Can you really make a living Scuba instructing ???

[ScubaFreak]

It depends on what kinda life u wanna live!
I've met guys who make enough to pay the bills and have enough to buy some beers and that keeps them happy...but if you wanna have a nice car, house etc, prob not

Although I did meet a Course director who did quite nicely for himself!

 

[mrobinson]

I know up here in Calgary, you still need another job. But I always thought the different lifestyle in the warmer areas could be different. Example - not needing to heat your house, maybe go without a car, only really needing a swimsuit and sandles, have some beer after diving.... or I'm I just dreaming too?

 

[carlislere]

Make a living as a scuba instructor? Not in Texas. There may be a place somewhere i.e Florida, Caribbean, Pacific. Course prices are too low here for anyone to make a living at it.

 

[DORSETBOY]

I teach for free because teaching diving is part of my hobby, a friend of mine teaches back in wales and earns as reasonable living but supplements it by work in pubs.

I wouldn't want to teach for money because it would mean i was working seven days a week with my other work. Keeping it a hobby works best for me.

 

[rstone]

Can any money be made doing this at all ?????

Depends on the shop and the location and what other roles you play in the company. If you planning on just being an instructor, I'd say most that really want to do it give it a try, decide the money barely pays the bills and get out of it. Obviously as some said you can be successful, but you shouldnt count on making a ton of money. If your ok with that.. go for it.

 

[Falco]

My instructor has five jobs :

• SCUBA instructor/LDS owner
• Barman
• Gym subtitute teacher
• Travel agent
• Heat pump retailler

 

[Mako Mark]

there's too many instructors. PADI is kicking them out like crazy. forget it. be a great diver and have a real job so you can go diving.

most instructors i've known that are in fact full time and don't have a secondary source of income are extremely poor and quite miserable.

the only instructor i've met that does it full time AND quite happy is independently wealthy from a previous profession.

Way, way, way too many instructors. this whole 'career' is self serving. become and instructor and you sire new divers who become instructors, kind of reminds me of vampirism.

plus, why o why would anyone ever want to turn their (i'm assuming you're all like me) favorite sport/pastime/whatever into your job?

don't most people still hate their jobs? I do. lol.

wow, that is pretty harsh mate, I never thought of myself as a vampire, more as an ambassador for the aquatic realm, but thanks for your new perspective

Wow, lots of gloom and doom here.

(snip)

So the answer is yes you can make a living at dive instructing if you are above average and want to.

Thanks JD, you hit the nail. It is not easy, but it is possible.

Many do it for the love of it, many do it as a means to pay for their tround the world trip (I am going on 15 years now) and some just do it for the diving and the gear discounts. If you want to get ritch, become a stock broker. If you want to go diving, go diving and you will make ends meet if you work hard and work smart.

 

[kabluton]

I agree with Japan-Diver, lots of gloom and doom on this subject. I am also considering making a career change. I want to work in the Caribbean at a resort either as a divemaster or an instructor, or both. I hate what I currently do and I believe life is too short for that. Some people care about things other than money. If I can do what I love, and make enough to survive, I think I could be quite happy. What ever happened to following your dream?

 

[J1M1]

i think you could make ok money teaching technical classes or rebreather classes. If you could put together enough students each year in just rebreather courses (ccr) you could do o.k. I mean most charge anywhere from 1k to 12 or 13 hundred per student for a ccr course. That may not include rental of the instructors unit if you dont have one or consumables. So if you can get 50 students a year in a ccr course id say your doing pretty well just teaching. Probably have lots of free time as well to get moist....JD

 

[Scuby Dooby]

The thing that people are not keeping in mind here regarding countries like the Philippines and Thailand (and countless other under-developed tropical countries) is that there are locals who know the dive sites, ecosystem, language, boat repair-with-gum-and-ducktape skills, etc who are willing to work for much, much, much less than most people from a developed country would be. Add to this the fact that these people will be there for many years as opposed to a tourist / worker who plans to move on after the next dive season and it makes the number of opportunities, especially for DMs, pretty small. Instructing would be a better opportunity in most tourist places but for me, spending 80% of my time underwater on my knees teaching open water over and over and over would not be my first choice.