A career as a dive instructor - realistic or idealistic?

[andydiver06]

I did my MSd in Pattaya at Mermaids this Jan and stayed at Jomtien Beach Hotel for 350 baht per day. I heard from the Interns you can get monthly room rent for 100 US. As a Instructor you might get paid from 2000 US to 500 US in Thailand depending upon where you are employed. But being a Dm or Instructor is a tough Job and big responsibility. Its something like nursing profession if you work in Thailand because the place it teaming with tourists of all kind - 70 yr to 10 year old divers. Some Places currents can be pretty strong like Khram and Hardeep
Here a story ....
Adam pierce a Instructor with Mermaids was one day diving with 4 tourist one french, two Germans and one Japanese Guy. So he starts descending down the line to 30m Hardeep Wreck in Same San. When he reaches the bottom he finds the french was not with him. My Instructor Phil and Me were hanging at 10m on the line behind the french who was trying frenzel to equalize unsuccessfully. His mask is half full with blood. Adam comes up to get him and anyway we all descend after wasting 8 minutes of our time. When he reaches the bottom the two germans have taken off to the wreck which is about 5m from the line. So we all start off. While coming back the Japanese guy is out of air and we all come to safe stop at 5m meanwhile the french guy is also out of air. Its a mess of buddy breathing as adam has given both his primary and Octo to them. Anyhow nothing bad happens and they all come out nice and slowly. After two hours SI he again back down with the group. Thats customer service.

 

[mccabe]

All the very best and good luck.

Andy

 

[rickydazla]

After two hours SI he again back down with the group. Thats customer service.

... Or a new instructor realising that every day's a school day.

 

[orangelemon]

Having done the leave the UK thing and become an Instructor in Thailand I can give a few pearls of wisdom here:

1, Go for it, you will always get negative thoughts, perspectives, ideas and worries in anything you do

2, Be prepared for a big change, the way of life here is very different (working, living, socialising)

3, Dont come out here desperate to earn money as it takes time to be established and be known and get regular work. Far better to do your Instructor Training with a view that you treat it as a long job interview with a respectable training centre and if you like the people that train you and you should do everything you can to simply hang out with them asking them about everything to do with the dive industry, if you 'fit' in you will be suprised how quickly you get recommended and asked to do courses / guiding.

4, Dont bother emailing / giving CVs and business cards to diving centres, they get literally hundreds of these every year, when we need someone we simply go to someone we know, putting your business into the hands of a 'stranger' aka new instructor is a risk.

5, Choose your IDC carefully, come out here and listen to people that are doing theirs or have done theirs recently, come out with time to do this.

6, IDC materials can be bought out here cheaper and with less luggage excess from the UK !

7, Feel free to ask me more as I feel lucky enough to be in a job I love compared with 1 year ago when I was part of the rat race in the UK.

8, Just remembered dont expect fortunes for working in diving but if you are popluar and good at what you can do you will live very very well out here (my rent is about £80 per month and good quality restaurant food is about £3 per day) I am in Phuket and prices vary slightly but not much.

9, some people here go to Egypt between May - September as there is less tourists here copared with there
Good Luck
james

 

[m and m]

Hi,
I currently work and live in Western Australia, during the week as a mechanic and weekends as a DM. I am also completing my idc and ie late may to move in to the dive industry full time and i'll tell you why.... I love diving and i love teaching, I really get a kick out of sharing that excitment of someones first dive, someones first scuba gear purchase etc, its like reliving the experience myself. Its EXCITING for them and that rubs off on me, I recon any job where you get to share in someones joy and excitment sounds all right to me.

Finances... There are many different pay systems i've encountered - currently working in perth as a DM i work my arse of as a deck hand/ cook/ guide, and get $100 AUS per day. As an instructor (in perth) you get $15 per student per modual of a PADI course (consiting of 5 moduals) So ... you take eight students through an OW course with no drop outs, thats $800 pay for 5 days work - a little better than a waitress or other meanial work. BUT say 5 students don't finish the course... only $300 pay for that week :-( . Having said this i have know instructors that run two courses simultainiously (night classes, day classes) each with 8 to 10 students and pull $2000 a week ... during the high season this can last for up to 12 weeks (in perth.) Now... if you don't mind living in a remote area (Ningaloo Reef) and diving awsome unspiolt coral reefs playing with manta rays and whale sharks (but living in a caravan, just like Into The Blue), as a instructor you earn $130 per day, every day regardless of what you do (teach, act as DM, deck hand) with low living costs it dosen't take long to get 10 k together to restablish in another idealistic dive location...

Never get rich i guess (although course directors around here can basically print $ ... very high demand,,,!!!) but live to dive and dive to live.... does it get much better?

enjoy

 

[AndyNZ]

Oh My GOD! Today is the day I leave my home in the UK... I am so twisted up with anxiety and emotions at leaving my family.

Don't worry... if your family are close, they will understand what you are doing and why it is right for you.

The first six months away will be the "honeymoon" period, the second six months you'll start thinking that you've still got the same problems and issues as you had before, so you'll probably start thinking about quitting and heading back. Everyone I know has had the same experience.... but if you get through that second six months then the world is your oyster!

Enjoy! Let us know when you get settled, ay?

 

[newdiver3]

just found this post and i love it! i just started diving, but i have been going to akumal, mexico for 12 years and i will live there eventually, hopefully soon! this post has really helped me alot because of the advice to go for it and stuff like that. i am going to start college in the fall for exercise science and from that you can work in hospitals and such and akumal is also a great diving area...so maybe that can work out too? but i plan on going for in right after college. my parents arent too thrilled about the idea and dont think i can do it but its been my dream ever since my first times in akumal. it already feels like home when im there

 

[Sirenita]

Just a quick update! I have been here in Thailand for about 3 weeks now! It has certainly been a rollercoaster journey...but I am beginning to feel like I could belong to this place...for 6 months anyway! Mermaids Dive Centre is really very good...they have 4 fairly large boats leave 2 different ports every day, so not only can you do unlimited diving, but you have a choice of team, location and skill level. There are 2 wrecks within 1 and a half hours away, and I finished my PADI wreck speciality course today, which is exciting, because I can explore future wrecks now, no problem! I have my EFR, and rescue diver course coming up in the next 2 weeks, and a multitude of other specs to look forward to.

Thai people are so friendly, and the other divers are good fun...some maybe a little crazy, but so far, everything is looking bright! Newly qualified instructors leave here to go to pre-arranged jobs worldwide every week, so I have faith I will do the same in 6 months!

 

[victor]

Sirenita
Glad to hear it's going so well.
From everything I have read you may not make a lot of money but at least you can enjoy a fantastic lifestyle.
Have fun and keep us informed for your progress.

 

[tribaltim]

Sirenita this thread is awsome keep us posted on your awsome trip....