How does one get a career in recreational diving

[Web Monkey]

I have tonnes of questions for anyone that knows the answers.
But, let's just start with the first one, how do I start a career in recreational diving?
Gordo

I'm working on my SSI DiveCon right now, and I've got the money all figured out:

• Start around 1980. Start learning everything you can about computers and software. Don't stop. Ever.
• Get a crappy job writing software for a bank
• Get a better job writing software for a manufacturer
• Get an even better job writing software for an internet provider until they go bankrupt.
• Dive a lot because you really like it.
• Get an even better job writing software for an even bigger internet provider. Stay until they send your work to India.
• Get a really really good job writing software for large, stable industrial service business. Stay there.
• Keep the really really good job, take DiveCon classes with a local shop, help out with OW classes and work on the boat taking new divers out over the summer and fall.
• Maybe go for an instructor certification in a few years.

So all you need to be a DiveCon/Instructor is a bunch of dives, the desire to help new divers and a good job.

Terry

 

[Hank49]

All the people I know working full time in diving, who don't own a shop, work in high tourist volume, tropical locations. And except for Hawaii, this means you live outside the USA. These people make a living, meaning they pay rent and buy food, but it isn't like their bank had to enlarge the safe to store all their savings.
But knowing what I know now, if I was 19 and wanted to make a career of diving, I would work my butt off, live in a shack, drive a beat up car, eat rice and beans and save up for my own dive shop. (US$100,000 would be a good start) You still won't get rich, but you'll make more than a DM or insructor and maybe if you're lucky, you'll be able to send your kids to college.

 

[cnctina]

No point in becoming an instructor unless you want to instruct. To lead dives you'll need to be a Divemaster, the industry standard, certified by one of the major world-wide agencies. Talk to a currently working divemaster in your area and find out what he did.

Divemaster, examples:

PADI - http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/pro/divemaster.asp
NAUI - http://www.scubadreams.net/divemaster.htm
SSI - http://www.divein.com.au/id25.htm
SDI - http://www.hsdivers.com/divemaster.html

Then get a job ON A BOAT...

Many years ago I use to be a dive guide in West Palm Beach. I would lead dives with the other dive guides and none of us were divemasters. Knowing the reef system and being able to find the wrecks is what made you qualified to lead dives not what your padi card said. Our payment was free dives and air. Not exactly a career but way more fun than our day jobs.

 

[subaquaman]

All the people I know working full time in diving, who don't own a shop, work in high tourist volume, tropical locations. And except for Hawaii, this means you live outside the USA. These people make a living, meaning they pay rent and buy food, but it isn't like their bank had to enlarge the safe to store all their savings.
But knowing what I know now, if I was 19 and wanted to make a career of diving, I would work my butt off, live in a shack, drive a beat up car, eat rice and beans and save up for my own dive shop. (US$100,000 would be a good start) You still won't get rich, but you'll make more than a DM or insructor and maybe if you're lucky, you'll be able to send your kids to college.

when i saw this i had to laugh.

• im 18
• ive worked for a dive centre for 3 years
• doing my idc in a month
• still a student
• still sponging of my folks
• not caring about a career just assuming it will all work out

and now i have a master plan! thanks hank!!!

 

[V. G. McGillicuddy]

This may be a little off topic, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread on it...
How can I get into commercial diving (working on oil rigs, bridges etc.)? Is there a website that someone can point me to? What kind of training do I need?

Thanks,
McGill

 

[subaquaman]

McGill different career path altogether as well as different dives and training.
That said you might start at www.professionaldivingacademy.com. They are based in Scotlan AFAIK.

 

[PaulChristenson]

This may be a little off topic, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread on it...
How can I get into commercial diving (working on oil rigs, bridges etc.)? Is there a website that someone can point me to? What kind of training do I need?

Thanks,
McGill

Her's three outfits...in different parts of the country for you...

http://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/

http://www.diversinstitute.com/

http://www.oceancorp.com/

Paul in VT

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't work in a resport area, so I may be wrong, but I believe that in general you will do best to offer an employer a variety of skills. Speaking more than one language will really help in some areas. If you can lead dives, instruct, and skipper a boat, you will be a valuable employee.

My experience is in a LDS in a non-resort area. I can assure you that the only people who are making a living as a dive professional have regular jobs with the LDS. They instruct, sell equipment, fill the tanks--generally work full time in the retail part of the business while they instruct.

In one resort where I stayed for a week, it seemed to me that everyone on the payroll instructed, led dives, drove boats, registered people, took turns with the retail--everything.

 

[Iruka]

Short answer, after rescue generally take the Divemaster course, being aware of the minimum # of dives required to begin the course, and # needed to be certified as a DM. More diving, more varied conditions, etc. will be helpful. Some DMs & instructors are not necessarily competent divers. Here, at least, there are more options/better pay for instructors than for DMs. Be aware of insurance & membership fees that are (usually) required for anyone working in diving. In some areas, a 2nd or 3rd language (here, Japanese is best, with Korean & Chinese also being somewhat useful) is almost a necessity, depending on where your divers are coming from. Any other skills that relate to the tourist industry....boat experience, captain's license, mechanical ability, etc. will all be useful. During busy seasons in tourist-prone areas, some guides/instructors can make a little bit of money, but it varies, and a bad typhoon, for example, might mean you're without much work for a month or more.

 

[Trinigordo]

Good stuff people, but you all seem to be saying the same thing(which I understand and agree with), I know the way through to it certification wise, I just wanted to know if there is a cheap way to get from rescue diver to DM, like an internship or something like that and if so what options are available?

I really like the boating idea, I have been trying to find a way to become proficient in boating skills, but the only thing I could find was either along the lines of Major Shipping or online multiple choice tests for state license thing. Any good ideas on boating courses?