What’s a DMT

So you know I’m in Thailand, but what exactly am I doing? Something to do with diving? Yes, you are correct. I’m a DMT, which stands for Dive Master Trainee, and for those of you who haven’t had your morning coffee, that means I’m training to be a Dive Master.

What is a Dive Master? Without going into the ins and outs of it all, basically it is an underwater tour guide. For example if a diver comes to Ko Tao and wants to go diving, they go to a dive resort, where they will get a package, gear rental, boat trip to the dive sites and a Dive Master. The client needs a dive master for two reasons, firstly because they are unfamiliar with the local dive sites and conditions, secondly because they may not have much dive experience or lack confidence.

If you have stumbled across my blog when googling “dive master”, I will go into a little bit of detail about the course (PADI I expect some commission). The prerequisite to starting your DMT is that you have completed the following courses

  • Open water
  • Advanced open water
  • Emergency first responder (first aid incorporating administering oxygen)
  • Rescue diver

The DMT course involves both theory and practice. The main exams that have to be completed are Physioloy, Physics, Dive Environment and Skills, Dive equipment and decompression theory – these make you realise how technical diving is. You also have practical tests where you show that you have mastered particular skills, as once a dive master you will have to demonstrate to students. During your DMT you have to assist on all of the above courses, or in my schools case you have to assist on each of the above twice.

Can a Dive Master teach novices to dive? No, only instructors can. This is the next step on from a Dive Master that involves paying more money and completing 2 more weeks of training. A Dive Master deals with already qualified divers, unless taking out a group of snorkelers or skin divers.

How long does your DMT take? As long as you want it to, depends on what ratio of partying to studying you want. Anywhere from 3 weeks (bloody quick) to 5 years. But the average would be between 4 to 8 weeks. Or some people drag it out as you get “free” diving whilst completing your course.

That’s enough, I set out to write a post on what I’m doing in Thailand and have gone on a tangent of a Dive Master course outline. The next post will be what my day consists of.