BeachJunkie
Contributor
This is a question that has been bothering me since I started reading this forum. Every time someone gets on and asks about going to the instructor level or becomming a dive pro as being their dream job, 90% of the people tell them its not possible or that they should only do it as a hobby for the love of teaching and diving. So I ask myself, how can this be? There are obviously thousands of people throughout the world making a living as dive instructors/dm's. Why shoot the idea down? Yes, I understand that often times the comments are geared toward mentioning the low pay but usually are followed by "don't do it as a career or for a living". Yes, there probably isn't a 401k or great health benefits. You won't be able to buy that ferrari that you wanted. But if you live in a great dive destination and get to do something you love, that, to me, is better than having the big house in suburbia with the BMW and a fat paycheck.
So, chime in. Let me know why you think that being a dive pro should be more of a hobby than an actual career. What do you base these statements on? And then alternately, post up what would be the ideal candidate for making a career as a dive instructor/dm/guide/captain whatever the case may be.
For those on the board that are instructors or dm's and make a living doing so, post up the path that you took and how you got there. Your likes and dislikes and suggestions for those that may want to give it a shot. I just think that it would be refreshing to see a thread about "how to become a succesfull dive pro" as opposed to the typical "don't even bother you'll be broke" style threads I keep reading.
So, chime in. Let me know why you think that being a dive pro should be more of a hobby than an actual career. What do you base these statements on? And then alternately, post up what would be the ideal candidate for making a career as a dive instructor/dm/guide/captain whatever the case may be.
For those on the board that are instructors or dm's and make a living doing so, post up the path that you took and how you got there. Your likes and dislikes and suggestions for those that may want to give it a shot. I just think that it would be refreshing to see a thread about "how to become a succesfull dive pro" as opposed to the typical "don't even bother you'll be broke" style threads I keep reading.