Considering a move to Marathon, Seeking Advice

[Kyle89]

I've always wanted to learn to Scuba, however never had the opportunity...until recently. The other day I stumbled across an ad from a dive charter in Marathon, FL seeking divemasters, and willing to train inexperienced divers.I had to give the Captain a call. At the end of the training I'd be guaranteed a part-time job with the company, doing a couple dives a day at 3 hours per dive. I would have to pay for the training of course, but as long as I stick with it they are willing to work with me on the payments. I was also told they would help me to find a part time job to get me through training as well as a place to live at around 650-850 per month. This is alright as if I can do 2 dives per day for 5 days a week it would well cover the rent, utilities and some play money. My fiancee will be coming along as well and will have a job too so I think we're good on that front.

The thing is, I live in Ohio currently. Born here, moved to Florida when I was 4, grew up in the Sunshine State and then moved back here at 16 to spend some time with family. I am now 26 and yearning to get back in the water. I love sea life and I have always loved snorkeling, but also always wanted to take it to the next level.

I am hoping to find someone that has made a similar move, or is currently living on Marathon that can tell me a little bit about their own experiences, and what it is like living on Marathon. Is cost of living higher there? I know rent is steep..

Basically I'm making a pros and cons list before we pack our bags.
I keep telling myself, would I rather go and see what its all about, or pass it up and wonder/regret the decision for the rest of my life...

 

[sheeper]

the zero to hero training is bad for the industry and bad for you.

Go learn to dive. then go diving. then learn some more. then go diving.
then learn some more. then go diving.
THEN go for that divemaster class.
i will only teach DM for divers with significant experience (minimum of 100 dives) and they have to have completed Advanced, several specialities, rescue, and nitrox.

 

[Centexbear]

Hey Kyle! I'm jealous of you and your age. Man, chase that dream but be very patient and pick the right company and place to live. Don't pull the trigger too quickly, do your homework.

3 hours per dive? Nope.

What captain or dive company is it? People here will know and be able to offer better advice. There are several options in that area, some good, some bad.

But at your age, man I say GO FOR IT (under the right circumstances) and follow that dream. You have your whole life in front of you. I'm a big advocate of pursuing your dreams and adventure.

Once you're old and fat, you can't go back and have a redo. Don't be an old guy reminiscing of your younger days and saying "I wish I would've done this or that".

 

[drrich2]

I would imagine that region would crank out a large number of dive masters & instructors. I also believe you'll find many of what you think are 'dive masters' on boats are actually instructors by training/credentials.

At the end of the training I'd be guaranteed a part-time job with the company, doing a couple dives a day at 3 hours per dive.

If, in that environment, they'd guarantee a job to an out-of-stater without having even seen how you perform 1st, I'd think that wouldn't be a job many people would want to hold long. Or high-paying, even for part-time.

You've got a fiancee. You guys looking to buy a house, have kids, any of that in the next few years? If so, I don't think Dive Master is going to get you there. If you just want to do some training that's one thing, but it sounds like you will need work, too. Got a feeling that part time job won't be it.

Richard.

 

[Kyle89]

the zero to hero training is bad for the industry and bad for you.

Go learn to dive. then go diving. then learn some more. then go diving.
then learn some more. then go diving.
THEN go for that divemaster class.
i will only teach DM for divers with significant experience (minimum of 100 dives) and they have to have completed Advanced, several specialities, rescue, and nitrox.

While I see where you're coming from, I am willing to learn everything required to be considered a skilled diver. I'm a fast learner, but recognize that it takes years of experience to be a true Dive Master. I am merely looking at this as a huge opportunity to get my foot in the door. I may not have experience currently, but it has always been a burning desire of mine to learn.

Hey Kyle! I'm jealous of you and your age. Man, chase that dream but be very patient and pick the right company and place to live. Don't pull the trigger too quickly, do your homework.

3 hours per dive? Nope.

What captain or dive company is it? People here will know and be able to offer better advice. There are several options in that area, some good, some bad.

But at your age, man I say GO FOR IT (under the right circumstances) and follow that dream. You have your whole life in front of you. I'm a big advocate of pursuing your dreams and adventure.

Once you're old and fat, you can't go back and have a redo. Don't be an old guy reminiscing of your younger days and saying "I wish I would've done this or that".

At this point until I have more information I'd rather not name names, for the sake of not stepping on any toes. However I would very much appreciate your views on the good and bad options

They pay $50 per dive top and share tips. At 3 hours per dive this is around $16 per hour plus tips. Doing 2 dives per day is a decent living even after taxes, especially compared to the $9 per hour I currently make at my boring desk job building websites for lawn companies and chiropractors...

Also I'm not limited to just working for them. Especially once I complete the certification, would not a whole new realm of opportunities open up to me? Or is there less of a demand for professional divers than I've been lead to believe?

I would imagine that region would crank out a large number of dive masters & instructors. I also believe you'll find many of what you think are 'dive masters' on boats are actually instructors by training/credentials.

If, in that environment, they'd guarantee a job to an out-of-stater without having even seen how you perform 1st, I'd think that wouldn't be a job many people would want to hold long. Or high-paying, even for part-time.

You've got a fiancee. You guys looking to buy a house, have kids, any of that in the next few years? If so, I don't think Dive Master is going to get you there. If you just want to do some training that's one thing, but it sounds like you will need work, too. Got a feeling that part time job won't be it.

Richard.

It does seem like a small time operation. I can see the benefits and the downfalls of working for them. The Captain is also a US Coast Guard Captain, and served in the National Guard as a tank driver, and has been running the dive charter for 9 years, so I feel like I'd be in good hands when it comes to learning the industry. I don't think hes going to let me go through the whole course if he thinks I can't handle it.

I'm 26 years old, 5'11", 155lbs, and exercise regularly. I'm not in amazing shape but I am probably in the best shape I've ever been...if there was ever a time I could handle something like this its now.

Chelsea, My Fiancee, has known about my desire to pursue a scuba career for a while now. As a matter of fact she is the one that pointed me towards the ad. She has read many a story of people selling everything to move to a new place, leaving their $90k jobs in Manhattan to serve ice cream for $10 per hour. She wouldn't be leaving $90k per year, but she does have a decent job at the moment...although she has expressed that she isn't all that fond of the "normal life" as defined by society. Working part time to pay the bills and have some play money (even though it doesn't cost much to go to the beach!), spending more time enjoying life rather than working til you're 65 (when you don't even know if you'll last that long) to finally enjoy life seems great to us both. She will either love it or hate it, I don't think there will be an in-between..however I am optimistic.

My biggest fear with this is regretting passing up the opportunity. We've already planned on moving to the Lakeland or Bradenton area within the year, so this isn't a huge deviation from our planned path...other than moving sooner, and farther south. I had the chance to be an exchange student in Australia in 6th and again in 8th grade, but passed it up because I was simply scared to live with a family I didn't know for three months. Here I am, getting closer to 30 every day, and have not had a single adventure in my adult life. Chelsea is also 26 and in the same boat.

Currently weighing pros and cons of this move, and greatly appreciate everyone's input.

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

The thing about adventures and life decisions is - you won't know how it goes until you have done it... Good or Bad as long as you own the decision it will be fine.

 

[sportxlh]

Kyle: I admire your enthusiasm. But maybe you should give some thought to getting your basic certification in Ohio to see if you really like diving before you make a life changing move. If you get certified in Ohio and then try some diving locally and/or take a vacation or two to Florida to see if you really love diving, that would only add 6 months to your game plan. There are a lot of scuba clubs in OH.

I'm a little concerned that you might be jumping into something you don't fully understand: both the diving part and the living in the Keys part. I say this in that you noted you were going to move to Brandenton or Lakeland anyway: neither one of those locations is anything like the Keys. You also noted that it is free to go to the beach: there are precious few beaches in the Keys. The Keys are essentially coral islands. A few spots have beaches (Bahia Honda which is 7 miles north of Marathon has a decent beach but you have to pay to get in) and the beaches are not anything like most people from land-locked areas like OH envision. One of my friends from Columbus planned his honeymoon to Key West and after a couple days he and his bride cancelled the hotel and drove up to Miami and then the Clearwater area to have 'real beaches'.

Whatever you decide to do, I really hope you enjoy it and find it rewarding. You're correct in the implication that the older you get, the more difficult it becomes to move in a radically different life-direction. Fortunately, my job brought me to Florida (same company for over two decades): I had grown up in FL and California, but lived many many years in the mid-west with all those brutal terrible winters (OH, MI, IL). Aside from friends and Notre Dame football, I really don't miss much about the midwest (well, except the motorcycling is way better up there; especially in the southern parts of OH, IN, IL, etc). It's been awesome getting back into diving since moving here.

Best of luck to you and let us know what you decide to do!

 

[opie712]

I was in the same boat as you minus the training part. Had the opportunity a few years back with my fiancee, both of us wanted it for the adventure. Our mind set was if it doesn't work out we can always come back and continue what we were doing. Before it was final she became pregnant (don't know how that happened lol) but couldn't see the move after that point financially.

My understanding was lots of work cheap pay and high cost of living didnt add up with the addition of a baby so we backed out. Life if about risk you get no where without taking them, ill be the one that always sets backa and says man I wish I would have done that.
My advise to you grab the opportunity and go if it don't work out you can go back to your old lifes but I would persure this for sure.

 

[makologic]

I'm pretty inexperienced in the realm of scuba, but fairly experienced in life.

So my $.02? You are young. Doesn't sound like you have a great love for the $9/hour career you have going in OH. So move. Life is too short to wish you were somewhere else. You will wake up one day, realize you are 50 and miserable. If you don't have a lot of baggage yet and can afford to do it, do it while you can. There are always ways to make it. You might have to sacrifice. Honestly, making a living as a DM with no experience is sketchy, but so what. You can fill in with other stuff. Maybe you can freelance your web skills, and become more of a software developer (that's what I do for a living). Maybe you can join the Coast Guard Reserve or something like that so you can be on the water, make money and get some skills. Marathon will be expensive, I'm sure. And it's isolated. But if that's where your heart is, go for it. Make smart decisions and work on a back-up plan in case the DM thing isn't what you think it is. There are lots of people that try something like this and don't make it financially, but a great percentage of them aren't willing to work their a$$ off, stay out of trouble, and make wise decisions.

 

[Damselfish]

Just remember what they say about things that sound too good to be true...