PADI Divemaster Course
Join our PADI Divemaster course and learn what it takes to be a PADI Pro through a personalized course with flexible schedules.
Become a Divemaster
Learn how to supervise divers underwater to ensure a safe and fun experience.
Course Duration
Training requires about 6-8 weeks to complete but the schedule can vary greatly. Reach out to inquire about a personalized schedule.
Lifetime Certification
The PADI Divemaster certification is the first professional level of diving. You become more than just a great diver, you become a dive pro.
E-Learning and classroom sessions
Confined and open water training
Hands-on experience working with students and certified divers
Course Components
Course Details
What is the PADI Divemaster certification?
The PADI Divemaster course is your first step toward becoming a professional scuba diver. It is designed for experienced divers who are ready to develop professional-level dive skills, leadership ability, and real-world experience.
During the course, you will learn how to lead certified divers, assist instructors with scuba courses, organize diving activities, solve problems, and become a confident role model for other divers.
Why take the Divemaster course with Salty Boogers?
Divemaster training should be an apprenticeship—not a rushed checklist or a high-volume internship.
Your primary mentor will be John Ratko, an experienced PADI Master Instructor with a professional background in both diving and education. Before working full-time in the dive industry, John spent eight years as a teacher, including teaching physics and special education. He also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and has experience in instructional coaching.
That background matters. Effective Divemaster training requires more than demonstrating skills and checking boxes. John’s experience allows him to explain complex concepts clearly, adapt instruction to different learning styles, identify specific areas for improvement, and provide useful feedback as you develop into a dive professional and mentor.
John has also worked as a freelance instructor and dive professional with several dive shops around Roatán. This provides firsthand experience with different boats, teams, customers, training styles, and operating procedures—not simply the routines of one dive operation.
You will also gain practical experience assisting with real courses and dive operations in Roatán. We focus on developing capable professionals who can plan dives, deliver effective briefings, lead confidently, support student divers, recognize problems, and respond calmly when conditions change.
The goal is not simply to complete the requirements. It is to prepare you to think, work, teach, and lead confidently as a professional Divemaster.
How much does it cost?
The complete PADI Divemaster course is $1,200 USD, including the required PADI Divemaster eLearning and training materials, instruction, practical training, and certification fees.
The $500 materials payment gives you access to the required PADI learning materials, reserves your training, and is applied toward the $1,200 total course price. The remaining course balance is $700.
We accept payments in Dollars, Lempiras, Venmo, PayPal, and major cryptocurrencies.
Prices are listed in USD. Payment-processing fees may apply to credit cards, PayPal, or other third-party payment methods.
What will we do in the course?
The PADI Divemaster course combines independent study, professional-level dive theory, water skills, workshops, and practical experience.
Your training includes:
Dive physics, physiology, equipment, decompression theory, and the underwater environment
PADI standards, risk management, and professional responsibilities
Waterskills and stamina assessments
Rescue-skill development and problem-solving exercises
Demonstration-quality scuba skills
Dive-site mapping
Search-and-recovery and deep-diving workshops
Planning and delivering dive briefings
Guiding certified divers
Organizing and supervising dive activities
Assisting instructors with student-diver training
To begin the course, you must:
Be at least 18 years old
Be certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver, or hold qualifying certifications
Have completed CPR and first-aid training within the previous 24 months
Have medical clearance to dive signed by a physician within the previous 12 months
Have at least 40 logged dives
You must have at least 60 logged dives before earning your PADI Divemaster certification.
Divemaster training is performance-based, so the schedule depends on your experience, availability, and progress. It can be completed intensively or spread across several weeks to provide more time for practical experience.
Who will be my instructor?
Your primary mentor will be John Ratko, a PADI Master Instructor with extensive experience in both diving and education. John will supervise your entire course, track your progress, and adapt the training to your experience, goals, and areas that need additional development.
You’ll also have opportunities to assist and work alongside other experienced dive professionals. This exposes you to different teaching styles, leadership approaches, boats, and operating procedures while maintaining the consistency of one primary mentor responsible for your training.
Our goal is to make the course challenging, practical, safe, and enjoyable while preparing you for the real responsibilities of becoming a PADI Professional.
How can I contact you?
WhatsApp: +504 9823-4413
Email: info@saltyboogers.com
Remember, we are usually underwater, but we will respond as soon as we dry off!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my own dive equipment?
Divemaster candidates are strongly encouraged to own and become completely familiar with their equipment. At a minimum, you should have your own mask and dive computer. If you don’t yet have everything you need, contact us before the course to discuss rental options and equipment recommendations.
How flexible is the course schedule?
Very flexible. We do not use fixed intake dates or require every candidate to follow the same daily schedule. Training can be completed intensively or spread across several weeks, depending on your availability, experience, and goals.
Will I get real-world experience?
Yes. You’ll work directly with a PADI Master Instructor while assisting with courses, delivering briefings, guiding divers, organizing activities, and solving real operational problems. Because we operate with small groups, you’ll have meaningful involvement rather than simply watching from the back of a crowded boat.
What are the prerequisites?
You must be at least 18 years old and hold Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications, or qualifying equivalents. You also need current CPR and first-aid training and a medical clearance signed by a physician within the previous 12 months. Finally, you need at least 40 logged dives to begin Divemaster training and 60 logged dives to earn the certification. We’ll review your logbook and help build a training plan around the experience you still need.
How many Divemaster candidates do you train at once?
Salty Boogers is intentionally a low-volume operation. We accept only a small number of Divemaster candidates so you receive direct mentorship, meaningful feedback, and time to repeat skills. You won’t disappear into a large internship group or compete for your instructor’s attention.
Will there be customers to dive with every day?
Divemaster training requires experience working with real divers, and we typically have dives or courses operating most days each week. However, Salty Boogers specializes in private and small-group diving, so customer dives are not guaranteed every day.
We’ll review upcoming bookings and build your training schedule around the best opportunities to assist with courses, brief divers, guide dives, and observe real operations. On days without other customers, you’ll receive personalized training, complete workshops or knowledge development, or take a scheduled day off.
Contact us for the Divemaster Course
Reach out for information on your personalized divemaster course.
