PADI Divemaster Course — What Is Involved in Training
A divemaster internship is the most complete way to earn the PADI Divemaster qualification. At Go Pro Caribbean in Roatan you join the team from day one — learning on the job alongside experienced, full-time PADI instructors in a working dive centre. You do not follow a fixed timetable. You earn the qualification by doing the actual work, in real conditions, with real divers.
The internship runs for a minimum of six weeks, with no maximum. If you want ten or twelve weeks, that is fine — and welcome. Diving is unlimited throughout your time with us: the average trainee logs between 60 and 100 dives before qualifying. If you have not yet reached the 40-dive prerequisite, we will get you there at no extra cost before the formal course begins.
The PADI Divemaster is the first step into the professional ranks — the foundation on which a diving career is built. Many of our Divemaster graduates go on to complete the IDC at the end of their internship, arriving at the course fit, dive-ready, and already comfortable with how a professional dive operation works. The complete PADI requirements every Divemaster internship must satisfy, regardless of where you train, are set out in full below.
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All PADI courses allow for flexibility — they need to be adapted to the local environment and to the individual student. No two Divemaster internships will be identical. But there is a standardised set of requirements that every candidate must meet, regardless of who delivers the training, where, or when. Those requirements are set out in full below.
1. Knowledge Development
- Complete knowledge development segments including Knowledge Reviews in the PADI Divemaster Manual or through Divemaster Online, and pass the Divemaster Final Exam.
- There are 8 Chapters and Knowledge Reviews.
- The Divemaster Exam is split into 2 parts, each 60 questions.
2. Emergency Assistance Plan
- Create an Emergency Assistance Plan for a designated dive site.
3. Water Skills Exercises
- Complete water-skills exercises:
- 400 Yard Swim
- 800 Yard Snorkel
- 15 Minute tread
- 100 Yard Tired diver tow
- Equipment exchange underwater
4. Diver Rescue Assessment
- Complete a diver rescue assessment — respond to an unresponsive, nonbreathing diver, including these steps:
- Enter the water, locate and surface a submerged diver who is about 25 metres/yards away.
- Turn the diver face up and establish buoyancy.
- Remove the diver's mask and regulator, open the airway and check for breathing.
- Call for help.
- Give two initial rescue breaths, and continue with an effective rescue breath every five seconds with no or very few interruptions.
- Tow the diver to safety while protecting the airway, continuing rescue breathing.
- Remove both sets of equipment (equipment handlers allowed).
- Exit the water with the diver.
5. Dive Skills Workshop and Assessment
- Demonstrate all scuba and skin diving skills, scoring at least a 3 on each skill, and scoring at least 82 points total, with at least one underwater skill to a 5:
- 1. Equipment assembly, adjustment, preparation, donning and disassembly
- 2. Predive safety check (BWRAF)
- 3. Deep-water entry
- 4. Buoyancy check at surface
- 5. Snorkel–regulator / regulator–snorkel exchange
- 6. Five-point descent
- 7. Regulator recovery and clearing
- 8. Mask removal, replacement and clearing
- 9. Air depletion exercise and alternate air source use (stationary)
- 10. Alternate air source-assisted ascent
- 11. Free-flowing regulator breathing
- 12. Neutral buoyancy — using both oral and low pressure inflation
- 13. Five-point ascent
- 14. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent
- 15. Hover motionless for 30 seconds
- 16. Underwater swim without a mask
- 17. Remove and replace weight system underwater
- 18. Remove and replace scuba unit underwater
- 19. Remove and replace scuba unit on the surface
- 20. Remove and replace weight system on the surface
- 21. Vertical, head first skin dive
- 22. Swim at least 15 metres/50 feet underwater on a single breath while skin diving.
- 23. Snorkel clear using the blast method after ascending from a skin dive.
- 24. Snorkel clear using the displacement method after ascending from a skin dive.
6. Practical Application Skills
- Skill 1 — Dive Site Set Up and Management. Set up a dive site and manage predive preparation, including:
- Choosing a location appropriate for divers to assemble equipment.
- Preparing emergency equipment, such as a first aid kit and oxygen unit.
- Greeting divers as they arrive at the site/boat and providing direction.
- Organising a dive roster and reviewing check-in and check-out procedures with divers.
- Preparing and setting a float/dive flag if diving from shore, or ensuring the descent line and dive flag are ready when diving from a boat.
- Choosing an appropriate vantage point from which to monitor the dive.
- Being accessible to answer diver questions and prepared to assist divers both before and after the dive.
- Skill 2 — Mapping Project. Survey an open water dive site and create a detailed map showing (as applicable) underwater relief, points of interest, environmental notes, recommended entry/exit areas, local facilities and potential hazards.
- Skill 3 — Dive Briefing. Conduct a dive briefing for a familiar dive site covering all 10 points:
- 1. Dive site name
- 2. Site description
- 3. Your role and how divers can recognise you underwater
- 4. Entry and exit techniques
- 5. Dive procedures
- 6. Emergency procedures
- 7. Signal review specific to the dive
- 8. Roster and buddy check
- 9. Environmental orientation
- 10. Predive safety check
- Skill 4 — Search and Recovery Scenario:
- Demonstrate a methodical search of an area to find a small submerged object.
- Demonstrate a methodical search of an area to find a submerged object not more than 10 kg/25 lb negatively buoyant.
- Tie the following knots correctly underwater: the bowline, two half-hitches and a sheet bend.
- Demonstrate how to safely rig and bring to the surface an object not more than 10 kg/25 lb negatively buoyant using an appropriate lifting device.
- Skill 5 — Deep Dive Scenario:
- With a buddy before the dive, prepare emergency breathing equipment and position it at safety stop depth.
- Descend using a reference line, wall or sloping bottom as a visual guide only, while staying with a buddy and controlling the descent rate.
- Navigate with a compass at least 20 kick cycles away from and back to the reference line or designated spot.
- Use a depth gauge and timing device, or a dive computer, to monitor an ascent rate no faster than 18 metres/60 feet per minute.
- Perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5 metres/15 feet before surfacing without holding on to a reference line for positioning.
7. Divemaster-Conducted Programme Workshops
- Workshop 1: ReActivate Program
- Access ReActivate programme standards in the PADI Instructor Manual.
- State ReActivate knowledge assessment options.
- Demonstrate the prescriptive ReActivate method for determining skills to practise.
- Recognise and correct problems during skill practice.
- Workshop 2: Skin Diver Course and Snorkelling Supervision
- Give the Skin Diver course briefing or a snorkelling tour briefing.
- Conduct a Skin Diver course confined water or open water dive; or lead a snorkel tour, demonstrating control and supervision.
- Recognise and correct problems during the skin dive or snorkel tour.
- Workshop 3: Discover Scuba Diving — Confined Water
- Access Discover Scuba Diving programme standards in the PADI Instructor Manual and explain a divemaster's role as an assistant during a confined water experience.
- Locate the Discover Scuba Diving Leader Internship Requirements and explain how a divemaster qualifies as a Discover Scuba Diving Leader.
- Demonstrate proper positioning relative to participants as directed by the instructor.
- Recognise and correct problems during the experience.
- Workshop 4: Discover Scuba Diving — Additional Open Water Dive
- State the ratio and supervision requirements for an additional dive conducted by a PADI Divemaster.
- Give a dive briefing appropriate for Discover Scuba Diving participants for an additional open water dive.
- Lead the dive, demonstrating proper control and required supervision.
- Recognise and correct problems during the dive.
- Workshop 5: Discover Local Diving in Open Water
- Access Discover Local Diving programme standards in the PADI Instructor Manual.
- Assess dive site conditions and plan the dive.
- Give a Discover Local Diving briefing.
- Lead a dive, demonstrating control and supervision.
- Recognise and correct problems during the dive.
- Demonstrate how to deploy a surface marker.
8. Practical Assessments
- Practical Assessment 1 — Open Water Diver Students in Confined Water:
- Organise predive equipment setup by student divers.
- Coordinate student diver flow during training.
- Supervise student divers not receiving the immediate attention of the instructor.
- Help a student diver overcome a learning difficulty.
- Respond to, or prevent, student diver problems as they occur.
- Demonstrate a skill for student divers.
- Practical Assessment 2 — Open Water Diver Students in Open Water:
- Assess an open water training site; report to the instructor recommendations as to site suitability.
- Organise predive equipment setup by student divers.
- Assist in the preparation of the site.
- Coordinate student diver flow during training.
- Supervise student divers not receiving the immediate attention of the instructor.
- Respond to, or prevent, student diver problems as they occur.
- Lead student divers on an underwater tour (ratio 2:1).
- Practical Assessment 3 — Continuing Education Students in Open Water:
- Coordinate student diver flow during training.
- Escort continuing education student divers under indirect instructor supervision; report performance and learning difficulties to instructor.
- Help a continuing education student diver overcome a learning difficulty.
- Respond to, or prevent, student diver problems as they occur.
- Practical Assessment 4 — Certified Divers in Open Water:
- Conduct environmental and diver assessments, taking appropriate supervisory steps.
- Give a predive briefing appropriate to the dive site.
- Account for buddy teams entering and leaving the water.
- Respond to, or prevent, diver problems appropriately.
9. Professionalism Criteria
- Score at least a 3 in each category by the end of Practical Application:
- 1. Level of active, positive participation in training sessions.
- 2. Ability to serve as a mentor to student divers.
- 3. Willingness to follow directions.
- 4. Positive attitude and demeanour toward student divers, certified divers and staff.
- 5. Positive attitude and practice towards caring for the environment.
- 6. General understanding of a divemaster's role.
- 7. Appearance.
Those are the requirements — in full. How enjoyable the journey to meeting them can be depends entirely on where, when, and who you train with. Come and join us in Roatan and we will show you what they look like when they are actually fun.
The Divemaster is a stepping stone, not a destination
Most people who train to Divemaster level are thinking about what comes next. The PADI Instructor Development Course is the natural next step — and training your Divemaster with a centre whose entire culture is built around producing excellent instructors gives you a real head start.
At Go Pro Caribbean, many Divemaster graduates extend their time with us directly into the IDC. They arrive at the course fit and dive-ready, already familiar with how the operation works and comfortable in the teaching environment. That preparation is hard to replicate any other way.
Go Pro Caribbean runs monthly IDCs in Roatan with a maximum of six candidates per course — small enough that Will knows every candidate's strengths and weaknesses from day one. Find out more about the IDC →
Ready to start your Divemaster training in Roatan?
Every package includes unlimited diving, the PADI application fee, and the option to add on-site accommodation from $10 per night. No fixed start dates — you begin when you arrive.