go pro or not

[surfsidedav]

I've been thinking for awhile that I might enjoy helping others learn to dive. There's a local SSI shop that I really like and the owner/instructor seems interested in having another divecon around. The only glitch is that I'll have to push the shop's brands of equipment, which I understand, and end up buying all new stuff. I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and what they did and was it worth it. BTW, I'm NOT quitting my day job, this would be my side, fun job. Thoughts?
David

 

[Doc]

If the man says you have to buy the equipment that he's selling in order to train his students- move on. If he's asking you to go from tech gear (bpw) to recreational (bc), that would be quite understandable, however.

If you find another agreeable method for acquiring the equipment (pro form, borrow from rental/demo) that he wants you to model- that might be a solution.

 

[Bruciebabe]

Diveshop I know got fed up of it's instructors using their own kit and GAVE them a full set of brand X kit. Where they specialised in brand X. The instructors still mostly wore their own stuff.
For what the kit costs them (trade price) and for all the extra sales it makes sense. They only need between 3 and 5 sales of each item to get their money back unless they are running at kamikazi discounts.

 

[LSDeep]

I've been thinking for awhile that I might enjoy helping others learn to dive. There's a local SSI shop that I really like and the owner/instructor seems interested in having another divecon around. The only glitch is that I'll have to push the shop's brands of equipment, which I understand, and end up buying all new stuff. I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and what they did and was it worth it. BTW, I'm NOT quitting my day job, this would be my side, fun job. Thoughts?
David

if you do it as a side / fun "job" you poss dont get paid but free dives and air and stuff (correct me if i am wrong). in this case i would not go for buying a new set of gear (if you dont need it anyway) its a fairly substantial amount of money to spend. dont forget you will have also all your related fees / insurances to cover yourself. as an alternative offer him to use their rental gear, when youre actually working with them or to give you a set of gear and make a deal, that you will assist a certain to be set number of courses. while the request of the divecenter makes sense in a certain way, you need to consider your cost with such request and ask yourself where your part of this supposed to be win / win situation is.

 

[Divedoggie]

I'm guessing that they are pushing Oceanic...

Do you want to teach and assist in dive training, or do you want to dive soley for your own recreation and enjoyment?

If the shop is pushing you to do the course AND buy gear, I would question their motivations.

Do it for the education and the possibility of instructing, but do it for your self!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

If you're doing this for "fun", free diving opportunities or free air, IMO there is no way I'd buy new equipment in order to do it. If the dive shop wants to either give you new (probably low end) gear or let you dive with their rental gear, fine. But if you'd have to make a significant financial investment to "go pro" with them, I don't see the positive trade-offs. Isn't that what life is about, trade-offs. The benefits must at least come close to balancing out the costs. I just don't see it in this case, but maybe there are benefits, either tangible or intangible, that I don't see.

 

[SamDiver14]

Sorry, computer glitch.

 

[SamDiver14]

sorry computer glitch

 

[cerich]

I'm guessing that they are pushing Oceanic...

Do you want to teach and assist in dive training, or do you want to dive soley for your own recreation and enjoyment?

If the shop is pushing you to do the course AND buy gear, I would question their motivations.

Do it for the education and the possibility of instructing, but do it for your self!

Why are you guessing Oceanic? That seems from left field to me.....

Any shop should have the instructors wearing/using the brands they sell regardless of brand.

The OP is listed at Myrtle Beach, SC, that is my sales territory and I don't think it is Oceanic here

 

[surfsidedav]

To help clarify for a couple of the previous posts. The shop isn't pushing in any manner at all, I approached him initially. This would definitely be for fun, with the side benefits of free air, free trips while assisting, etc. I can understand that while assisting he'd like for me to wear and push his brand x of gear, avoiding the confusion of me wearing my current brand z of gear. Perhaps using rental gear is an option. He also offers to barter some of his goods for services such as running the sales floor. There's also the other tidbit of info that I forgot to mention. The Mrs. is about to finish her certification, so she's gonna need a whole set up. I could give her my comp and regs and that's over half of the cost of a new set up. Then just buy me new stuff.