Divemaster internships are a great way to become even more involved in our sport if scuba is your passion. After all, what could be better than being paid to do what you love? Unfortunately, the process of becoming a certified professional diver is expensive, regardless of which training organization you go through. As a professional diver, you are responsible for the safety of your clients underwater, not only morally but also legally. Therefore, it makes sense that in order to earn professional status, you must undergo comprehensive training that both improves your personal dive skills and gives you some experience with the kind of scenarios you might encounter while training other people underwater. For PADI divers, there are five required steps to becoming a professional diver: the Open Water course, the Advanced Open Water course, the Emergency First Responder course, the Rescue Diver course and finally, the Divemaster course. Each of these constitutes a considerable monetary and time investment for most people, not to mention the cost of travel to and from dive destinations, the cost of equipment and the cost of completing the 100 dives required to achieve Divemaster status.
Divemaster Internships
For some, the cumulative expenses of becoming a professional diver can seem like an impossible obstacle. However, many dive centers around the world offer would-be dive professionals with another, more affordable option: the Divemaster internship. The terms of these internships differ from center to center, but essentially, they involve earning professional qualifications either free of charge or at a highly subsidized rate in exchange for unpaid work. Sometimes food and accommodation are provided, while in other cases divers pay their own expenses. Some dive centers might require divers to pay for their course packs; others may not. Before committing to one internship or another, it is vital to find out exactly what you can expect from the dive center, and what is expected of you in return. While Divemaster internships have an undeniable value in that they make achieving professional status affordable, it is also easy for disreputable dive centers to use these internships as a way to get free labor without delivering their part of the bargain. Divemaster trainees are usually expected to work exceptionally hard six, or even seven, days a week, and often the dive centers will protract the courses unnecessarily in order to capitalize on the unpaid labor they receive in return.
It’s commonly said that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and sometimes, that can apply to Divemaster internships. Many centers use these internships as a way to attract students, and then offer subpar courses with large class sizes, which result in poor teaching and poorly trained Divemaster candidates due to a lack of one-on-one attention. Ultimately, these internships churn out dive professionals who are unable to maintain the standard expected of their certification level. Sometimes, although paid courses are expensive, the cost is worth it for the competency and confidence granted by professional teaching, and the close mentor-student relationship that comes from smaller class sizes. Divers that enroll in internship courses to save money should also be aware that hidden costs can sometimes be a problem, from paying for dives to being charged on a daily basis for gear hire. For a certified Rescue Diver who meets the prerequisites of enrolling in the conventional Divemaster course, a paid course can take as little as 10 days to complete. Depending on what certification level you start with, an internship can take weeks, months, or even years to work off. Divers must consider the long-term costs of working unpaid for that long, particularly if they have other expenses to consider.
That being said, the right internship can be a hugely positive and rewarding experience, with significant other benefits in addition to affordability. An internship’s length can be a good thing, as it allows Divemaster trainees to gain experience that those who rush through courses may not have. This experience also applies to more than diving, as Divemaster trainees are usually expected to help run the dive center and therefore may gain valuable skills in other areas, from using compressors, to equipment maintenance and repairs, to retail skills. All of these attributes make a Divemaster more employable upon earning their professional qualification. Often, dive centers that offer internships will look to employ Divemasters from amongst their own interns, as they are already familiar with how the shop runs, and have proven their skills and abilities. In this way, internship graduates may have an edge over those who pay for their course. Above all, the right Divemaster internship should be fun, offering support, friendship and camaraderie within a dive center staffed by likeminded people.
Essentially, whether or not enrolling in a Divemaster internship is the right choice depends entirely on the internship in question. Always find out exactly what’s included in the internship and what is not, as well as what’s expected of you in order to achieve certification. If you can, choose an internship program that’s been recommended by someone you know; if not, check travel and scuba forums for firsthand reviews. Although Divemaster internships are meant to make becoming a professional diver more affordable, they can end up costing in other ways. Before committing to an internship, make sure that the price is right for you in every sense.
