Originally posted by jlpallanich
I'm looking for a career (change) that will allow lots of fun
Dive mastering is getting the coffee for the instructors, putting up with crap from clients (who are ALWAYS right, no matter how factually challenged they are), picking up litter, and taking the blame when things go wrong
Instructing is making sure you cover your ass, pressure to get people through ASAP, pressure to pass people who aren't suitable......
I'm not sure what that money is like, but I'd like to know before I actually make the switch.
Often DM's are not even paid. Some of the big diving centres get all their DM's by charging less for the DM course, and making people work for free for X months after.
A lot of instructors are payed per student certified, often it isn't a lot, and of course it is seasonal.
Also, what the perks are.
None. Some places might give you a % off the gear price if you are lucky, others free air, but heck I used to get free air anyway.
Resort DMing might come with accomodation, but not always, if it does come with accomodation, then expect to work all hours possible as you 'live on the job'
I love the sport, and hope the delight in work can make up for the drop in pay I expect to face.
It depends on where you end up DMing, but are you prepared to be the person that mops up the vomit after some-one has been sea-sick? Are you prepared for the fact you might be doing everything but diving (a lot of DM's end up surface supervising most of the time)
Instructing, you might get the odd thank you, but most of the time you receive no grattitude (emotional or financial)
Also, for those of you who are there, how tough is it to find work (remember, I am planning to leave in a minimum of 2 years)? Any thoughts, ideas, beyond what I asked?
Thanks.
Jen.
Not tough to find work at all. What is tough is finding propper work that pays properly.
Some-one else said the old scuba joke of 'how do you make a small fortune diving - start with a large one'. This is true the world over. I don't think it will change a lot. Making moey through SCUBA is limmited really to manufacturers, and importers. Some LDS's are suffering against mail order and internet sales, although there is still money to be made from running a LDS if you are good.
As for teaching, to be any use you will nead to be an instructor, with multiple specialities, proven experince selling, equipment repair skills, boat handling skills etc... . To get all this will cost you far more that you will reasonably expect to earn in the first year or so (especially if you are only OW at the moment), you will also be responsible for repair and maintenance of your own gear which cxan be expensive.
Equally, if you aren't doing it somewhere exotic, do you really want to de there in the winter when custom is slow, the weather terrible and it is cold?
Don't let anybody sell you a dream. Getting to a suitable level of experience from open water is expensive and hard work. an idea of the price is below. No matter how much experience you have as an OW diver, this isn't much help for courses like rescue. You have to learn completely new skills. Similarly, for DM, it is a whole new way of thinking about diving.
AOW £250
Rescue £250
DM £600
IDC/IE £1000 (inc all books and PADI fees)
specialities 5x £150 = £750
Full set of kit = £1500
O2 admin £100
Boathandling £200
total cost for the MINIMUM you will need = £4650 (or $7905) This includes only 5 specialties, but most places want their nistructors to have more (EANx, photo, equipment, drift, boat, night, deep, navigation, search and rescue, peak performance buoyancy, wreck, naturalist, etc.... the list is endless, and they all cost money) I think to get to DM only including all my gear etc.. I have paid well in excess of £3000 ($5100) and this doesn't include another £4-5000 that I spent getting in all the necessary dives. (I used an exchange rate of 1.7)
Just some (cynical) points to think about
Jon T