Considering Diving as a Full-Time Instructor.

[ScubaCollin18]

Is it hard to obtain this. : Got a instructor job, I get a place to live and some cash for spending money. If I have living and food paid for ill be happy.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Depends where. I had no trouble affording my rent on Cayman Brac renting a WHOLE house next to a secluded beach. In Key Largo, I lived in one bedroom shack with no kitchen and it took half my pay.

 

[kwinter]

I think the most successful job in the dive industry would be to own the bar at the marina.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ScubaCollin18]

Is it hard getting a job of out the U.S.?

 

[Diver0001]

Sorry for the honesty but I don't sugarcoat anything.

Given the current crowd on Scubaboard, you may need to take a number

Just speaking for myself, I enjoy teaching scuba diving more than I've enjoyed just about any other job I've ever had.

That said, I do it part time, 1 or 2 evenings a week, I have a fairly well paying day job and I still dive a couple of days a week for my own enjoyment.

If I were independently wealthy, I would probably retire from my day job and focus a lot more on diving. Reality is, however, that diving instructors are normally paid well below minimum wage for the work they do. There are exceptions but those are rare. It's a funny industry. People will literally work for free because they love it so much. It's a great job, but if you need to actually earn money then you can pretty much forget it as a career choice for the long term.

R..

 

[DiversSupplyPDC]

Ahaaaa good one . To your question: 1. NO MONEY 2. NO FREE TIME TO GO DIVING just the last one is positive 3. EVERY IDIOT CAN BE INSTRUCTOR THESE DAYS. Sorry for the honesty but I don't sugarcoat anything.

As in most issues, you can take the two comments that are on the two most extreme ends of the replies and toss those out.

TraceMalin's is one that SHOULD be kept...

The one quoted above, you can take with a heavy dose of salt.

Those other recommendations and thoughts posted that carry weight, reflect being valuable in other areas than just Instructing.

Equipment Knowledge and Repair, Boat Captain/handling/ engine service & repair, Retail management and today more than ever, "good to exceptional computer / internet skills", will go a long way in being able to support ones self and live a reasonable life and teach Scuba.

Other traits that don't come out of a book that go well for Instructors include; Honesty, Good personality, Ability to work as part of a team and Professionalism.

Best to you on your life's adventures !

 

[diversteve]

Is it hard getting a job of out the U.S.?

Google is your friend. The problem with working in some foreign countries is that possibly preference is given to natives (Belize) or there's a work permit required to be obtained on your behalf by your employer (used to be on Grand Cayman). Other places I've been to - the Bay Islands (Roatan/Utila) - seem to have um...relaxed standards. The problem there is you're competing with all the dive instruction going on there - shops often have their pick of graduates to fill available positions. One advantage there is you can live dirt cheap for a while if needed.

Check into work visa requirements/restrictions at places you're considering - some countries require proof of employment to be granted.

There's good diving in the USVI's also. And you already meet all the requirements to work there. Someone I know relocated to St. Croix recently. Within about 3mos. she was working at a shop there - not instructing but store staff. But a step in the right direction.

In your case start in SoFl, get on with a shop doing anything. Work and take advantage of every discount on gear/training offered and build your credentials for when you find an opportunity somewhere else. You're certainly much more employable when you have some understanding of the business of running a shop. As Dennis said, if you think you'll come out of OWSI training and walk into a full-time paying job - you're sort of dreaming. I have friends who've been Instructing for at least 20 years. They all still have day jobs. Except for two because they bought the shop - and now work even longer hours for less pay.

Also look hard at the cost of everything - some places - like Grand Cayman - are almost prohibitively expensive. I asked our DM how he does it. He told us that first of all even though he's a working DM, he's actually an OWSI. Most DM's there are - demand for jobs lets employers be choosy. When he first arrived he ate most of his meals at the happy hour bars or the U.S. chain restaurants like Subway, KFC, Burger King etc. And at that time he was sharing a 2BR condo with 3 other dive pros. He also worked in their shop daily when he wasn't guiding dives.

If you're not married to the idea of being an Instructor, you might look into scientific or research diving. I see occasional openings in those areas - many working on coral reefs somewhere. For that you'll want to work up through the AAUS program - American Academy of Underwater Sciences. They even offer scholarships in some areas.

 

[EloiseNavarro]

According to my view, it is a good job and I think, it is not so hard. Nowadays, most of the folks like to shark diving. So, if you become a perfect trainer, I think it is a best way to earn huge money. And the main benefit is that you can also enjoy yourself by shark diving. So, I think, you should think about this.