Instructor - Why ?

[mccabejc]

Got a question for those instructors out there:

Why did you become an instructor? I assume most of you did it for the love of teaching. But why else? I just finished my Master/Rescue, and I'm kinda toying with the idea of spending the next year just doing a lot of diving, and then maybe the year after, when I have around 200+ dives, to start the Instructor class.

But aside from the challenge, and the fact that I do like to master whatever I set out to do, I'm not coming up with a lot of reasons to pursue it. Yeah, I do like teaching, and I think I'm pretty good at it. But I'm seeing a lot of negatives, like suddenly being liable and responsible for all kinds of stuff. And after working my day job all week, having to work on the weekends might get old real quick. And since it would be only on weekends, it certainly won't be my main profession in terms of income. Maybe I could make some extra money to finance dive trips, though I don't know if teaching on weekends will do that.

Or maybe it's one of those things that if you have to ask, then you're probably not the right person to do it

 

[craborn]

I just finished my Instructor IDC and IE in July. I admit I did not get to fun dive as much this year but it was worth it to me to be able to introduce students to SCUBA. Becoming an instructor is really expensive. The insurance is not cheap and you do not make a lot of money in my opinion unless you own a shop and then it is hard. I teach for a small dive shop a friend owns and the best part to me is the friends you make teaching diving. It is great family.

 

[Mitchell]

It's a ton of money to be an instructor. The amount of time that you have to put in is equal to my full time job. Nights and weekends are full and of course the extra liabilty. You might break even if you are lucky. Although it's tough to. So why become an instructor. Usually you are sitting in class saying I can do it better than that instructor that taught me. Or, I have a teaching style that will help new divers learn. Or, I just love throwing good money out the door. It's funny at your level you either know you want to be an instructor or don't want it. Keep diving as your free time will get filled up quickly. The other thing to consider is your spouse. Are they willing to come along or are they willing to let you teach at night and weekends without them. Just a few thoughts as I'm sure there are many more.

 

[Scottri]

I'm going on to instructor eventually because I love to teach people to dive and I love the social aspects of the sport. Teaching allows me to mix both. In my role as divemaster I've met some of the neatest people that I would have never encountered otherwise.

 

[scubajoh44]

I'm pursuing my OWSI and also have another full time job. I'm not seeing "working" on the weekends as "working". I'm getting to go diving, making a LITTLE money (enough to let me dive) and making new scuba friends..... It's not work. It's my hobby done cheaper.

 

[TorontoDive]

Can current instructors ballpark what "a ton of money" is? (excluding insurance)

I'm curious as to why they (the agency) would want to deter people with a high price tag to instruct.

 

[scubajoh44]

You have to pay for the IDC class (around 1000), the money to get to the IDC and stay there for about 8-10 days. Pay for the IE (450), and the insurance on top of that. I am planning on spending 3000-4000 this summer to get mine.

 

[scubajoh44]

Oh... and all the required books..... (300??? depending on what you already have)

 

[Jamiek]

An old saying...If you want to make a small fortune in the dive industry, you better start out with a large one! Teaching was fun for the first 5 years and then the fun of diving just gets old. I used to dive all the time (ow-technical and rebreather) and now my gear just sits in my closet. One thing I learned is if you want to enjoy a hobby, DO NOT do it for a living or extra $. All in all it becomes work!

Jaime
IANTD Adv EANx/Deep Air Instructor #3033, SSI AOW, PDIC Instructor #11911

 

[mars2u]

I did it for the sheer delight of seeing the big eyes from the students when they enter the pool for the first time. It's great.
Also, you can pretty much work anywhere in the world that has a body of water for diving if you ever get tired of the daily grind.
You definitely don't do it for the money....but then again, the same question could be asked to the teachers in our grade-schools and high-schools.
I've had numerous jobs that have required me to teach students and I've gotten great feedback from them. Being able to teach students something you love...well it can't get any better than that.