Hi! I want to try the scuba diving lifestyle and work at a dive center

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JonkyK

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I think it was about a year ago i took the AOW and haven't dived since. I'm 21 years old and have just recently been able to save up some money to go scuba diving again. I live in Sweden and my dream is to work at a dive center to be able to stay abroad and dive for at least a couple of months but preferably longer. The problem is I'm a bit scared to just take a flight and hope that I'll find a job after I take the rescue and divemaster cert. So my question really is, do you have any suggestions where you think it's easier to look for jobs at dive centers, where it's not that big of a hustle to get a work permit and so forth. Any advice or tips is appreciated. ​
 
I'm speaking from research only but I think you are gonna want to continue your education past DM to instructor atleast and get lots of experience diving as much as you can. I too am interested in taking some time from my career and possibly teaching diving as a fun alternative for a little bit but I have now settled with the idea of taking my time and getting lots of diving done in the meantime. My plans include relocating in order to experience diving and the culture year round, continuing my education and working my way up as I feel comfortable enough to do so and traveling to varied locations so as to hone my skills in various scenarios.

I want to teach scuba not just for the flexibility and adventure but also to keep scuba safe and to do it the right way while making it fun for people.
 
I think it was about a year ago i took the AOW and haven't dived since. I'm 21 years old and have just recently been able to save up some money to go scuba diving again. I live in Sweden and my dream is to work at a dive center to be able to stay abroad and dive for at least a couple of months but preferably longer. The problem is I'm a bit scared to just take a flight and hope that I'll find a job after I take the rescue and divemaster cert. So my question really is, do you have any suggestions where you think it's easier to look for jobs at dive centers, where it's not that big of a hustle to get a work permit and so forth. Any advice or tips is appreciated. ​

You're welcome to come to the Netherlands and work here. I can connect you to several shop owners.

You will work for free. You can sleep on the shop floor and eat the left overs that other people didn't eat during the day. For this you will be trained as a regulator technician and you can spend about 3 hours a day (after the shop closes) servicing regulators for people who actually dive. You can also maintain the website, clean toilets, do administration and deal with clients who leave obscene messages on the answering machine.

The good news is that you will be able to work off the cost of your instructor certification this way. Once you're an instructor you will be allowed to work for about 1/5th of minimum wage. You will no longer need to deal with the answering machine but you will be expected to deal with clients with unrealistic expectations, including some who will want to learn how to dive despite severe medical contradictions or those who drag their children in against their will to take lessons so they can participate in mom and dad's fantasy vacation.

After about 10 years of this you will be *very* good at managing expectations. You will become an expert in supply chain management and negotiating with the insane (manufacturers). You will be an expert regulator technician, an experienced diver and a master instructor.

THEN, and only then, we will pay you minimum wage, which is your maximum value in this market.

We also recommend that shop employees take a second job at McDonalds so they don't starve in the process. But yeah. Ultimately skinny is "in" so it's your choice.

R..
 
Leave it to a Dutchman to crush our dreams in the most hilarious way possible...
 
And then there's people like this ^ :facepalm:

Yes, there may be cases like this but this comment was soaked in pessimism. OP I wouldn't let comments like this discourage you but definitely go into this thinking it will be a challenge and probably not the always amazing adventure it may seem like. If I were you I'd keep a day job (doesn't have to be flipping burgers) while you work your way up.

The Netherlands may have this gloom outlook for employment in diving but there are many opportunities around the world.
 
Hi I just made this account today because my interest was sparked while watching some youtube videos of scuba diving and it became aware to me that i could do this as a career? I am only a sophomore in high school and while i have always had an interest in marine biology, it never really occurred to me that i could make a living scuba diving. Can anybody give me some insight as to what it's actually like? Also, how much schooling would i need? Thanks.
 
In my opinion you'd be best served continuing with the Marine Biology route. You could combine the two easily down the road. Be a field researcher and boom, you're diving. Keep diving varied places in your spare time and work your way through the rec certs. That with your biology studies and you're golden.
 
Get your instructors certificate and degree before you pack your bags.
 
I think Diver0001 said it all! In all my years of diving, I've never had any desire to become a professional. Even marine biologists earn more.
 
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