What is an excellent dive master?

Let me start out by telling a story from a non-scuba setting. Let’s suppose I am going to visit a tourist landmark, such as the Petronas Twin Towers in KL. Upon arrival I am assigned a tour guide and we proceed to tour the exhibits at the base, ride the lift to the skybridge, walk around for fifteen minutes on the skybridge and then take the lift back to the bottom. The entire time the tour guide says nothing, giving me none of the history of the building or details of the construction process. Of course, I am impressed with the architecture and the views but these things are obvious and easily seen. After my tour, someone asks me, “How was the tour?”

“Ok,” I reply, “but I really wish I knew more about what I saw.”

Let’s look at this story to see what is an adequate dive master.

First, in the story I just told (which is fictional) the tour guide is not horrible. I had a good time. I saw some amazing things. This is one category of dive master. S/He takes you to an interesting dive site and you dive it together. They don’t point out any interesting things or ensure you see everything they see, basically, you both swim around together. You see whatever you happen to see and they see what they happen to see. I would say this is an acceptable dive master.

The second type of dive master is a one who takes the time to show you all the interesting critters, fish and other things that lurk in the depths. Personally, I prefer the ones that use a slate and after showing you something on the sand or in a crevice will write the name on the slate and then show you. This helps me know what it is and know where to find it next time because the same animals and fish appear in the same environments. This is a good dive master.

The third dive master is one who is always teaching. This may mean that after a dive s/he sits down and gives you some pointers on what you could do better. S/he is not just knowledgeable about the marine environment and sharing it with you but helping you upgrade your skills and scuba knowledge so that you are better informed about your hobby. They help you to assess whether you need a dive computer or torchlight and are more interested that your needs are met than that they get a larger commission.

Dive masters like these are few and far between. Why? Because many people love scuba and go diving at every opportunity but that doesn’t mean every person can teach scuba. Teaching takes special abilities such as observation skills, patience and wisdom. Anyone can dive but very few people can teach. A person who has these is an excellent dive master.

What makes a bad dive master? A bad dive master destroys and endangers the marine environment, consumes alcohol or drugs and then dives with his/her senses impaired, doesn’t give briefings and belittles people in front of the group.

Personally, I will not rate individual dive masters on this site unless they are excellent but I think it helps to have an idea of what I feel is adequate and what is exemplary. I will dive with any dive master as long as they don’t fall into the bad category. I don’t want to be a spoiled brat but I want to recognize excellence and honor the person who delivers it.