From open water diver to instructor. Cost?

[EastEndDiver]

OP you posted this in a previous thread:


I am currently on a holiday in New Zealand and wasn't planning to dive here. I did my open water course in Koh Tao last year and I only have 5 dives to my name.
It is a long time ago and I can't set up my own equipment without help at this point. I am inexperienced, but I think I am still skilled enough to dive. A quick course to refresh would make things okay

I think maybe you should dive a LOT more before even considering becoming an instructor.

 

[zyntherius]

OP you posted this in a previous thread:


I am currently on a holiday in New Zealand and wasn't planning to dive here. I did my open water course in Koh Tao last year and I only have 5 dives to my name.
It is a long time ago and I can't set up my own equipment without help at this point. I am inexperienced, but I think I am still skilled enough to dive. A quick course to refresh would make things okay

I think maybe you should dive a LOT more before even considering becoming an instructor.

I think so too, and I would take a lot more time if I had any.
But by the end of november my backpacker lifestyle in New Zealand will be over.
I'll work for 2 months in Europe and the kick off a new travel chapter elsewhere in the world.
I wish it was free, but I have to find ways to support myself along the road

There are a few options for me to make money:

1) Stop travelling, stay in boring Belgium and have a stressful career in a depressed society (--> this prospect gives me nightmares)

2) Use my masters degree to work abroad. It's hard to find out what the exact options are, but I've been advised to try teaching in Thailand for a while. This is currently my preference. Not because I like teaching in foreign countries, but because I enjoy travelling and this is a way to do it while getting paid. Wages in Bangkok are fine, but they suck in other areas of Thailand. I don't know what to expect in other countries around the world.

3) play poker on the internet. I am a profitable online poker player and thought about doing it for a living a few years ago. But I felt so disgusted about people stigmatizing poker players as problematic degenerate gamblers that I took a long break from it. I don't enjoy spending a lot of time on internet, which is why I'd only do it part time if I give it a chance in the future

4) scuba diving.. but based on the cost of this and the time it would take, it's not a logical decision at this point

If anyone has different suggestions, please let me know about em.
It is all for the sake of travelling and not being involved in boring societies with people that work their ass off and don't explore what is out there in this world

If only I were a millionaire..

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think so too, and I would take a lot more time if I had any.
But by the end of november my backpacker lifestyle in New Zealand will be over.
I'll work for 2 months in Europe and the kick off a new travel chapter elsewhere in the world.
I wish it was free, but I have to find ways to support myself along the road

There are a few options for me to make money:

1) Stop travelling, stay in boring Belgium and have a stressful career in a depressed society (--> this prospect gives me nightmares)

2) Use my masters degree to work abroad. I find it hard to find out what the exact options are, but I've been advised to try teaching in Thailand for a while. This is currently my preference. Not because I like teaching in foreign countries, but because I enjoy travelling and this is a way to do it while getting paid. Wages in Bangkok are fine, but they suck in other areas of Thailand. I don't know what to expect in other countries around the world.

3) play poker on the internet. I am a profitable online poker player and thought about doing it for a living a few years ago. But I felt so disgusted about people stigmatizing poker players as problematic degenerate gamblers that I took a long break from it. I don't enjoy spending a lot of time on internet, which is why I'd only do it part time if I give it a chance in the future

4) scuba diving.. but based on the cost of this and the time it would take, it's not a logical decision at this point

If anyone has different suggestions, please let me know about em.
It is all for the sake of travelling and not being involved in boring societies with people that work their ass off and don't explore what is out there in this world

If only I were a millionaire..

Options 2, 3 and 4 seem equally crazy to me, and come to think of it, you have to be crazy to survive in a country that's cold and dark most of the year, so maybe option 1 is not much less crazy. You sound like a bit of a risk taker and the kind of person who can live fine off a small income and would not do well being tied down to the kind of traditional jobs that many of us have. It doesn't sound like "logic" is a top priority in your decisions. Some of us are just not slaves to logic. You may very well enjoy the life of a dive instructor. Do a little more diving to see if it's something you love. You would have to really love it. If you find you do, then give it a go. While few of us on SB believe the "zero to hero" path is wise (for either the instructor or the instructor's future students), you certainly would not be the only one who has done it.

 

[zyntherius]

Options 2, 3 and 4 seem equally crazy to me, and come to think of it, you have to be crazy to survive in a country that's cold and dark most of the year, so maybe option 1 is not much less crazy. You sound like a bit of a risk taker and the kind of person who can live fine off a small income and would not do well being tied down to the kind of traditional jobs that many of us have. It doesn't sound like "logic" is a top priority in your decisions. Some of us are just not slaves to logic. You may very well enjoy the life of a dive instructor. Do a little more diving to see if it's something you love. You would have to really love it. If you find you do, then give it a go. While few of us on SB believe the "zero to hero" path is wise (for either the instructor or the instructor's future students), you certainly would not be the only one who has done it.

What do you think about this combo:

Teach in Bangkok, where school teachers have a huge amount of holidays each year (paid). On holiday, I take the catamaran to the islands in the Thai gulf (Phi Phi, Pha Ngan, Samui, Koh Tao..) and get some dives in on each of them. I'd do this for a year or so, and then I'll have a better idea about diving. Meanwhile I support my funds working in BKK

Playing poker is stressful and very antisocial, but I'd like to use it as a top up for my salary when I'm not busy

Indeed, I can live off a small salary. Starting a career in Europe like all the society - slaves seems logical but would make me very unhappy.
I see all these facebook images popping up, of people signing contracts for a career that lasts a decade, and celebrating the birth of their baby.
To me it just means that they are imprisoned in the comfort zone and their life is over.

I want to scuba dive, skydive, swim with whales, meet women from all over the world, heck.. become a belly dancer in India.
All I need is a job to sustain the lifestyle

 

[ScubaDoo83]

You're a damn interesting chap zyntherius, it's like you read some of the material I've written in my head. Almost verbatim.

 

[EastEndDiver]

I want to scuba dive, skydive, swim with whales, meet women from all over the world, heck.. become a belly dancer in India.
All I need is a job to sustain the lifestyle

I think we just met Walter Mitty .

 

[eelnoraa]

They gave me an extensive reply by email, stating that from open water diver to instructor would take aprox. 2 months of intensive training.

This kind of instructors endanger their student's life.

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree with all the posts regarding a decision for you (or anyone) on trying to make a decent living as a scuba instructor. I know some have, but I've heard it's not the norm. At our shop we have about 16 instructors and I believe they all have day jobs. I usually point out that you have to enjoy teaching to get into the scuba DM or instructor life. But I assume you know that as I assume you have a teaching cert. and know how stressfull a full time teaching job can be. Some think going to Timbukto (well, not there, no water) as a scuba instructor means some sort of great exotic life and a way to escape humdrummness (if that's a word).

Poker is not easy either. My wife is great at Texas Holdem and usually comes out a winner. She has had offers to back her if she entered a big tournament. But everybody and their brother plays on the internet nowadays (unlike even 10 years ago) and most are young, smart, and have the stamina to sit at tables and THINK for hours every day. There's always a new million dollar winner.

If it were me, I'd use the Masters, get into that teaching job (IF you really want to teach, but that's the same reasoning for scuba instructor), make a solid living for years. Dive when you can, invest your money, retire early, then consider scuba instructor, etc. Though I only wanted to be a DM, that's what I did, anyway.
There aren't any short cuts, unless you're born rich. Almost anything you get paid for is a job that will at least have some hard work and boredom--no matter how much you love it. Even the job of NBA player, and that would've been my life choice.

 

[EastEndDiver]

You probably put a lot of effort into getting your Masters degree why not use that and get a job in your field of expertise to start?

Once you have an established income you can make an informed decision on which way to go from there if the job sucks and you can't take it any longer you can always quit and move on or possibly the job will allow you travel and dive a few times a year to warm destinations.You can always dive "at home" you might need a dry suit but it might be more interesting than you ever imagined.

 

[Lorenzoid]

What do you think about this combo:

Teach in Bangkok, where school teachers have a huge amount of holidays each year (paid). On holiday, I take the catamaran to the islands in the Thai gulf (Phi Phi, Pha Ngan, Samui, Koh Tao..) and get some dives in on each of them. I'd do this for a year or so, and then I'll have a better idea about diving. Meanwhile I support my funds working in BKK

Playing poker is stressful and very antisocial, but I'd like to use it as a top up for my salary when I'm not busy

Indeed, I can live off a small salary. Starting a career in Europe like all the society - slaves seems logical but would make me very unhappy.
I see all these facebook images popping up, of people signing contracts for a career that lasts a decade, and celebrating the birth of their baby.
To me it just means that they are imprisoned in the comfort zone and their life is over.

I want to scuba dive, skydive, swim with whales, meet women from all over the world, heck.. become a belly dancer in India.
All I need is a job to sustain the lifestyle

I happened to mention your post to my wife (Belgian!) last night, and what you suggest here is exactly what she suggested (based on the little we know about you). Yes, teach in Bangkok for a while if you can do that. Not everyone has that option available to them. Good diving on the weekends! See how you like diving.

Don't let the dive op persuade you to do all of your training in two months. Take it slowly, dive a LOT on the weekends while you are working in Bangkok. Then, IF you decide to leave your job and devote all your attention to become a dive instructor, take it slow again.