underwater Navigation (must have this specialty or show 25 logged navigation dives)

CROSS-OVER TO SSI
Are you already certified as a Dive Master or Instructor with another scuba training agency and interested in joining our SSI Dive Team? We'd love to discuss the various reasons we did it. Learn about the process and costs by clicking here;

For more information about this or other courses have a chat with one of the TEXAS DIVE CENTER Team members.

This course is scheduled on customer demand. Contact us for a schedule which meets your needs.