dive master vs instructor?

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Perhaps I can add a little more to the clarification, at least within the PADI (biggest) organization. A divemaster is the first level of professional rating. A divemaster is thereby qualified to lead and work with certified divers. They also, with an additional divemaster credential, can teach snorkeling classes, scuba review for certified divers who haven't dove for a while, and Discover experiences, in a pool or in open water, to a limited number of students. The Discover esperiences are just that- a chance for a person to try scuba and see if they like it. Discover Scuba Diving is sometime called a "resort course, and a dive master with the Discover Scuba Diving leader credential can lead that for a limited number of people at a time. Dive masters lead certified divers on dives, and under the supervision of an instructor, works with certified divers in their continuing education. They assist with all classes, but do not "sign off" on or certify divers at any level. Divemasters also get to do other fun things: fill tanks, load tanks and rental gear on to dive boats, clean dive boats after outings, sweep the floor of the dive shop, take out the trash, set up canopies on the beach for training days, set up and retrieve training platforms- all that good stuff.
DivemasterDennis
 
Instructors can't live without a good dive master.
A good dive master can get along just fine without an instructor.

At least, that's what my DM wife keeps reminding me :)
 
Instructors can't live without a good dive master.

I managed to for the last 6 years... what's the fuss about? :idk:

I guess some instructors just get pampered too much and forget how to do any hard work :wink:

Dive Guides are the crux of the scuba industry - doing the shop errands, dealing with customers, leading certified divers in the water. In many areas, scuba instructors are employed as dive guides - as they can do all of this, plus still provide courses and tuition.

There's a great deal of competition for employment in many places - so dive operations will gravitate towards employing people who can do the largest variety of roles (for one salary)... i.e. instructors. There's enough instructors around to ensure that dive masters will struggle to get paid work.

In other areas, it is usual for instructors to receive direct support from an assistant. That'll usually be a Dive Master, or perhaps Assistant Instructor, who'll typically be working for free (or 'payment-in-kind' with free dives). They help coordinate students, do the 'humping and dumping' and generally allow the instructor to spend more focus on the practice of teaching, rather than course logistics. It's normally something that Dive Masters or Assistant Instructors do as part of an internship type development program towards becoming instructors themselves.

Dive Guide - A JOB in the scuba industry. Leading qualified divers on 'fun' dives, doing dive center logistics and skilled manual labor.

Dive Master - A QUALIFICATION in the scuba industry (also known by other names; Dive Leader, Dive Control Specialist etc)

Assistant
Instructor - A QUALIFICATION in the scuba industry (a part-qualified instructor) with limited teaching capacity, mainly used to assist working instructors.

Scuba Diving Instructor - A QUALIFICATION and JOB in the scuba industry. Instructors have different levels of qualification, such as; Open Water Instructor, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Staff Instructor, Master Instructor and Course Director.

Assistant Instructor Trainer - A QUALIFICATION (and occasional job) in the scuba industry. An instructor trainer with limited teaching capacity, mainly used to assist working instructor trainers.

Instructor Trainer- A scuba instructor who can teach and qualify other instructors.
 
So I get the difference about the job titles, but how about the difference in pay?

I know you guys said that instructors, typically can be the divemasters, but would that regularly give you anymore pay?

I understand that DMs are typically the "gophers" and low end on the totem pole kind of guys. Which I respect and enjoy. I don't mind doing these tasks, but would like to get more pay and less chores, in the long run.

Just curious if I should spend the extra cash to go from divemaster to instructor. I'm trying to look at it from the longer term point of view.

I'm guessing it is mostly situational?

Trying to plan my life out haha, not sure if I should focus on the instructor, or go into a speciality route?
 
So I get the difference about the job titles, but how about the difference in pay?
An Instructor is almost always going to get more pay than a Divemaster. Even if the Instructor is functioning as (just) a DM or mate on a boat, the Instructor gets more pay simply because a DM-only individual couldn't get the slot to begin with, so the LOW pay the Instructor receives for functioning as a DM is still more than the NO pay the DM-only receives because they can't get the slot in the first place.
I understand that DMs are typically the "gophers" and low end on the totem pole kind of guys. Which I respect and enjoy. I don't mind doing these tasks, but would like to get more pay and less chores, in the long run.
Then Instructor is the better long term path. But, don't expect 'more pay' to translate to 'good pay'. Rather, it is simply more than someone with only a DM card will usually get.
Just curious if I should spend the extra cash to go from divemaster to instructor. I'm trying to look at it from the longer term point of view.
I would say yes (go with Instructor). But, then, that is what I did so I am biased. If I am going to spend money on a DM certification, I am going to spend a bit more money on a certification that gives me broader opportunities, to do things I enjoy, and to get some measure of compensation for it. But, beware, instructing is hard work. You have more responsibility, and in many ways the work is every bit, or possibly even more, difficult than than doing 'chores', schlepping tanks, etc. (That doesn't in any way demean those tasks, or the DM's doing them. Rather, it is a reflection on the reality of teaching scuba.)
not sure if I should focus on the instructor, or go into a speciality route?
Please clarify this. I am not sure I understand the 'either or' comparison.
 
Don't you just love the "it depends" answers? It depends. It depends on your life situation and your expectations from scuba. Last year it only cost me ~ $4000 to make gross, $3500. I live 50 miles from the dive sites, so a lot of the cost is mileage. I did a little over 80 dives and have a new BCD, reg and computer in the cost. So in terms of value, I got new gear and a lot of dives for $500--in other words I teach to supplement the cost of participating in a hobby that I love. I also have a job in high tech that kind of laughs at the revenue stream of scuba instruction. So $ value isn't much of the equation, but since I typically only teach on weekends, I will make more $ per weekend than my divemasters.

One of my divemasters lives about 100 yds from a dive shop & dive site. He works swing shift at a local hotel. Guess who the dive shop calls when there is a customer who wants a guide midweek? At $100 average per tour + tips and about twice a week, he makes more than double what I gross.

Either can be advantageous. You have to do the homework and apply the realities of your life to the mix.

Where do I think being an instructor is mandatory? If you plan to move to a dive destination with the intent of supplementing your income with scuba. You have to have something to set yourself apart. Being an instructor will be a minimum (heck, you can be 18 years old with a 100 dives & meet that requirement), it's what else you bring to the table that will make a difference. Boat captain? Diesel mechanic? Web developer? Masters in marine biology? EMT? Multilingual? Married to the dive shop owner's son/daughter? I have met a combination of all of those as crew members on boats.

Best of luck on your future endeavors.
 
So I get the difference about the job titles, but how about the difference in pay?

I know you guys said that instructors, typically can be the divemasters, but would that regularly give you anymore pay?

I understand that DMs are typically the "gophers" and low end on the totem pole kind of guys. Which I respect and enjoy. I don't mind doing these tasks, but would like to get more pay and less chores, in the long run.

Just curious if I should spend the extra cash to go from divemaster to instructor. I'm trying to look at it from the longer term point of view.

I'm guessing it is mostly situational?

Trying to plan my life out haha, not sure if I should focus on the instructor, or go into a speciality route?
In places like Malaysia, alot of Instructor will work like DM and being paid like a DM at Dive Resorts.

However, most of the time, there will be some people on holiday at the beach that can't resist seeing what's under the water and would like to wear those cool scuba gadgets. And u will have more income teaching and certifying new students. This happens alot.

And I've know an instructor that can really talk people into the the water. He'll spend his time talking to customers in the resort and tell them stories and make them take the course.

But if you're just a DM, u can only see the money fly no matter how well you dive.

That's the reason why most dive resort in my place will hire an isntructor compared to a DM.

It's in Malaysia. I don't know about other places.
 
Best part of SB is how ancient threads suddenly pop back to life and new posts rescuscitate it like it never ever died.
 
An Instructor is almost always going to get more pay than a Divemaster. Even if the Instructor is functioning as (just) a DM or mate on a boat, the Instructor gets more pay simply because a DM-only individual couldn't get the slot to begin with, so the LOW pay the Instructor receives for functioning as a DM is still more than the NO pay the DM-only receives because they can't get the slot in the first place.Then Instructor is the better long term path. But, don't expect 'more pay' to translate to 'good pay'. Rather, it is simply more than someone with only a DM card will usually get.I would say yes (go with Instructor). But, then, that is what I did so I am biased. If I am going to spend money on a DM certification, I am going to spend a bit more money on a certification that gives me broader opportunities, to do things I enjoy, and to get some measure of compensation for it. But, beware, instructing is hard work. You have more responsibility, and in many ways the work is every bit, or possibly even more, difficult than than doing 'chores', schlepping tanks, etc. (That doesn't in any way demean those tasks, or the DM's doing them. Rather, it is a reflection on the reality of teaching scuba.) Please clarify this. I am not sure I understand the 'either or' comparison.


Thank you for all the info and insight. I greatly appreciate it.

As for the part you didn't understand. I was eluding to the fact, that instead of being an open water instructor (with high overturn rate and better job security) would it be worth while to focus, in say a specialty field. Such as an advance diving course, like wreck, night, or photography dives.

I guess it depends on how lucrative the class is to have a steady cliental.

But do people do that? Avoid teaching the newbies in Open Water, and focusing on the aspects of diving that they personally love, with the ability to make a reasonable penny? It would be awesome to teach a photography class and make a living, but I have a feeling I'm not the first person who has wanted to do that.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
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