are there jobs for freshly qualified Divemasters?

[Jim Lapenta]

DM's are pretty much useless to resorts as they cannot teach. Most DM's at resorts and on boats are full instructors. You might be able to make living as a DM IF you have a 100 ton masters license, are a diesel mechanic, a compressor technician, and/or do not need decent food and roof over your head. If you are considering going to one of the puppy mills think about what it is you are doing.

You are going to pay them for the priviledge of working long hours, doing all the stuff no one else wants to do, maybe work in their shop and sell gear for which you will receive no comission, and then they will not guarantee that they will hire you. Look up indentured servitude for more info. If you are that good and they want you that bad why are you paying them for training?

If DM's are that much in demand why are resorts not giving them some kind of scholarship deal. Make the grade you get hired on or placed. The DM's job is to assist the instructor. Right now these courses are not much more than a way to get your money. Do your DM at home, get a hundred or so dives in as many conditions as you can, learn a second language, and then go for instructor. And pick up diesel mechanic course while you're at it.

 

[b-man]

thanks for the realistic info. I guess I was kind of worried this may be the case (hence asking the question!). However it isnt really that surprising. If some kid with a few months experience studied his microsoft exams and then tried to get a job, they too would find it nigh on impossible in the IT industry.

I like the idea of engine mechanics and maintainence though. Is there an industry standard for this that I should seek or is it a case of finding someone locally who can do it and trying to become their apprentice on your days off (days off?! I hear the laughter starting already!)

I guess I may have to find some other way of making enough to feed myself whilst building dives as a DM.

then there is the catch 22 of becoming an instructor. I would make a great teacher, as my job in IT is continually training people on the job and I really enjoy that very personal aspect of teaching, but I am reluctant to spend the money if I will still be unemployable due to my inexperience. I may be better off saving the money and being able to feed myself longer as a DM intern....

damn, I think I'm gonna need to reconsider that bank job.

 

[GoProHonduras]

"I guess I may have to find some other way of making enough to feed myself whilst building dives as a DM."

You might find some resorts/centers value IT/network/web publishing/internet marketing skills in addition/lieu of other non-diving qualifications.

Regards,
Andy

 

[b-man]

yep, I hope so Andy. I did send out some emails to some IDC's offering IT in exchange for instructor training and got one reply from 80 emails, but he wanted me to commit to a two year contract. And I dont feel ready for that kind of commitment. Also (probably rather naively) suddenly thought - "hang on!, I am trying to get away from IT arent I!".

I guess I'll go, try to make it and search out ways to survive, and if I don't manage it, I'll come back to england and get a short term contract and save hard.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Thanks Andy, Seriously. I never thought of that but I have seen a few websites that would benefit from some serious IT know how. Bet that some smaller places could get more business if their websites were more user friendly.

 

[scoobydrew]

Hey

B-man, a couple of years ago I was in your exact same situation though setting off from Bristol. I had looked in to it and talked to as many people in the industry as possible and decided that after DMing in the UK for 6 months for free dives that the general agreement was that though not impossible it will be tricky to make ends meet on a DM certification.

With that in mind I set off to central america with a view to do my IDC and upon completion of that I managed to get work as an instructor/DM in the same dive centre.

Long story short... it worked out. I am still an instructor and still loving the work but to be honest I have seen quite a few others around me not manage to have the same amount of good luck. The flip side of that I have seen some that have landed some really sweet deals. The point I think I am trying to make is that the possibilities are out there but you really have to put the effort in to make then come through (this is not an overnight deal). Yes you will be working those long hours and having to put up with all kinds of stuff you would not have anticipated but that is just the way things are.

If you are serious about this then my suggestion is to get the cash together for your IDC as it would take a whole load of luck to get paid work without it. If that means staying back in the UK for another year then you could see that as a good period of time to pick up experience as a DM and maybe look in to the mechanic course or something like eqiupment tech. If you have the cash now then consider it but be concious of the fact that you will need cash in the back pocket to keep you going for a while through things like rainy seasons, off peaks, suprise costs etc.

When putting your CV together definately lean on your IT background as the right skills in that field can be golddust to some people, emphasize things like it security, web optimisation, anything practical that will help a small busines get customers in the door

If it is something you really want to do then don't be put off but make sure you are prepared for the work.

Have you looked up on the PADI employment boards yet? there are occasiosnally intern type deals where you can go and work off the cost of your instructor cert. Rainbow divers out in vietnam often have notices up for something along those lines but I have no first hand experience of this to draw from.

Good luck

 

[b-man]

cheers scooby - that's some good food for thought. Hopefully you are right and I can probably make it through leaning on the IT skills. I am prepared for a pretty entrepreneurial few years and whilst a bit daunted, really looking forward to the challenge of surviving without the big london pay check. Plus I have been freelance for a number of years so I am well battle scarred in surviving fallow times.

I have been to the Rainbow divers base in Nha Trang, and they were a great outfit and very friendly and professional, so I will check that out. Though I seem to remember the diving was pretty low vis (due to the rains i think). But beggers cant be choosers eh?!

 

[DevonDiver]

You'll earn more money working in a beach bar, than as a DM.

Multiple income streams are the key to comfort and success if you want to work in the dive industry in the tropics.

Work in a bar/restaurant at night, be a divemaster during the day.

If you have IT skills.... investigate what work you can carry out remotely/globally. Also, be prepared to offer your services to local companies overseas (website design and optimisation etc).

Language training is another income stream. Gets a TOEFL certificate...so you can always top-up your money whilst overseas by 'teaching english as a foreign language'.

The idea of supporting yourself indefinitely via DM work abroad is a pipe-dream, especially given your relative experience and time spent diving. Sorry to be blunt about that.

Most DMs go away for the short-medium term with some money in the bank. They work for nothing or little and support themselves by other means. They go home after a year or two.

Instructors can earn enough to survive. Lifestyle is not luxurious. It's hard to save money, so if there is no alternative income, then it doesn't take much bad luck for the money to run out and the instructor returns home.

 

[scoobydrew]

I think I'm right in saying that rainbow divers have multiple premises in country and the vis etc depends from site to site throughout the season. I am in Korea now and was trying to get to Vietnam in January but ticket prices went through the roof so not possible this time.

There are 2 course directors in the company, why not look them up and fire them an email and see what they say.

The other thing to think about is that while in a dive location working in a dive job if you have the right IT skills then don't dispell the idea of freelancing to completely non diving related businesses, I know you are trying to get away from this but if it is a means to an end then worth a shot. You could well find yourself working in an area with very little technical knowhow on computers and it's that sort of thing you can pick up a few hours here and there.

 

[b-man]

work in a bar / teach english / freelance IT

cheers guys, yep these are all definite possibilities. I guess I am still trying to swallow the bitter pill of finding out there are no paid DM positions!!

Nah, I'll see how it goes. Its been a couple of years since I've dived and I guess I'll know within a month or two of working for nothing if I am loving it enough to work in the evenings and days off to compensate.

If not I can just return home and carry on with life as normal, having had a great break and experience and just save up for a nice diving break somewhere in my holidays!!

I guess a lot depends on how much fun it is working at the Dive Centre I am doing the internship at. If on the whole its a good experience, and I get on well with everyone, then more than likely I will pick up work through word of mouth or being introduced to friends or local business owners etc.

I think these things seem very different when you are thousands of miles away than when your sat in the bar after a hard but great days work chatting about local stuff. Its times like these when you see the oportunities arise, or meet people you can set up alternative ventures with. I play guitar, so I guess I could teach that too. who knows eh? guess you dont know till you try.