I'm posting here because I can't (yet) post in the go pro forum... if this is the wrong place, mods, please feel free to move it. Also if this is redundant, please feel free to point me to threads--my searches haven't been successful so far.
The title more or less says it all. I have made several comments on this forum that I don't have much interest in going pro. Some recent discussions have me thinking maybe I should consider it in a few years for various reasons not the least of which is the fact that I truly enjoy teaching people new things. I have done so with kayaking, climbing, surfing, camping, driving, and any number of other activities so it seems logical that, once I have enough experience at this, that would be the path I might end up taking. All that said, I've never required any "formal certification" process to teach any of the other things I've taught, which is part of what makes me hesitate when it comes to SCUBA training.
I know some folks pursue DM for the sake of bettering their diving skills, but I see that as the reverse of what should happen. This isn't about making me a better diver, though I'm sure that I would gain at least some new/better skill for having pursued this line.
So my question to the pros, is what prompted you to become a pro? Did you see a gap that needed filling? Did it just sort of happen as you progressed and saw things you thought needed to be addressed? Did your agency/shop/whatever motivate you along the path? Did someone specifically ask you to teach them?
The title more or less says it all. I have made several comments on this forum that I don't have much interest in going pro. Some recent discussions have me thinking maybe I should consider it in a few years for various reasons not the least of which is the fact that I truly enjoy teaching people new things. I have done so with kayaking, climbing, surfing, camping, driving, and any number of other activities so it seems logical that, once I have enough experience at this, that would be the path I might end up taking. All that said, I've never required any "formal certification" process to teach any of the other things I've taught, which is part of what makes me hesitate when it comes to SCUBA training.
I know some folks pursue DM for the sake of bettering their diving skills, but I see that as the reverse of what should happen. This isn't about making me a better diver, though I'm sure that I would gain at least some new/better skill for having pursued this line.
So my question to the pros, is what prompted you to become a pro? Did you see a gap that needed filling? Did it just sort of happen as you progressed and saw things you thought needed to be addressed? Did your agency/shop/whatever motivate you along the path? Did someone specifically ask you to teach them?