Advice from the Pro's

[DennisS]

The govt - EPA, NOAA, Corps of Engineers has jobs that pay pretty well, offer a good career path and nice retirement benefits. The jobs are scientific or technical and have diving as collateral duty. If something occurs that keeps you off dive status, you still have your primary job.

 

[dive_lover88]

I predict: the ability to speak Chinese will be the "secret to success" for your generation. Couple that with a technical degree, and you will be a standout.

Dang...gotta brush up on my chinese(Havent touched chinese materials in 2yrs,but converse with my classmates in dialect and conversational chinese).
Yea,i agree that chinese will be essenstial in the future.

 

[ianw2]

Find a job that pays really well, doing domething that isn't SCUBA then use the money to dive where and when you want.

The people I know who dive for a living (welding, pulling bodies out of the lake, etc.) seem to have the joy sucked out of the sport for them.

Terry

Bingo!

Ask what education the folks have here who can afford to dive often and all over the world.

I have two degrees in Chemistry but am a Licensed Land Surveyor in California. I have my own private practice. Things are pretty lucrative for me.

However, if someone had talked to me about Civil Engineering while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after I figured out that I did NOT want anything to do with the career as an MD I was headed for, I would have ended up with a degree in Civil Engineering. That would have opened up a larger world of possibilities for me.
I’m happy as a Land Surveyor. I love what I do and what I specialize in. A Civil Engineering registration would have allowed me to do more, that’s all.

You do have the right idea, though! Do something you enjoy. Then, work will never seem like work.

 

[Divesherpa]

If you are a Florida resident and are good at math, check out the Ocean Engineering program at FAU. Tuition is cheap and you have great diving just a few miles north (Boynton Beach). You can get into a DM program, then work weekends and a day or two a week (diving some nice reefs). After you finish school in 3-4 years ( no hurry since you are diving often) you can either take a job that includes diving or take a job making a good living and dive when and where you want.

Cheers,
Jamie (freshly moved from Boynton Beach and finished with FAU)

 

[beejw]

I must agree with Stu. Ive lived in Hong Kong for the last 6 years before moving to melbourne, and China is booming in all sectors, especially diving. As more and more chinese, especially mainlanders are becomiong more affluent and the country is expanding as a whole, there is great demand for overseas qualified staff for managerial and executive positions in construction and engineering firms, as well as specialised work, such as UW construction and engineering checks.

 

[Capt Grumby]

Wow, thanks for all the advice! I suppose there are a couple of things I left out on my original post that MAY impact your replys.

1. I am not new to work and the "job" thing. I am 38 years old and eligible to retire from my first job (military). However, I stand by my comment of "trying to decide what to do when I grow up"!
2. It is not only myself I must consider, I have a wife and 2 children to think about. Relocation to any and all remote (albeit perfect) dive spots of the world isn't an option at this time.
3. Higher level Math and Chinese are simply NOT an option. Period! While you can teach a "not-so-new" dog new tricks, those aren't included in the manual!

I was very excited to read about Indiana University and their dive programs. They seem to have a great program that is very flexible, however, they don't have a very extensive distance learning option for it.
I have also looked into Barry University down in South Florida. Again, the same applies. Both of these may be viable once I do finally retire, but I am going to try to stay as long as they will let me (best case scenario, another 10 years!)

Again, thank you all for your replys. If there is any more info or advice that you can offer, I would be more than willing to listen and consider it.

 

[Thalassamania]

While I do not have specific figures for programs such as Barry or Indiana (I'd expect that they're higher), keep in mind that industry wide a new instructor lasts less then three years.

 

[cerich]

If you are looking for a second career in the recreational dive industry your already gained life experience is just as valuable as a undergrad degree.

Get qualified as an instructor thru Instructor Trainer/Course Director and some tech at least, get some sales skills and boat/engine skills.

Figure out what you want to do, then many of us here can guide you.

Diving is a multi disipline field.

Thalassamania and I hold very similar "recreational diving qualifications" but both of us came to them via very different routes, he's a scientist that likes diving, I'm a diver that likes selling. He started in school, I started in the military. When I left the military the choice for me if I was to stay in diving was commercial or recreational, commercial diving makes you old early (like the military...)

 

[cerich]

While I do not have specific figures for programs such as Barry or Indiana (I'd expect that they're higher), , keep that in that industry wide a new instructor lasts less then three years.

Barry has a good program, I've hired some Barry scuba program students in the past, however Barry grads have not been any better at staying in the industry.

Part of the problem is the director there just ran for the NAUI BOD wanting NAUI to get out of recreational diving and only do Acedemic (read university) programs....she has lost focus for her program.

 

[matt_unique]

Find a job that pays really well, doing domething that isn't SCUBA then use the money to dive where and when you want.

The people I know who dive for a living (welding, pulling bodies out of the lake, etc.) seem to have the joy sucked out of the sport for them.

Terry

I'm not a dive pro, but from my research this is the truth. Short of surface supplied technical diving on bridges or oil platforms or something like that the money will be low.

--Matt