Divemaster is the first professional rating in the PADI system, and it changes how you dive. Instead of following a guide, you learn to be the person other divers watch. This guide to the PADI Divemaster course Belize divers ask us about explains the prerequisites, what the training involves, what it costs in parts, and where it leads.
It is written for Rescue Divers and experienced recreational divers thinking about going pro, whether as a career or as a deeper way to dive. White Sands Dive Shop is a 5 Star PADI Dive Facility on the beach in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, owned and operated by PADI IDC Staff Instructor Elbert Greer.
What do you need to start a PADI Divemaster course in Belize?
Quick answer: You must be at least 18, hold Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications, have completed Emergency First Response or similar first aid and CPR training within 24 months, and have a physician’s dive medical from the last 12 months. You need 40 logged dives to start and 60 to finish.
What a PADI Divemaster does
Divemaster is the entry point to the professional levels of PADI diver training. Divemasters assist instructors with training student divers, and they supervise diving activities for certified divers, snorkelers and skin divers. In practice that means briefing a site, leading a group along the reef and keeping an eye on everyone’s air and depth.
Many divemasters are also looking ahead. The professional experience you gain is the base you build on as a PADI Assistant Instructor and then as an Open Water Scuba Instructor.
PADI Divemaster course prerequisites
Our Water Sports page sets out the entry requirements for PADI Divemaster Online, and they match PADI’s own list of Divemaster requirements. Check each one before you plan your trip.
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Medical: a current medical attesting to your diving fitness, signed by a physician within the previous 12 months.
- Certifications: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and PADI Rescue Diver, or qualifying certifications from another training organization.
- First aid: Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care, or another sanctioned first aid and CPR course, within the past 24 months.
- Experience: at least 40 logged dives to start, and 60 before you complete the course, including deep, night and navigation dives.
Not there yet? The PADI Rescue Diver course in Belize is the direct prerequisite, with 12 rescue scenarios over about 3 days. If you still need deep, night and navigation dives in your log, the Advanced Open Water course on Ambergris Caye covers all three as core dives.
How the Divemaster course is structured
The course has an online part and a practical part. You start with PADI Divemaster Online, which gives you permanent access to the ebook version of the PADI Divemaster manual. Once that is done, you complete the practical work with your PADI Instructor.
Practical assessments, workshops and the final exam
After the online part, you complete several practical assessments, workshops and other assignments, then the Divemaster Final Exam, and you must meet the professionalism criteria. PADI’s overview of what the Divemaster course covers describes the main pieces in more detail.
- Stamina tests: a 400 meter swim, an 800 meter swim with mask, snorkel and fins, a 15 minute float and a 100 meter tow of a diver.
- Knowledge development on dive physics, physiology and equipment.
- An Emergency Assistance Plan for a dive site and a map of a site.
- Assisting instructors on real courses and guiding certified divers under supervision.
PADI says the course can take anywhere from two weeks to six months, depending on the format and how often you dive. Email us your available dates and we will talk through a realistic schedule.
Materials and what the course costs, in parts
The online ebook is a required material, but it is not the only one. To complete the course you also need a current PADI Instructor Manual, both the Table RDP and the eRDPML dive planners, The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving and a set of PADI Divemaster slates. There is other required equipment too, some of which you probably already own.
The cost comes in four parts: the online learning fee paid directly to PADI, the completion fee paid to White Sands Dive Shop, the materials, and a separate PADI application fee submitted with your Divemaster application at the end. See the current Divemaster course prices on our Water Sports page for each part.
Divemaster and the steps around it
Divemaster sits in the middle of a ladder. The table compares it with the course before it and the two professional courses after it, as listed on our Water Sports page.
| Course | What it prepares you for | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Rescue Diver | Diver rescues, managing dive accidents and first aid; required before Divemaster | 3 days |
| Divemaster | Assisting instructors and supervising certified divers, snorkelers and skin divers | Online part plus practical work; ask us for a schedule |
| Assistant Instructor | The next professional step toward teaching | Four days |
| Instructor Development Course | Becoming an instructor | 10 days |
If teaching is your goal, read our guide to the PADI IDC and Assistant Instructor courses in Belize. For the whole path from first breath to pro, see our guide to learning to dive on Ambergris Caye.
What about a divemaster internship on Ambergris Caye?
Many divers search for an internship, where you train over a longer stay while helping around a dive operation. We have not described an internship here, and we do not want to promise one, so please email Elbert to ask what is available for your dates. Whatever format you choose, get the schedule, the costs and the dive count in writing before you travel.
Who trains you
Elbert Greer owns and operates White Sands Dive Shop and is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. The shop is a PADI International Resort Association member and is licensed by the Belize Tourism Board. Read more about Elbert Greer, your PADI instructor.
The quality students notice most is the one a divemaster has to learn. Vivake K. Bhalla wrote that Elbert “was an outstanding instructor with a lot of experience and useful tips. He was very friendly and fun, but equally very strict about safety.” Read the full letters from Elbert’s dive students.
PADI Divemaster course, Belize: your questions answered
How many dives do I need for the PADI Divemaster course?
You need at least 40 logged dives to start and 60 before you complete the course, including experience with deep, night and navigation dives.
Do I need Rescue Diver first?
Yes. Rescue Diver, or a qualifying certification from another organization, is a prerequisite, along with Advanced Open Water and first aid and CPR training within the past 24 months.
Can I do the theory online?
Yes. The course starts with PADI Divemaster Online, which includes the ebook manual. You then complete the practical assessments, workshops and final exam with your PADI Instructor.
How long does the Divemaster course take?
PADI says it can take anywhere from two weeks to six months. Email us your dates and we will discuss a realistic schedule.
Is there a divemaster internship on Ambergris Caye?
We have not listed an internship on this page. Please email Elbert to ask what is available for your dates.
Talk to Elbert about going pro
Send us your certifications, logged dives and the dates you can be on the island, and Elbert will confirm the current Divemaster course and how it would fit your plans. Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm or call 011 (501) 226 2405.