Divemaster and DSD Leader

Already a passionate diver and considering going Pro?  The Casino Point Dive Park is the perfect homebase for your journey! Our Divemaster program is a little different than many others you might come across.

Our Perspective

It’s possible to get a professional certification while you’re on vacation in the tropics with 60 lifetime dives under your belt and two weeks’ worth of inexpensive training with simulated class participation. That’s the “check it off the bucket list” program.

It’s possible to be a working DM that’s all about fun in the sun, hanging out with the crew partying, enjoying the day-to-day because diving’s awesome. That’s the “cool job” program.

It’s also possible to be a dedicated PADI Pro where days are at turns rewarding, challenging, enjoyable, exhausting or even frustrating but you wake up every day with a zest and commitment to helping others and learning new things.  That’s our program.

Our Approach

There is a vast array of roles that a professional DM might play, and you should really have exposure to all of them. Of course, we’re all better at some things than others. There’s a lot more to being a Divemaster than hauling tanks and demonstrating skills during a class.

We want you to become a strong confident Pro, who’s knowledgeable about the industry, equipment and required standards and who will understand the responsibilities we have to our real-world students and customers.

Our belief in the art of possible and holistic approach to teaching empowers you on a journey that is unique to you. Together, we’ll design a program just for you to ensure we’re capitalizing on your strengths while recognizing and overcoming any perceived limitations using adaptive techniques.

We’ll be celebrating every milestone right along with you as you seize every opportunity to intentionally push yourself out of your comfort zone. We all start somewhere and many of us have been told we didn’t belong and that no matter what we did, we’d never be good enough.  It’s flat out not true.

Age, sex, strength – none of these are actual barriers, although you might have heard otherwise. Everyone brings a different skillset to the table.  Maybe you’re a whiz at sales or social media.  Maybe you can fix anything that’s broken. Maybe you’re retired and looking to start a new chapter in your story. Maybe you needed some adaptive support yourself along the way and didn’t get it.  Now’s your chance to make a difference.

Our Process

Your Divemaster class will function as a paid internship.  You will purchase your e-Learning and pay for training by our instructor team. However, we’ll also be paying you for some of the required work that’s not specifically training-related.  (You won’t be getting us coffee unless you’re already getting one for yourself. 😉)

We’ve all heard “horror stories” about divemaster programs. (Some of us have our own!) Together, we will commit to a Learning Agreement where everyone’s responsibilities are clearly spelled out. This way, everyone’s time is valued, everyone is respected, and no one feels taken advantage of or left out.  We don’t have a “cool kids club.”

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of the business and work under the supervision of multiple instructors with different backgrounds, skillsets and interests.

Catalina Island is a tourism-focused location, so we have divers of every possible skillset and level of experience. You’ll learn everything from setting up gear to giving site and dive briefings, spotting problems, leading dives, recognizing and addressing panic, mentoring customers, assisting in classes and more! There are multiple PADI performance requirements that you must achieve, and you might even pick up some specialty certifications yourself along the way. (DPV anyone?) We do require the Adaptive Techniques specialty for all of our DMs.

You should expect to spend a minimum of several months actively working at the Dive Park.  Housing on the Island is a problem – hard to find and it can be expensive.  If your current situation is such that you can move here full time, that’s awesome! However, your internship can be broken up over multiple weekends as well, so long as you commit to a regular timeframe.

While we don’t provide housing ourselves, we’re happy to keep an eye out. There are many temporary housing options from hotels to campgrounds that might fit your needs or schedule.

Lifelong learning is a necessity.  Like most things scuba-related, we only get better by doing the job. Together, we’ll create a relationship that fosters your growth toward becoming a knowledgeable, confident, safety-conscious dive leader and mentor. We truly do have the opportunity to change lives!

We don’t do “zero to hero” training, but if you’ve just completed Open Water and found your passion, talk to us about what your path forward to Pro might look like. Dreams are a good thing!

If we haven’t scared you off and this all actually sounds awesome, give us a call to begin your PADI Divemaster journey today.

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