Need help - advice on job hunting in the Caribbean sea

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DiveInTheBlue

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Don't know if this is the right sub-forum for this sort of things, so if it's not the right one, would love to get a pointer in the right direction. Anyhow here is my story.

I am a 26 years old Croatian guy who started diving when I was 10 years old. My father is a diver - diving instructor from 4 organizations (technical and sport diving), my mother dives and also my cousin etc. We are a big diving family and we also got a scuba diving center in Croatia, plus a company that sells technical scuba gear. I wish to travel and work outside my own country. I head that the best payed area is the Caribbean‎ sea, I also like the fact how English language has the priority there. I wish to find a job there, start to work, see how it is and also get some new experience.

There are a lot of things that I don't know and I would really love it if some of you guys could help me out. The fist things is I really don't know where to start the job hunting. Also for the job I should need some type of Pre-Requirements like a working visa, maybe a known certificate of English language knowledge and so on? So if you can help me out here, that would already be a lot of help for me.

I myself am a CMAS 1 star Instructor, and a PADI OWD Instructor (In the upcoming 12 months I wish to do a few more Specialty courses to get my "master scuba diver trainer"), so far I only got Nitrox and Deep Diving.
I also have some categories in technical diving. I am working over 2 years as a scuba service technician and did a lot of work in this area. I got also 3 certificates as a service technician - Scubapro, Apeks and Mares. Working as a assistant in our own diving center for years and also did a few of my own groups there. I have a driving license for a boat, yet I don't know how it works outside of Croatia so I was thinking of doing some that is known worldwide and also accepted everywhere, you guys maybe know of something like that? What is a good boat license - skipper license to have?

I'm a tall guy and physically fit (190cm - 6 feet 251⁄64 inches and 93Kg - 205 pounds).
I'm very good with computers - Informatics and can talk very good in English, German, Croatian (also Bosnian, Serbian, Slovenian etc). So any advice for the start will be great for me. Anything you guys know, heard or think is good for me in my situation - just share it here.

PS. so far the most interesting location for me is the Grand Cayman island.
 
When I became a resort instructor in the Caribbean, I did it by using the PADI pro website. For PADI instructors, that is the best way to see what is available out there. They also have a way to "throw your hat in the ring" as it were, so you can put your experience and training out there for others to see.
 
When I became a resort instructor in the Caribbean, I did it by using the PADI pro website. For PADI instructors, that is the best way to see what is available out there. They also have a way to "throw your hat in the ring" as it were, so you can put your experience and training out there for others to see.
OK, good to know I will check this out, thanks. And what about the other things that I should do or have paper vies - documents and other things that I can do for now?
 
Not sure if you are looking for general advice or specific suggestions, but I suggest you take a look at Saba Blue (on Saba, of course) Its web site is SABA BLUE | and the dive operation was recently bought by Eastern Europeans, Skovakians, I think. The operation tends to cater to European customers, as opposed to Americans/Canadians as many operations in the Caribbean do.
 
There's two things I know about Grand Cayman. One is most DM's are also instructors - the demand for jobs there is high so they can get them to work as DM's reasonably. And you have to get a work permit which I believe is sponsored through the shop that plans to hire you. Also it's very expensive for everything there.

We talked to a DM once on our boat. He was an AI working towards his instructor. He lived with 3 others in a 2BR "junky" apartment and survived on happy hour free meals for his first couple of months.

The captains license you have might be useful if it's convertible to whatever the Cayman standard is. Since their governor is appointed by the British Crown, I suspect it's related to that. Otherwise I don't see how you could go wrong with a USCGS equivalent but I have no idea how that applies in the Caribbean. Plus your repair tech certifications should help, the more versatile an employee you present as the higher the likelihood someone will be willing to sponsor you. In very broad generalizations - I've met/talked to mostly U.S. or English divers while diving on Grand Cayman. They get a lot of U.S. origin cruise ships in port almost daily - sometimes 4-5 at a time.

I did find this - maybe some of it will give you more insight. You searched for grand cayman - Divers jobs - Scuba Diving Jobs and Dive Employment Online | Divers jobs – Scuba Diving Jobs and Dive Employment Online

Also this is 3 years old. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ca...-like-dive-pros-cayman-islands-right-now.html
Drew Sailbum who posted in the thread is an instructor living on Cayman. At one time - maybe still - he worked for Tortuga Divers.

I don't know if this is job related but there are a lot of European dive tourists - mostly Dutch and German - on Bonaire or Curacao also. Bonaire especially has a lot of dive operators so you might find something there.

---------- Post added September 9th, 2015 at 09:31 AM ----------

We have a forum here for job-seekers also: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/seeking-employment/
 
Most of the Caribbean islands have locals drive their boats. With that said, it's always preferable to have someone who can do anything. Who knows if you get hired as a dive instructor and end up working on the compressors, blending mix, and fixing the outboards. The more you can say you can do, the more useful you are to a shop. I find I hire pretty good divemasters/instructors who can't change oil in a compressor or change the air filters, they aren't much use to me. Even if they are the best DM on the planet.

A captain's license that works pretty much anywhere on the planet is a yachtmaster certificate. The Yachtmaster certificate-Coastal is good for vesssels less than 60 miles offshore, and it's offered by the Royal Yachting Association, and the practicals are given in many countries, and recognized in many countries also. You can hold a yachtmaster certificate in the USA as long as you work on foreign flagged vessels. NCP Croatia offers the Yachtmaster certificate in Croatia, looks like about 2,000 euros to get the license, which sounds like a lot, but is a pittance compared to what I pay to maintain my Captain's license in the USA.
 
I meet a guy on my IDC, a Croatian who worked on the Grand Cayman island for a resort and his paycheck was 2200$ per month + big tips. He told me how he put all the money on the side in the bank and lived of the tips of the people. He had a apartment with 2 Jamaican guys that the resort payed for. He told me everything good about it, and how they also asked him to drive the boat etc. The only reason he is back here is that he has 3 younger daughters and they started classes here, know the people etc., so that's why he didn't go back. Since if he goes there, he can't be with his family. For a guy like me without any wife or kids it's a good thing, and I was really surprised when he told me about the 2200$. The only bad thing is I was chit-chating with the guy so in the end I didn't get his phone number to ask him for advice and so on. My bad now, since I can't get in contact with him anymore. He was a PADI MSDT.

What are the paychecks approximately in those areas, from some minimum to a maximum? And does the paycheck get better as you are a higher category so you can offer more plus get payed better or do you just have a higher chance of getting the job? I was looking around people told me the worst payed area is the philippines like 600-800$ per month - that sounds like a joke. And also you work like a slave there, that's a fact or it depends where you get the job?
 
I agree with all that Wookie has said. Based on my personal experience, if you have a current, well paying job in the diving industry, and are happy, stay there until you get a written offer elsewhere. But, as an alternative, with your instructor and other related skills, I would suggest you target a location (area) whose economy is driven by sport diving and tourism. With you additional language skills, you may wish to take a look at the Bay Islands of Honduras. Lot of European, U.S., Canadian, Latin American and Asian tourists going there. I would suggest going to Roatan!s West End and check it out first. Also, you can find out first hand from the many foreign instructors working there, what you have to do to meet Honduran immigration requirements, which are in the process of becoming somewhat stricter. Good luck. You ain't gonna get rich!!
 
Look at how much it will cost you to live someplace, not just what they pay. The places that pay better often have a much higher cost of living, and vice versa.
 
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