Becoming a Divemaster in Hurghada: requirements, how long it takes and what you do

PADI Divemaster candidates also need physician clearance dated within the past 12 months. For the other agencies, confirm the applicable professional medical requirements. If your medical history raises questions, read our guide to the diver medical questionnaire before you book.

SDI lists standards and procedures, diving physics and physiology, risk management, dive planning, emergency response, group management and dive leadership. PADI describes the role as learning to lead underwater tours and assist with scuba classes. With us the training runs in phases:

• Knowledge: dive theory, physics and physiology at professional level
• Water skills and stamina: swim and tow assessments, and skill demonstrations clear enough for students to copy
• Workshops: mapping a dive site, giving dive briefings, writing an emergency plan and running a dive from the deck
• Real divers: assisting our instructors on courses and guiding certified divers on our daily trips
• Final assessment: exams and an evaluation, then your application to the agency

With us it usually takes 2–4 weeks of intensive training. SSI's linked Divemaster training standard recommends 35–45 hours; its public marketing page gives a different 43–57-hour figure, so confirm the programme and schedule when booking. The real limit is often your logbook: PADI needs 60 logged dives to certify, and the training dives alone may not close the gap from 40, so many candidates add fun dives on our daily boats. We map the timing out with you before you start, based on your certifications and logged dives.

Hurghada has boats going out every day, and many reefs and wrecks within a boat day's reach, so you can log dives and practise guiding without long breaks. Our daily schedule runs from 08:00 hotel pickup to about 16:30, with two dives a day. You work alongside our instructors with real guests, which is the part of the training that teaches you the most. See the dive-site directory for the sites around Hurghada.

SDI says a Divemaster can lead certified divers, manage dive sites and help keep divers safe; PADI says a Divemaster leads underwater tours and assists with scuba classes. It is also the step before instructor training. A certification is not a job offer, so if you plan to work in diving, ask dive centres about their hiring needs and local work rules before you train.