A career in Diving???

Hi!
I am padi AOW qualified since last Dec'. I have just finished uni and have (wild?) dreams of making my diving passion into a career... Has anyone got any advice/done this and recommends it? I'm working full time in London right now to save up some £££ and its made me realise even more that i need to be in the diving industry.. lets just say me and the 'rat race' do not mesh well!!! Also i want to get into a local diving society.. to keep me going while i build up my finances.. any suggestions??
Cheers all...
Vic xx

Well congrats on the AOW.....i've been looking around at different careers, I saw that you were a bio major. Did you think about going for the Ph.D and doing research that would involve diving or incorporating your biology interests on organisms which would in some aspect require diving??



cheers,


:spider:

Diving seems to be one of those pursuits that everyone wants to do, nobody wants to pay you to do it, making a living is like making a living as a musician; seems like the only people making money in diving are the dive shops (some) and retail Z

Victoria,

I know just how you feel. I dove for the first time last year and fell in love immediatley.
I just got back from Hawaii again, and finished my Open Water, AOW, and Rescue Diver while I was there. I'm definitley planning to continue my diving certs all the way through instructor, but the competition seems pretty fierce... and the pay.. well the pay isnt what I'm in it for anyways.

I almost forgot....

I was searching Carreerbuilder.com yesterday and just to see what would pop up, I did a search for 'divers'.

Right now there is a company in New Jersey looking to hire PADI certified divers to construct and tear down, temporary dams all over the country. They are paying up to 45k per year.

I cant vouche for what kind of diving it would be... but thought I would through that in just the same.

Christopher

venaraoh... i think we are totally on the same wave length.. although by a career i mean actually being a diving instructor/course director (eventually)... although the commercial side is tempting for the $$$ side of things i am actually a passionate teacher... i want to be in a profession where i teach people... that to me is satisfaction enough without the massive pay packet (take a look at my 'quote')... i dont think i have a romanticised view either.. for me its about passing on knowledge and watching paole learn from my efforts.. and my classroom being underwater is a bonus!!!
We should keep in touch re: our progression in diving.. as they always say, its not what you know but who u know!!!
keep smilin,
Vic

I had never dived before last year when fate saw to it that I was sent to Saudi, OK I speak Arabic and need to pay off student loans etc, but this is a 'difficult' country to live in, especially when one has left all one's friends and lifestyle behind in London.

Diving proved to be the one and only escape in this regards. I have in 6 months notched up my AOW and about 110 dives in the Red Sea. Saudi has many disadvantages, many more in fact than the benefits, but the diving here is possibly without equal. There is little competition in the way of 'western' operated dive shops and much of the diving is undertaken on sites that have NEVER been dived - that in one of the best places in the world.

Suffice to say that I believe there are opporunities here like no other place on the planet. One needs connections with the right people and the drive to seize the baton and run with it, but I am considering chucking in my job and throwing myself into instruction and marine conservation here, starting up a dive company with strict ecological and marine conservation standards, set the benchmark rather than following it.

This country is currently chucking almost 1/2 millions gallons per day of untreated sewage into the sea 'cos the local companies are fighting over who controls the contract award, this sucks. The sea life to the south of Jeddah is slowly being killed by human effluence, yet there are funds aplenty and I have dreams of unique conservation. God willing as they say.

Anyway before I got off on waxing lyrical, the point was and is that there are unique opportunities here and though the lack of a partner or much of a social life is difficult, as is life generally, the opportunity to teach and potentially change a society's views is a challenge that I am sorely tempted by.

I for one would rather die poor with a wealth of experiences than die wealthy with poor experiences.

Peace, love, follow your dreams and Good Luck!

Hey.. thanks for the enthusiasm.. i too 'fell' into diving last year... very much a fate thing... I was in sharm last december doing my OW and AOW... Would like to try Dahab... and anywhere else for that matter... I am applying for an internship out in the UAE as we speak...
So you have graduated in the last year? Arabic is a pretty amazing language to have, and i think ur profile says French as well? I envy you immensly!
a challenge doesnt throw me, and the very fact that Saudi doesnt have a booming industry in Diving is even more reason to perhaps venture out there. I got my degree in Biology, and was hiping to incorporate that into my diving, as well as taking up underwater photography/film.... so i have big ideas....
How did you end up out there?

Ha, ha - if you're coming out to the ME we may have to start sending each other PMs!

I am doing a 'rat race' type job, being paid poorly for it but with much responsibility and meeting very interesting people, I'm establishing a company out here which is not easy, but a challenge I suppose. Would that I had graduated last year, '96 more like!

So what are you planning to do in the UAE, internship in what company / university, which Emirate, I may be able to assist as I have some business in the Emirates. Diving in the Gulf is pretty boring I am told though there is good diving to be had round Oman and pearl diving in Bahrain. Oman is all big game diving (should we non hunters call it game?) and the famous turtle beaches.

If you wanted to head out this way you'd need to have a reason, a local sponsor, one can only come here for work though there are rumours they may soon reissue dive visas.

I am an eternal optimist hence believe I can change the world with a bit of luck and much perseverance, this is the one place where optimism and perseverance may not be enough, but the obverse is also true - we shall see, I just need to finish my proposal for the govt!

You should go back to uni and get an MA in marine biology, you must be half way there already!?

I'm also interested in a diving career. After doing some research I think Pro Dive in Ft Lauderdale, Florida looks the most promising. They have a resort Operations specialist certification. According to them most students get job offers while they're still attending the course. They have job placement and have placed graduates in jobs in Fla, the carribean, Hawaii, the Bahamas, cruise ships, liveaboards and other locations worldwide. I've read articles from famous dive magazines writen by graduates from the school praising it.