Divemaster
Your first professional qualification. The course that turns a diver into a dive leader.
- Duration
- 14 days
- Total dives
- 60
- Max depth
- 40 m
- Group size
- Max 2
- Min age
- 18+
- Languages
- English · Arabic · German
What Divemaster actually involves
Over 10–14 days (or spread across a longer stay) you'll make 60+ dives, refresh every rescue skill you know, learn to plan and lead certified divers, map a dive site, run a specialty workshop, and assist on real student courses. You'll finish as a PADI, SSI or SDI Divemaster — globally recognised as a dive professional and qualified to guide certified divers anywhere in the world.
Why Hurghada is the smartest place to do your DM
A Divemaster course is measured in dives and in exposure to real students. Hurghada gives you both: calm year-round conditions, dozens of sites within 40 minutes of the marina, and a steady stream of courses running every week for you to assist on. Add European-standard prices and a cost of living that lets you stay longer on the same budget, and it's no accident that so many working dive pros started right here.
What happens after you certify
Divemaster is the gateway to paid work in the dive industry. With a DM card you can guide certified divers, assist on student courses for a day rate, and apply for Instructor Development Courses (IDC) to become a full scuba instructor. Many of our alumni go straight into work with us or with partner shops in the Red Sea, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.
Your schedule
- 1 Days 1–2
Orientation & skill baseline
Meet your mentor, tour both bases, review every logged dive, and complete the 24-skill demonstration circuit to a professional standard. You'll redo anything that's rusty.
- Skill circuit
- Equipment station
- Professionalism standards
- 2 Days 3–5
Dive theory & physics
Classroom mornings, boat afternoons. Dive physics, physiology, decompression theory, the RDP/eRDPml, dive equipment, and the Dive Theory Exam.
- Dive theory exam
- Decompression planning
- Equipment specialist
- 3 Days 6–8
Rescue refresh & workshops
Re-run the Rescue scenarios to a leader's standard. Deep dive scenario, search & recovery workshop, navigation workshop, and skin-diving workshop.
- Rescue assessment
- Search & recovery
- Deep scenario
- 4 Days 9–11
Practical application — assisting students
You'll shadow and assist on live Open Water and Advanced courses — briefing, leading underwater, supervising from behind the group, and debriefing. This is where the role clicks.
- Student supervision
- Briefings
- Debriefings
- 5 Days 12–13
Mapping project & leading certified divers
Survey, measure, and produce a publishable map of a Hurghada dive site. Plan and lead a group of certified divers as the in-water guide, with your mentor observing.
- Dive site mapping
- Guide certified divers
- Independent briefings
- 6 Day 14
Final exams & certification
Final written exams, stamina swims (400 m swim, 800 m snorkel, 100 m tired-diver tow, 15-minute tread), and the paperwork. You finish as a certified Divemaster.
- Watermanship
- Final exam
- Certification
What's included (and what isn't)
What's included
- Full digital learning materials and Divemaster manual
- Unlimited boat dives during the course
- Full equipment rental for the entire course
- Dedicated Course Director / Staff Instructor
- All workshops and practical assessments
- Assisting on real student courses
- Dive site mapping project support
- Hotel pickup and drop-off every dive day
- DAN dive insurance for the duration
- International Divemaster certification card
Not included
- Agency application and crew-pak fees (€180–€260, paid to PADI/SSI/SDI directly)
- EFR instructor certification if needed (€150)
- Lunch on dive days
- Accommodation
€200 deposit secures your start date — refundable up to 14 days before arrival
What you'll be able to do
- 24-skill demonstration to professional standard
- Briefing and debriefing groups of certified divers
- Leading and supervising certified divers in open water
- Assisting instructors on Open Water and Advanced courses
- Dive site surveying and mapping
- Search & recovery patterns and lift bag use
- Deep dive scenario planning and execution
- Equipment specialist station management
- Risk assessment and emergency management
- Dive operations logistics — loading boats, tank management, guest flow
From the water
FAQ
I only have 40 dives — can I start?
Yes. You can begin the course with 40 logged dives and you'll reach the 60 required to certify during the programme itself. We'll build in enough fun dives to get you there.
How long does it really take?
The intensive path is 10–14 days of focused work. Most candidates take 3–4 weeks to enjoy it properly — blending theory, assisting on courses, and plenty of fun diving. If you're doing the internship route, plan on 6–8 weeks.
PADI, SSI or SDI — which should I pick?
All three are fully recognised worldwide and cost roughly the same. PADI has the most globally-recognised brand, SSI has the best free digital materials, SDI is computer-diving-first and slightly more technically rigorous. We teach all three and will give you an honest take once we know your goals.
Do I need my own equipment?
No — we provide everything for the duration of the course. That said, most candidates choose to buy their own mask, fins, computer and exposure suit during the programme. It makes you faster and cleaner underwater, and it's a long-term investment.
Will I definitely get work after?
Nothing is guaranteed, but the dive industry is chronically short of good Divemasters. If you finish with strong assessments and a good attitude, you'll have realistic paid options here in the Red Sea and elsewhere. We write honest references.
Related courses
Deep Diver Specialty
Extend your limits into the 30–40 metre zone — big walls, schooling fish, and Red Sea wrecks at depth.
Enriched Air Nitrox
Longer bottom times, shorter surface intervals, less fatigue. The single most useful specialty in diving.
Rescue Diver
The course every diver remembers as the hardest — and the most rewarding — they ever took.