Life of a PADI Divemaster

Over the weekend just completed my divemaster internship or in another words OJT (On Job Training) as a divemaster... it was a experiencing and learning but also a tiring trip. Bascially this is wat a PADI Divemaster goes through roughly for the whole weekend out diving.

- Around 4 to 5pm gotta reach the diveshop to check the number of divers going up, both leisure and student divers, which is the magnifest.
- Collect trip documents i.e Magnifest, Immigration Cards, PIC cards, Logbook and etc, which is placed in a blue PADI folder
- Take the magnifest and check the equipment packed in the bags and tally with the list.
- Tally the no. of dive bags owned by the diveshop
- Check the remainder of the equipment bringing up like O2 and Firstaid Kit.
- Check the bus what time the bus arriving and bus no.
- Ready to receive customers and check particulars with them
- Bus arrives. Standby at the bus to ask the uncle whether need to change bus at checkpoint (if there is wad is the bus no.)
- place bags outside the luggage compartment for total Bag tally which is checkable in the compartment
- Inform customers to board the bus and hand over thier checkable luggage
- Final confirmation of total bags bringing up (Rental, Customers Bag, Crew Bag) and numbers of heads (Customers and Crew)
- Check with fellow instructors and boss
- Depart for Mersing
- Bus briefing conducted to inform Customers about the journey to Mersing
- Facilitate transfers at the various checkpoint and always do bag counts and head counts
- 1st Stop (Projet) and do headcount
- Reach Mersing, unload all the bags and do a bag count and headcount, ask customers help to move the dive bags to a location in the jetty and go for a quick toilet break if needed. Check with Bus uncle the journey back and time the bus arrives.
- Pay Marine park fees and look for Vinex or Uncle Sam to confirm the boat moving up to the destination
- Load the bags into the assigned boat and do bag count. Customers to load into the boat and head count.
- Move out to the boat and brief them what is going to happen when we reach the island.
- Arrival. Check whether need to move bags or leave the bags in the boat and do bag count for the bags on the boat. Customer head to the resort and collect resorts keys and do room allocation and time to wake up, breakfast and meet at the dive boat.
- Assist Open Water Students and lead leisure dive (Depending on the nature of the job for the particular trip).
- Always do headcounts when enter the boat from the jetty and before + after every dive.
- Inform the customers time to meet at the boat, wakeup, meals, assist instructor and etc.
- Check with Leisure divers who is doing night dive + AOWD students doing night dive. Check the torches needed and tell island crew about total no. of ppl doing night dive and state boss name (Update the blackboard.)
- Inform the customers time to meet at the boat, wakeup, meals, assist instructor and etc.
- Last dive quickly pack up all the dive gears and tally the bag count.
- Move bag if needed to the boat transfer back to Mersing.
- Brief Customers time to be on the boat to Mersing and release them to washup and bring all thier belongings. If needed, pack lunch when time is running out.
- Depart for Mersing and Brief customers the journey and what is going to happen when we reach.
- Reach Mersing, Transfer all the bags and do a total bag count and heads. Move all the bag to the clock tower and arrange + bag count again.
- Check what time the bus gonna arrive and the bus no.
- Release Customers for break if there is time.
- Depart back to Singapore
- Toilet break at Projet and do headcount before we leave.
- Brief Customer what to expect when we reach the customs.
- Check the total number of bags and heads before leaving the Singapore customs.
- Head Back to Dive Shop
- Thank the customers and wish them.
- Dismiss the customers and bring all the divebags of equipment and wash them.
- Talk to Boss and Home Sweet Home.

Yes after 2 days of work... my body is aching like mad and i am sleepy as i reach home late... think in future i would avoid monday lectures liaoz... was very surpirsed that after my first OJT.. my Divemaster application is going to be sent up to PADI which means i might be certified as a DM real soon. Was very happy that the instructor gave very gd feedbacks during the trip... i learn a lot from them... would like to Thank Wen Seang, Suresh and Selena for their guidance as i learn a lot from them and i was very surprised that they have gd impression of me and Leo overall although there are some hiccups along the way. But now if i am going to be certified soon the next challenge is to perform the duty of a DM professionally which i am not very confident about it as i am still very green...