Just a wild thought about going pro overseas

[alan_lee]

Hi everyone! I'm just an exam away from being a full-fledged DM, and it's been a wonderful learning experience so far. Frankly, I've never entertained thoughts of moving on to being an instructor until another dive centre offered to sponsor my course. My day job's been getting really dreary, so I've been entertaining thought of giving it all up here (in Singapore) and moving away to work as a dive pro. I have no illusions that it's gonna be all fun and games, but I'm just wondering how much resorts/dive centres pay in the different parts of the world. In these part of the world, conditions are pretty bad for dive pros, with cut throat competition and price wars leading to razor thin margins.

Thanks for your inputs!

[katdiver]

The money's no good. It's a lifestyle choice. Work for a time at your LDS on a part time basis after your regular job. See how you get on. I love the work. Diving and instructing.:D

[gr8fuldiverNC]

the only people with money who work in the dive industry are those who had it before they started. wages can vary greatly, from abject poverty to slave wages. you can occaisionally make enough to pay rent and feed yourself, but if you get sick, say dengue or malaria, youre pretty much screwed. make sure you have enough set aside for a plane ticket out, you are unlikely to earn it. ive often wondered how some of my full time colleagues in the industry managed to get by, and after a little research, it turns out that they are mostly rich kids playing on daddys dime, or rarely people who made their own money first, then went pro. its definitely a livestyle choice, no one gets rich, or even gets by for long, so you better love it. i find this stat most telling, according to PADI less than 20 percent of instructors renew the second year. oh yeah, in case no one told you, you are highly unlikely to get a job as a divemaster, you need to be an instructor, and as far as being 'sponsored' you almost always get what you pay for.