blueabyss007
Registered
alot of DM's here in NC work for tips. I manage a shop here on the coast and our guys make anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks a trip. And get free diving on the days their not crewing the boat.
Average salaries?
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scubachrisw
Registered
Hey Epic,
I perused the replies... and the 'results' appear to be:
1-3k/ mo. leaning toward the lean side.
I think 'local' makes up for alot in this biz. If you're in the Caymans, or Aruba,
(or Fiji) or whereever you 'love'. and you can make a living. I think that's the point.
making the living FIRST, and then diving to excess, is my target. cheers!
I perused the replies... and the 'results' appear to be:
1-3k/ mo. leaning toward the lean side.
I think 'local' makes up for alot in this biz. If you're in the Caymans, or Aruba,
(or Fiji) or whereever you 'love'. and you can make a living. I think that's the point.
making the living FIRST, and then diving to excess, is my target. cheers!
Capt.JimDavis
Contributor
It is SAD to see that the people who may be very well in charge of others life and death situations are expected to work for peanuts.
Say, for your flying lessons, will you get in a plane with a seasonal volunteer instructor just doing that job because he/she thinks it's cool and adventurous thing to do for a summer or two? Not me!
I know some jobs considered fun to do or it seems like that from an outsider point of view until you dive into (pun intended).
They get into by thinking it will be fun, then they realize it does not make sense to do that kind of hard work without getting paid a decent salary. But of course by then their followers of the same trend replaces them. So they realize they are SOL!
But again it's not the greed of the employers to blame for that. We do this to ourselves. If every young adventurous person is willing to work in exchange of room & board in a vacation paradise for a season or two, of course employers will hire these type of workers every season and continue to pay salaries just barely above nothing!
Then when those young people want to turn their adventure in to a career position they realize that they already cut the branch they were going to hold on later in life. The trend goes on and on and therefore there is not that many career positions in that field with decent salary.
It's a cycle...
When I was in Greek islands and Turkey every dive instructor and other employees of those diving companies were young Europeans who wanted a free summer vacation plus a little pocket money. That was it. Of course all diving businesses owned by locals and they were thankful for these volunteer type workers showing up every season who are ready to work for nothing.
Since that trend will never end be happy as long as you find a job at least pays some sort of salary instead of nothing. Believe me if the numbers of VOLUNTEER workers continue to grow this fast, soon the employers will ask US TO PAY in order to work for them.
Hopefully I will be retired by then...
Say, for your flying lessons, will you get in a plane with a seasonal volunteer instructor just doing that job because he/she thinks it's cool and adventurous thing to do for a summer or two? Not me!
I know some jobs considered fun to do or it seems like that from an outsider point of view until you dive into (pun intended).
They get into by thinking it will be fun, then they realize it does not make sense to do that kind of hard work without getting paid a decent salary. But of course by then their followers of the same trend replaces them. So they realize they are SOL!
But again it's not the greed of the employers to blame for that. We do this to ourselves. If every young adventurous person is willing to work in exchange of room & board in a vacation paradise for a season or two, of course employers will hire these type of workers every season and continue to pay salaries just barely above nothing!
Then when those young people want to turn their adventure in to a career position they realize that they already cut the branch they were going to hold on later in life. The trend goes on and on and therefore there is not that many career positions in that field with decent salary.
It's a cycle...
When I was in Greek islands and Turkey every dive instructor and other employees of those diving companies were young Europeans who wanted a free summer vacation plus a little pocket money. That was it. Of course all diving businesses owned by locals and they were thankful for these volunteer type workers showing up every season who are ready to work for nothing.
Since that trend will never end be happy as long as you find a job at least pays some sort of salary instead of nothing. Believe me if the numbers of VOLUNTEER workers continue to grow this fast, soon the employers will ask US TO PAY in order to work for them.
Hopefully I will be retired by then...
Here in Vancouver, teaching/DM is a way to help pay for your hobby.
Our shop is one of the few that pays DMs - $100 to help out with an OW class - gas money basically....
Instructors make $100 per student, I believe.
I am interested in this thread as when the kids are grown - youngest is 14 - I'm selling the house and will live the dream (doing IDC next year). Perhaps the best way is to own a shop somewhere hot and sunny???? We'll see.....
I was just in Roatan, and my understanding is that they get paid $2.50 - $5.00 a tank, plus tips of course. 10 divers on my boat, 3 dives a day, 6 days a week = $900 a week, plus say $350 - $400 in tips... $1300 a week. $2.50 works out to $850. Instructors make more - the person I spoke with didn't elaborate.....
Our shop is one of the few that pays DMs - $100 to help out with an OW class - gas money basically....
Instructors make $100 per student, I believe.
I am interested in this thread as when the kids are grown - youngest is 14 - I'm selling the house and will live the dream (doing IDC next year). Perhaps the best way is to own a shop somewhere hot and sunny???? We'll see.....
I was just in Roatan, and my understanding is that they get paid $2.50 - $5.00 a tank, plus tips of course. 10 divers on my boat, 3 dives a day, 6 days a week = $900 a week, plus say $350 - $400 in tips... $1300 a week. $2.50 works out to $850. Instructors make more - the person I spoke with didn't elaborate.....
In the Uk, we are looking at covering expenses (hopefully) and a few beers.
Unless of course you work full time for a dive shop. Then you may get decent retail wages.
But, in an industry where people work for nothing!
Unless of course you work full time for a dive shop. Then you may get decent retail wages.
But, in an industry where people work for nothing!
Well as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for............"
If a diveshop is using people that will work for free, and are entrusting their customers and risking dive shops reputation on the total dive experience, well I guess you get what you pay for. Roll the dice. In the information exchange age of the internet, a bad customer experience can kill your diveshop business in an instant.
As a present Dive Master and soon future instructor, I expect some wages as a vested employee in a firm (yes a little $$$ but no I'm not expecting a chest full of gold coin) but it's got to make my bills meet past pocket money. There is so much more to an employee contribution and skills other than just leading a dive and even instructing other divers. (I won't even go into the saving a customers or fellow divers life responsibilities)
Any employee is a total package deal and contributes as such. Retail and new certification sales, marketing the dive shop, people skills with new customers, mechanical abilities, social skills and so on. An employee is an extension of your shop and your reputation counts on getting and retaining quality employees.
Yes Cpt. Jim 100% on the money.
I've got college degrees in electrical engineering and 20 years of electro/mechanical design work of equipment at Boeing. I can rebuild engines top to bottom and sales with people skills is my specialty. So I've got many more skills and abilities that should be compensated for knowing more than "the pointy end of the boat is forward".
So when the boat dies out at sea, will the 20 year old high school drop-out "free no salary employee" that's never even owned a car or had any technical training know how to help fix the motor? Or will he put in his Ipod ear phones, shrug, and say "bummer captain dood, ya know what a downer spoiler diz is, Wut up wit dat! Man can we hurry up and get back before da happy hour is over? Like, I've got $2 in my pocket and a cold frosty beer has my name on it"
Yes it is an interesting and fun industry to work in, but I'm not going to, and literally can't afford to do it for free, and tips only go so far. No matter how excellent your service is, as you still have rent and food with utility bills unless you're in a dorm as an intern "working it as a summer job" until you can save up enough money to buy your first car............grins.........
If a diveshop is using people that will work for free, and are entrusting their customers and risking dive shops reputation on the total dive experience, well I guess you get what you pay for. Roll the dice. In the information exchange age of the internet, a bad customer experience can kill your diveshop business in an instant.
As a present Dive Master and soon future instructor, I expect some wages as a vested employee in a firm (yes a little $$$ but no I'm not expecting a chest full of gold coin) but it's got to make my bills meet past pocket money. There is so much more to an employee contribution and skills other than just leading a dive and even instructing other divers. (I won't even go into the saving a customers or fellow divers life responsibilities)
Any employee is a total package deal and contributes as such. Retail and new certification sales, marketing the dive shop, people skills with new customers, mechanical abilities, social skills and so on. An employee is an extension of your shop and your reputation counts on getting and retaining quality employees.
Yes Cpt. Jim 100% on the money.
I've got college degrees in electrical engineering and 20 years of electro/mechanical design work of equipment at Boeing. I can rebuild engines top to bottom and sales with people skills is my specialty. So I've got many more skills and abilities that should be compensated for knowing more than "the pointy end of the boat is forward".
So when the boat dies out at sea, will the 20 year old high school drop-out "free no salary employee" that's never even owned a car or had any technical training know how to help fix the motor? Or will he put in his Ipod ear phones, shrug, and say "bummer captain dood, ya know what a downer spoiler diz is, Wut up wit dat! Man can we hurry up and get back before da happy hour is over? Like, I've got $2 in my pocket and a cold frosty beer has my name on it"
Yes it is an interesting and fun industry to work in, but I'm not going to, and literally can't afford to do it for free, and tips only go so far. No matter how excellent your service is, as you still have rent and food with utility bills unless you're in a dorm as an intern "working it as a summer job" until you can save up enough money to buy your first car............grins.........
I really doubt that is the pay scale on Roatan..probably more like $5. a day no matter how many on the boat + tips..I hope I am exaggerating it ,but if it is as high as you state there would be no expat's on any of the other islands. They would all be on Roatan..Damned if it was that high I'll certify the old lady as a DM and move there .Combined we will pull in close to $100,000. a year..Realistically it is more likely $200. a week + tips..
Yes Rocky and Cpt. Jim are on the right track. The airline and scuba industry have one thing in common and that's paying it's employee's little to nothing for a wage. If I was to tell you what I was offered an hour as a licensed A&P (Aircraft Mechanic) with an airline you would would freek and would question your safety each time you boarded an aircraft. If I was in my early 20's with no responsibilities it would be great. They make a big deal out of Free or almost free flights to just about anywhere but even with cheep cheep flights you still couldn't afford to go anywhere. Bottomline as long as someone is willing to work for peanuts or free it will make the job market in both fields a low wage market.
Please don't crucify me for saying this - I am only looking for the silver lining: At least this brings costs down for those customers wanting to enjoy the sport. If dives cost too much, fewer people/tourists would be willing to do it.
Not saying it is right...
Not saying it is right...
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