how much do profestional divers make?

[outback]

Another newbie question...the liability insurance spoken of I assume is scuba specific. Not to be confused with a liability umbrella policy. Typically, if there is such a thing, what would this insurance cost per year?

Current rates via PADI are

DM & Assistant Instructor $315
Instructor $588

These rates are for US based professionals or for those training US citizens outside the US - insurance rates for other countries are cheaper. This is US litigation hell at work.

It is possible to get cheaper insurance, I'm insured through my LDS for about $90, but it means that I'm tied to working only for them, which to me isn't a problem at the moment. They get cheaper rates because they're buying in bulk.The insurance looks equivalent to PADI.

 

[DivemasterWill]

Thanks. Enough to cover expenses and dive free is good enough for my plans. Full time job covers the income side. Just want to make sure I don't get DM and wind up making an already expensive pastime even more expensive.

Looks like I am probably going to do DM as an internship with a local club. Won't cost as much for the course, but won't get in-store perks because no LDS. Might have to see if I can get a break with any local charter operators for doing freelance DM work on their boats. Whole point of this pursuit is to find excuses to get wet more often, right?

The question of breakeven really has to include what value you put on your time. DMing is more than just being at the pool / checkout dives / leading a group on a dive. You're there before class, you're there during the classroom sessions, you grade the papers, then you get to load the gear up and drive to the pool / open water site / shore and jump in. A lot of weekends when I've staffed, I've gotten to the shop at 7 am, and gotten home at 4 pm. At the end of that day, I've probably made somewhere on the order of $20.00. Take gas off that at $3 or so a gallon, and there's not much money there.

The upside, you can make some coin on scuba reviews - one LDS at which I worked actually had the people doing the review pay the DM directly. Doing that, there were weekends where $500.00 was not out of the question.

At the end of the day, it all depends on how the shop you work with will compensate you. You'll likely be able to cover your insurance costs, and make a few bucks on top of it. Hopefully you'll make enough for your accountant to tell you it's ok to write off your mileage against what you make, so you can net out to zero or a minimal profit for tax purposes. But DMing is not going to make you any appreciable money. You should do it because you want to help people learn how to dive and because you love it. If those aren't your motivations, you may want to reconsider.

~Will

 

[BurBunny]

Colorado (being a non ocean state) has a shop large enough to
employ 27 instructors/dive-professionals? wow....

If I had to guess, would this be A-1 scuba?

The surprising thing is that Colorado, a land-locked state, has the highest number of certified divers, per capita, in the nation, and the third highest overall. Lots of dive shops here, and VERY competitve.

 

[almitywife]

for the first time in 7 years, hubby's tax accountant tells us he actually made money this year! damm... will have to some new gear to depreciate to get a tax break

when hubby was a DM, all he got was free fills and boat dives but only when on course - so it ended up he was working a full weekend for about $4.37 per hour in goods before you take into account wear and tear on gear, fuel, insurance etc.

hubby became an instructor, and loves it, but he cant make a living on it, well - not the living we currently live that is. but then again, he didnt become an instructor to make money either.

 

[gangrel441]

At the end of the day, it all depends on how the shop you work with will compensate you. You'll likely be able to cover your insurance costs, and make a few bucks on top of it. Hopefully you'll make enough for your accountant to tell you it's ok to write off your mileage against what you make, so you can net out to zero or a minimal profit for tax purposes. But DMing is not going to make you any appreciable money. You should do it because you want to help people learn how to dive and because you love it. If those aren't your motivations, you may want to reconsider.

~Will

And that was what I was looking for. I don't care if it makes me $0. What I am worried about is becomming a DM and having my insurance costs mean that diving with added responsibilities and more experience costs more than it does now with my MSD cert. I can live with putting in a 7 hour day without pay (for all practical purposes) diving with and helping to instruct newbies...I do that for fun now.

Just an added note for some insight: I have been teaching karate for over a decade. Never made a dime doing it, and still pay tuition to my dojo without complaint. Whether I was instructing or not, I would still be there and still paying tuition. I just wouldn't be happy if I found out when I became an instructor that my tuition rate went from $50/month to the special intrcutor rate of $80/month. See my point?

 

[RonFrank]

Related question, then...a DM working through an LDS assisting courses and teaching refreshers on the side, working a non-industry full time job: how often would one need to teach in order to break even financially with professional insurance premiums and other related costs? Then same question, except substitute "instructor" for "dm".

Edit: Got here from the hot topics menu, and just noticed this is in "Women's Views". Any particular reason?

The first question I can not answer other than to say that the Instructors I know get their insurance, CRP certs, and other requirments paid through the LDS. In general the Instructors at our LDS are fairly busy. They teach at LEAST two full weekends a month, and four to eight weeknights per month as well. This varies based on student load. That may not sound like a lot, but on top of a FT job, you bet.

Most instructors and above I KNOW make cash on the side. But I think the real perk for them is that most go on at least two big Dive Trips a year paid in full via the LDS. These trips are to places like Fiji, so big money trips for those instructors who have the seniority, and work hard.

DM's are not generally well paid in our Area. If you are a DM here, you are doing it on the way to becoming an Instructor. I'm not sure they even get paid other than free air fills, and trips to the Crater and Blue hole paid. They may get discounts on REAL dive trips, but they still pay.

I do NOT think the LDS pays their costs for being a DM, but I could be wrong about that. At our LDS, if you are not an Instructor or better, you are really not bread and butter. Often the DM's assisting on OW training are NOT DM's but DM's in training and they are not even comped for their expenses, so they are PAYING the LDS to aid in OW instruction. :11:

The two DM's in training that were assisting our OW class drove down in their own cars, and were complaining about gas and hotel prices, so I KNOW they were paying the costs.

IMO there is little point in stopping at the DM level as ANY AI, or Instructor will beat you out of any potential job every time.

 

[gangrel441]

The first question I can not answer other than to say that the Instructors I know get their insurance, CRP certs, and other requirments paid through the LDS. In general the Instructors at our LDS are fairly busy. They teach at LEAST two full weekends a month, and four to eight weeknights per month as well. This varies based on student load. That may not sound like a lot, but on top of a FT job, you bet.

Most instructors and above I KNOW make cash on the side. But I think the real perk for them is that most go on at least two big Dive Trips a year paid in full via the LDS. These trips are to places like Fiji, so big money trips for those instructors who have the seniority, and work hard.

DM's are not generally well paid in our Area. If you are a DM here, you are doing it on the way to becoming an Instructor. I'm not sure they even get paid other than free air fills, and trips to the Crater and Blue hole paid. They may get discounts on REAL dive trips, but they still pay.

I do NOT think the LDS pays their costs for being a DM, but I could be wrong about that. At our LDS, if you are not an Instructor or better, you are really not bread and butter. Often the DM's assisting on OW training are NOT DM's but DM's in training and they are not even comped for their expenses, so they are PAYING the LDS to aid in OW instruction. :11:

The two DM's in training that were assisting our OW class drove down in their own cars, and were complaining about gas and hotel prices, so I KNOW they were paying the costs.

IMO there is little point in stopping at the DM level as ANY AI, or Instructor will beat you out of any potential job every time.

Good info. Thanks Ron!

I, too, see DM as a stop on the way to becoming AI, then instructor. But since neither of those is in my immediate future, the costs of being a DM are what are crucial for me to understand now...

 

[wreckchick]

I can't speak for the landlocked, but in tourist destination, being an instructor can net you a nice pile of cash in season. There is the wrinkle of off-season, however. The good news is you can pick up another job to see you through the winter or move to another area where it is season and basically globetrot your way around. This is pretty impractical for some people, but the single and unencumbered could easily find it a great way to see the world.

Another wrinkle on the DM card, I got mine because I was already supervising divers and needed the liability insurance to feel comfortable and it's not available for the boat mate who just dives.

Rachel

P.S. I got my DM for free plus books, but that was because I was pretty much a slave to my instructor during training.

 

[gangrel441]

Rachel

P.S. I got my DM for free plus books, but that was because I was pretty much a slave to my instructor during training.

Yet another reason to become an instructor...