Go Pro · Your first professional rating
Become a PADI Pro in as little as 2–3 months. Your first professional rating and the foundation of every diving career.
Get more infoThe PADI Divemaster course is the first professional level in the PADI system. It trains you to lead certified divers, support instructors during courses and take on real responsibility for dive safety and organisation.
Training is hands-on and led by a PADI Instructor who acts more like a mentor than a lecturer. You build leadership, problem-solving and demonstration skills, then put them to work supervising dive activities and assisting with live training.
| Theory (knowledge development) | Knowledge development covers dive theory, standards, supervision and risk management, available through eLearning or with your instructor, and finishes with written exams. |
| Pool / confined water | Confined water workshops let you practise and refine the skill demonstrations and rescue-related skills in a controlled pool environment. |
| Open water | Practical application includes water skills tests, a skills circuit scored by your instructor, dive site setup, dive briefings, and assisting or guiding on open water dives. |
| Internship | Practical assisting and guiding is built into the course; some candidates extend this with extra workplace experience at a dive centre to build confidence, but this is optional. |
Minimum age 18. PADI Rescue Diver certification (or qualifying equivalent), at least 40 logged dives to start (60 logged dives are needed to be certified as a Divemaster), Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months, and a medical statement signed by a physician confirming fitness to dive. Junior Divemaster exists for ages 15 to 17 with its own prerequisites and additional training after turning 18. Confirm all current requirements with Scubaversity.
Minimum age: 18 (15 for Junior Divemaster)
At Scubaversity: Minimum age 18, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, EFR within the last 24 months, minimum 40 dives to start and 60 to certify, medical clearance within the last 12 months.
Typically around 50 hours of training overall. Schedules vary widely, from an intensive couple of weeks to several weeks or months of part-time training. Confirm timing with Scubaversity.
Experienced Rescue Divers who love diving, enjoy helping others learn and want to turn that passion into part-time work or a first step toward a dive career.
Divemaster is the prerequisite for Assistant Instructor and the full Instructor Development Course (IDC) — ask us about our Blue Ocean Career Programme.
Typically 2–3 months, combining dive leadership training, water skills and stamina work, problem-solving, organisational training, and internship-style experience guiding real courses and trips. An online self-study option is available to help you move at your own pace.
You need to be at least 18 years old, hold PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and PADI Rescue Diver certifications, have EFR training within the last 24 months, log a minimum of 40 dives to start (60 to certify), and have medical clearance within the last 12 months.
Classroom and pool components run at our Gauteng facility, with practical dive experience gained locally and by assisting on real courses and trips — potentially including coastal trips to Sodwana Bay or Aliwal Shoal as part of building your dive count.
Divemaster is the prerequisite for Assistant Instructor and the full Instructor Development Course (IDC). Ask us about our Blue Ocean Career Programme if you're looking to build a diving career from here.
Divemaster pricing is available on request — contact for pricing. Use the "Get more info" button on this page, or head to our enquiry page, and we'll confirm dates with you.
You need to hold the PADI Rescue Diver certification, which itself requires the Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water level as a stepping stone. You also need the minimum logged dives, in-date CPR and First Aid training and a diving medical statement.
No. Many people take it to build skills, confidence and leadership, or to work part-time. It is also the required stepping stone if you later want to become a PADI Instructor.