The PADI Divemaster Diver Certification is the first step in becoming a PADI professional.

If you'd like to work within the diving industry the PADI Divemaster course is the perfect starting place. As a PADI Divemaster you can assist instructors with training student divers as well as supervising diving activities for certified divers, snorkelers and skin divers.

By the end of this professional course you will have developed exemplary diving skills and gained a professional-level knowledge of dive theory

You will hone all your diving skills and learn how to prevent and manage accidents as well as how to support instruction by handling logistical, supervisory and limited educational duties under an instructor's supervision both in confined and open water environments.

Course outline

This course is divided into the following areas:

1. Diving Knowledge Development

2. Water Skills

3. Stamina Tests

4. Practical Assessments during actual PADI courses

Course timetable

Due to the varied nature and the wide scope of the course content, combined with the necessity of linking it in with other courses to ensure candidates gain the maximum amount of interactive experience within the day to day operations of a working dive centre, timing and duration of the course will vary. However, you should expect to complete a minimum of 120 hours of actual participation spread over a period of time, as well as successful completion of the required physical performance requirements.

Diving Knowledge Development

The Diving Knowledge Development Module consists of 12 topics: The role and characteristics of a PADI Divemaster, Supervising diving activities for certified divers, Assisting with student divers in training, Dive theory introduction, Physics, Physiology, Equipment, Decompression theory and dive tables, Divemaster conducted programs, Risk management, Business of diving, Furthering your dive career

There are eight required PADI Divemaster Exams: Physics, Physiology and First Aid, Equipment, Decompression Theory and the RDP, Dive Skills and the Environment, Supervising Activities for Certified Divers, Supervising Student Divers in Training, and PADI Divemaster Conducted Programs.

The Knowledge Development Module establishes the foundation candidates need as professional-level divers and for continuing on to the PADI Assistant Instructor and Instructor levels. They apply much of what they learn in this module during the Waterskills and Stamina Mod-ule and the Practical Application Module.

Waterskills and Stamina Module

The Waterskills and Stamina Module develops your skills to the role model level appropriate for demonstrating to student divers (and to prepare for your IDC). As part of this module, candidates are also required to complete an Emergency Assistance Plan.

Stamina Assessment

The Stamina Assessment and Development portion evaluates basic swimming skills

1. 400 Metre/Yard Swim

The candidate must swim 400 metres/yards without stopping using no swimming aids and using any stroke or combination of strokes desired. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated.

2. 15 Minute Tread

Using no aids and wearing only a swimsuit, the candidate will stay afloat by treading water, drown proofing, bobbing or floating for 15 minutes, with hands (not arms) out of the water during the last 2 minutes. A candidate with a physical challenge that makes it difficult/impossible to hold hands out of the water is exempted from that portion of the exercise with no effect on the score.

3. 800 Metre/Yard Snorkel Swim

Using a mask, fins, snorkel and swimsuit only (no BCD or flotation aids) and swimming with the face in the water, the candidate must swim nonstop for 800 metres/yards. The candidate may not use arms to swim, unless the candidate has a physical challenge that limits leg use and arm-swimming is the individual’s normal swimming method while diving. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated.

4. 100 Metres/Yard Inert Diver Tow

Wearing full scuba equipment, the candidate must push or tow an inert diver in full scuba at the surface 100 metres/yards nonstop without assistance. Note that this is a swimming power evaluation (speed-against-drag) not a rescue evaluation. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated.

Waterskills Assessment

In the Confined Waterskill Assessment and Development, you evaluate and develop to demonstration quality the 20 basic scuba skills from the PADI Skill Evaluation.

1. Equipment assembly, adjustment, preparation, donning and disassembly

2. Predive safety check (BWRAF)

3. Deep water entry

4. Buoyancy check at surface

5. Snorkel-regulator/regulator snorkel exchange

6. Five point descent

7. Regulator recovery and clearing

8. Mask removal, replacement and clearing

9. Air depletion exercise and alternate air source use stationary

10. Freeflow regulator breathing

11. Fin pivot (neutral buoyancy)

12. Five point ascent

13. Remove and replace weight system on the surface

14. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA)

15. Hovering motionless for 30 seconds

16. Underwater swim without a mask

17. Remove and replace weight system underwater

18. Remove and replace scuba unit underwater

19. Remove and replace scuba unit on the surface

20. Buddy breathing stationary and swimming (donor and receiver)

Diver Rescue Assessment

During the Diver Rescue Assessment and Development phase, you must perform a successful rescue of a simulated unresponsive, non-breathing diver. The purpose of this phase is to refine your skills beyond the Rescue Diver level. The exercise applies a pass-fail evaluation criteria.

1. The unresposive diver will be in full scuba equipment and submerged around 25 metres/yards from away from you.

2. Enter the water, locate and surface the victim, properly check for and initiate breathing, tow the victim while removing your own and the victim’s weights, mask and scuba unit, and remove the victim from the water.

3. To pass as an effective rescue, you must:

Establish victim’s buoyancy upon surfacing

Look, listen and feel for breathing

Open the airway and give two slow rescue breaths

Call for help

Use an effective inwater rescue breathing technique

Protect the victim’s airway with no or very few interruptions

Maintain regular ventilations with no or very few interruptions

Practical Application Module

In the Practical Application Module, candidates put into practice skills typical of a divemaster.

There are three Required Training Exercises, followed by either an internship with specific internship criteria or four Practical Training Exercises.

The Required Training Exercises include map making, underwater problem solving, and a divemaster conducted program.

Required Training Exercises

1. Mapping Project

In this exercise you will survey a dive site and draw a map from it. This exercise requires a combination of several skills – dive planning, underwater navigation, search patterns, and data recording – to achieve the goal. In effect, mapping is a problem-solving exercise that relies on effective dive organization and management.

2. Equipment Exchange

The primary goal of this exercise is problem solving - but with an added level of unanticipated problems and performance under stress. You will be required to apply your experience and knowledge creatively, to meet the demands of the moment, which is an important aspect of leading divers and solving problems on the spot.

Candidates must:

Demonstrate the ability to solve unanticipated problems underwater by exchanging all scuba equipment (except exposure suits and weights) with a buddy while buddy breathing. A score of 3 or higher as described in the evaluation criteria, must be gained.

3. Divemaster Conducted Programs

This builds upon what you have learned by having you conduct part or all of a simulated or actual Discover Snorkeling, Scuba Review, Discover Local Diving, Discover Scuba Diving program (confined water option) or PADI Skin Diver course.

Practical Training Exercises

1. Certified Divers in Open Water

This exercise simulates the role a divemaster plays in supervising general diving activities and includes leading a dive tour.

2. Open Water Diver Students in Confined Water

This exercise simulates the role a divemaster plays in assisting the training of entry level divers in confined water

3. Open Water Diver Students in Open Water

This exercise simulates the role the divemaster plays in assisting the training of entry-level divers in open water.

4. Continuing Education Student Divers in Open Water

This exercise simulates the role the divemaster plays in assisting the training of divers at levels above the Open Water Diver level.

Peformance requirements

400 meter timed swim, non-stop.

15 minutes tread water, the last 2 minutes with hands held out of the water.

100 meter tired diver tow wearing full scuba equipment non-stop, timed.

Execute the 18 basic water skills to a high standard, scored assessment.

Execute a simulated rescue of an unresponsive non-breathing diver at the surface, pass or fail assessment.

Survey and map a dive site

NB. Where tests are either timed or scored there are minimum pass marks or times needed.