Earning a Living From Scuba.

[la1930Nigel]

Hya Everyone,

I am new to Scuba Board.

Just wondered if there is anyone out there that could tell me if it possible to earn a reasonable living as a Padi Instructor or Course Director. Or is it better to start my own business and employ

instructors.

Just putting the feelers out

Many Thanks

Nigel B

 

[northernone]

Welcome to the board.

There are people who do make a living doing the options your describing. So yes, it is possible. If it is possible for you, the world will confirm if you try. Are you intending to support a family and also retire eventually?

It's worth noting the skillset of being a business owner is considerably different than being an instructor employed by another. I recommend taking a hard look at your abilities, background and desires. Recreational diving is a tough and saturated market anywhere I've seen.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[oldschoolto]

No... Run away from those crazy ideas... Diving will no longer be fun, it'll be a job...

Jim

 

[Diver0001]

Hi Nigel,

It is possible to make a career out of diving but it's unlikely that you can do that in your local area. The situation isn't exactly the same but I live and work in the Netherlands and even with 15 years of experience as a pro it would be hard for me to find a job as an instructor that paid minimum wage.

In fact, I would say that outside of the tropics pretty much any diving instructor making even minimum wage would think he had won the lottery.

There are exceptions. There are a limited number of CD's and technical instructors who make really good money because ... well ... they are really good. In the Netherlands I know of 3 out of the 50,000 or so active divers in this country. The chances of breaking through in professional football are better....

So how I do it is how most people do it in our part of the world. I have a well paying day job and I teach diving as a hobby. That doesn't mean you need to be bad at it, however. As a "hobby" instructor I have zero financial motive to do this job and I am after one thing and one thing only..... quality. I put all of my effort into becoming the most skilled instructor I can be and to deliver the best diving courses I can manage.... The fact that I could make more money at much less risk by shaking the oil out of the french fries at McDonalds doesn't matter to me. I am passionate about teaching diving and I'm happy to "pay forward" this way. For example, one of the proudest moments in my career as a diver was when when an ex-student was my instructor for one of my technical specialties..... How cool is that?

R..

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree with above posts. I know of one CD here who I THINK makes a decent living, but he has been in the military (or still is) and may have income there. All of the other instructors & DMs (except the shop owner) have day jobs here, if that helps. I know of a couple of instructors in NY and in FL who live off scuba, but they also do retail, equip. servicing, etc. at those shops.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

How do you make a million in the scuba industry?
Start with two million.

What's the difference between a scuba instructor and a pizza?
A pizza can feed a family of four.

 

[Blasto]

Just wondered if there is anyone out there that could tell me if it possible to earn a reasonable living as a Padi Instructor

If you were one, you'd already know the answer - and it's a no.

or Course Director.

Too early to even think about CD. The road there is a long one that most don't get to finish, even if they want to. It's the padi equivalent of getting a PhD from one of two selective schools.

Or is it better to start my own business and employ instructors.

Yes, it's better. If you have the money and the business experience to survive in the low-margin, low-volume world of scuba, do that.

 

[Wallin's of the Peninsula]

Took me 15 years from certification to owning a shop. And I am learning every day. You can do it but it's a lot of work. I think what Max said above is right. lol

 

[Altamira]

Happiness is having a day job, or be retired, with sufficient financial assets to be able to dive whenever and wherever you want. From my very limited perspective of watching professionals in the dive industry working their butts off, hoping against all odds to get a tip at the end of the dive, much less a good tip and a living wage, I could not recommend going in that direction. It breaks my heart to be on a dive boat where I seem to be the only person tossing money into the tip jar. It amazes me that dive instructors, DMs, and shop owners are willing to work so hard for generally unappreciative (no tip) divers. I try to make an example of tipping the crew, hoping others will follow suit, but the gesture usually falls to generate more than a few souls that seem to think a $3-5 tip is OK for a two tank, wonderful dive experience. Makes me mad as hell!

 

[Bob DBF]

If you like diving, go dive. If you like working...



Bob