You probably already know that the PADI Divemaster course teaches and qualifies you to guide certified divers and assist with PADI recreational diver training courses, like the PADI Open Water Diver course, Adventure Dives during the Advanced Open Water Diver course and the Rescue Diver course, plus any PADI Specialty courses for which you have the appropriate experience and/or certification.
What you may not already know is that the PADI Divemaster level also allows you to guide and assist on PADI TecRec courses — as long as you have the appropriate experience and/or certification.
Here’s how it works.
How Do PADI Divemasters Become Divemasters for Tec Dives and Courses?
PADI Divemaster is the only professional-level certification you need to guide technical divers and assist on PADI TecRec courses. You don’t need to obtain or apply for additional professional levels. You only need to have the appropriate diver-level certification and experience.
To find out whether you have the appropriate certification and experience to assist on a PADI course, check the specific course instructor guide.
Requirements for PADI Divemasters To Assist on PADI TecRec Courses
Here are a few examples (but certainly not every combination) of the qualifications you’ll need to assist on PADI TecRec courses, in addition to being a PADI Divemaster (or higher) in active status.
To assist on a Tec 40 Diver course:
- PADI Enriched Air Diver
- Tec 40 Diver certification or higher (Tec 40 Trimix Diver or higher for trimix dives)
- At least 10 logged decompression dives to 36 meters/120 feet or deeper (not including training dives)
To assist on a PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver course:
- PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver on the specific unit
- At least 25 dives and 40 hours experience since certification
To assist on a Tec Trimix Diver course:
- PADI Enriched Air Diver
- Tec Trimix Diver
- At least 250 logged dives, including 40 decompression dives and 20 trimix dives deeper than 40 metres/130 feet since certification
Requirements for PADI Divemasters To Guide Tec Dives
If you are the dive guide on a tec dive, the certification and experience you need will depend on the role you perform.
For example, if you are guiding newly qualified Tec 40 Divers, they may expect you to take on a similar role to a recreational dive guide, including confirming their dive plans with you and having you lead the dive. For this role, meeting the requirements to assist on the Tec 40 Diver course (as listed above), in addition to experience with the dive logistics and that particular site, will help you meet the divers’ requirements.
However, if you are the dive guide for a very experienced tec diving team, you may offer them different options, such as:
- Leading and Guiding the Dive (as long as you have the appropriate experience and certification to make the dive) – Tec divers often request detailed briefings of the site, and having a guide to help them navigate it frees them up to enjoy the dive. However, tec divers are often very experienced, so don’t be offended if they don’t need — or even want — this level of support, as they may already know the site as well as you do.
- Support Diver – You may be able to provide support while divers decompress from the dive, such as relieving them of cylinders and other equipment they no longer need, taking down fresh decompression cylinders, or helping them communicate with the surface support team.
- Rescue Diver – You can also remain on standby to respond in an emergency. This may involve being ready to dive and/or organize emergency responses at the surface.
- Surface Support – In some cases, teams will prefer you to remain on the boat. In this case, your role could include checking conditions, assisting with kitting up, pre-jump checks, logging time in, monitoring planned run time, tracking delayed surface marker buoys (DSMBs) and responding as planned if the team sends up an emergency-signal DSMB or is running late. You may also help the team exit the water and de-kit, then make them a well-earned cup of coffee or tea afterwards.
Getting Started
Ask your instructor about becoming a PADI Divemaster.
If you’re not sure what route to take, start your TecRec journey with a Discover Tec or Discover Rebreather experience and let your passion guide you.
If you are already a PADI Divemaster and tec diver, talk to your PADI Dive Center about helping out on TecRec courses or tec dives.
Teaching TecRec
As a PADI Divemaster with experience guiding technical divers and assisting on PADI TecRec courses, you are well prepared to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and progress to teaching tec divers. Learn more about how to become a Tec 40 Instructor or Rebreather Instructor and contact your PADI Five Star IDC Center to help make your dreams a reality.
