Did you leave a career to work in scuba?

[RTee]

Only a few years until retirement and then I will consider. It is less risky when you have a pension coming in and then do so because you enjoy it rather than because you need to. I might go after an instructor rating using part of my severance pay and then see what happen. I have done my share of instructing...I figure if I can and still teach helicopter flying I should be to transfer some of those tools to diving. No hair left to lose...lol

 

[j2s]

Changed my whole life around [got accepted to law school, thought about it, said NO !!! ] Took the CPA's exam, became a self-employed forensic acc't [only worked enough to dive when/where I wanted]...Met my wife later in life [others didn't want to marry a 'dive bum' and I didn't care] ,told her what I was about and we've been happy for 20 years now...My wife and diving have been the focal points of my life....Wouldn't change it, glad I did it....Have met great people, have great memories and still have many dives to go on my "Bucket List".....So many dives, so little time !!!.....

 

[two clown resort]

Hahahaha.....I guess I'm one of those person. I spent just only 10 years in the comfortable office. I didn't know diving yet - one day I went to snorkel and fast forward one year later I'm in the diving industry.

 

[birdwrasse]

yep...!!! quit my job at washington mutual bank in march 2006, two years before they imploded... got my open water certification in june of 2006 and am now an advanced open water instructor, trimix and cave certified, too... have dove all over the world, too!!!

do it...!!!



--c

 

[koozemani]

I can retire fairly young, so I forsee a fun 2nd carreer at a local shop while I wait for my special lady friend to retire.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

My fondest hope is to have a story to add to this thread some day. It's great teaching part time on weekends, getting out to local fresh cold water low viz sites regularly from May through October, and getting in an average of a couple of trips a year to real dive locations. I also enjoy the scuba writing I have been doing, including on scuba board. But I hope to have the wherewithall to trade the courtroom for the coral reef as a full time enterprise some day. Some day soon, because I'm pushing 60, and pushing it pretty hard. Too bad I have already spent any retirement funds on scuba trips. Or is it? I am authorized to say that my wife and dive buddy endorses the idea of chucking this place, moving to where it never snows, near salt water, and finding a way to live there and dive often, as a dive professional or as a dive bum, either one! (or are they the same thing?)
DivemasterDennis

 

[Jxh2297]

I'm a full time student and if I could get a Job at a dive shop in cave country I would drop everything and leave tomorrow

 

[blackvans1234]

I'm not planning on leaving a career for scuba, but am highly considering it as a weekend gig. Currently, I am not even in the work-force, so I'm a student and a scuba bum

 

[TR904]

Hi Deac,
We are in somewhat similar circumstances. I will retire in about a year. I have decided to go teach scuba some place warm with clear warm water. I am looking into IDC's in and around the Caribbean or Florida with the intent to work in the Caribbean. I will be 50 then and feel like I have plenty of energy for my next adventure! I planned on retiring anyway and had been thinking about what to do for a retirement job for several months. UPS, Costco, US contractor to the military. I was all over the place. We have both heard this many times I am sure " If you do something you love you will never work a day in your life". Well I heard this on the radio a couple of months ago. It took a day to sink in. I finally thought ( I literally thought to myself) what do I love? It took about 2-3 seconds before I thought. I love to dive. So it was a hand to forehead moment (DUH). I love to dive so much it was all I could think about as a kid from about age 3 1/2 . I love to be underwater so much I became a Navy diver when I was 20 years old. The happiest day of my life up to that point was my first project dive in 22' of water in San Diego harbor with about 18" of visibility. Turning my first wrenches underwater I had a grin from ear to ear the entire time. When I came up my instructors told me ( yeld in my face, nice and close ) get that stupid grin off your face Reist. It didn't do any good however. So i had to do push ups untill I stopped. We had a good laugh about it later.
I have never shared that before it feels good! So Deac I am taking my smaller than normal (for my civilian sector job) retirement ( 20yrs and out) and I am headed back to the water. If you really love diving I can only encourage you to do the same.

TR