Divemaster

The Divemaster course at Azores Sub is the longest programme they run: 82 to 90 hours. Minimum age is 15. Equipment and €1.5 million liability insurance are included. The course covers leadership skills for guiding certified divers, applied physics for diving, and dive physiology — the same topics a Divemaster needs to brief and manage groups in open water.

Training takes place on the south coast of São Miguel, which gives candidates hands-on experience guiding in real Atlantic conditions across a variety of site types: shallow reserve dives around the Ilhéu, deeper wall dives at Baixa das Castanhetas, and wreck navigation at the MV Dori. That range of environments is useful preparation for a professional role.

The centre works with both SSI and PADI, so your Divemaster certification will be issued under whichever agency you've been training with through the preceding courses. This is the entry-level professional qualification under both systems and the starting point for instructor training.