Making SCUBA a career

[Web Monkey]

No commercial diving for me.

Okay. lets try to get some where in this topic.

For the physical exam. What is needed to pass? Because if surgery can do it then I might go under the knife sooner then later. I was trying to wait till I was thirty before I got this fixed.

And if tech if out I am ok with that.

You're missing the point.

You could easily lie on the application, take the classes and probably get the C-Card, but will only end up hurting yourself.

There is all sorts of bending, lifting, carrying and unexpected twisting involved, and if you have a bad back or a "fixed" bad back and do it anyway, you could easily find yourself asking "What kind of jobs can I do from a wheelchair?"

If you're determined to get a SCUBA job, you might be able to be a regulator tech, as long as you're not also the guy that does the fills, VIPs and tank hydros.

We're not trying to be mean, we're trying to keep you from doing permanent damage to yourself.

Terry

 

[The_DivePirate]

Even with a good back, dive training is hard on the back. In and out of the water several times a day. Packing and filling tanks isn't the most grueling work, nor is all the positions that an uncomfortable student in a panic may put your back through. Hope things work out for you, but you should take a little more time and think it over a bit more. You talk about holding up a tank and belt for a SHORT time, what were too happen if you had a student that couldn't get themselves together on the shore while the others are entering the water.
You need too be the strength in the class and make your students feel comfortable, think how you might feel if your instructor was grimmusing with pain while he/she was telling you not too worry about anything, like the weight of your rig. As far as HARDCORE divers, NO hardcore divers put on their gear and walk around the beach for the fun of it. It's heavy, and pretty awkwards too say the least. Things happen on land that require us too sometimes not hit the water as soon as thought. The people walking around on the beach, either are instructors that have students with needs or just looking for attention. Too say that diving would be easier on your back would be CRAZY!! Find yourself someone too spot your gymnasts'.
Besides that, with only a maximum of 25 dives, you need too work on your diving skills not teach others theirs.

Joe

 

[BIG Tiggz]

Even with a good back, dive training is hard on the back. In and out of the water several times a day. Packing and filling tanks isn't the most grueling work, nor is all the positions that an uncomfortable student in a panic may put your back through. Hope things work out for you, but you should take a little more time and think it over a bit more. You talk about holding up a tank and belt for a SHORT time, what were too happen if you had a student that couldn't get themselves together on the shore while the others are entering the water.
You need too be the strength in the class and make your students feel comfortable, think how you might feel if your instructor was grimmusing with pain while he/she was telling you not too worry about anything, like the weight of your rig. As far as HARDCORE divers, NO hardcore divers put on their gear and walk around the beach for the fun of it. It's heavy, and pretty awkwards too say the least. Things happen on land that require us too sometimes not hit the water as soon as thought. The people walking around on the beach, either are instructors that have students with needs or just looking for attention. Too say that diving would be easier on your back would be CRAZY!! Find yourself someone too spot your gymnasts'.
Besides that, with only a maximum of 25 dives, you need too work on your diving skills not teach others theirs.

Joe

No. I am not kidding. And Am not trying to teach now or in a few months. This is a long term thing. Not trying to be an instructor right away. In a few years... maybe.

Come on. All you divers are in pefect health??? No back or knee problems?

 

[Dad_Crush]

I have a back problem too due to a car accident years ago and have started doing this for fun. Don't get too caught up in the excitement and make the major changes without thinking about everything. I work out with weights and aerobically 6 days a week, and yoga/stretching part of the time, and I am physically strong at 40. NO...I wouldn't plan on this for a career because there are days I still wake up sore. I watched the LDS guys do their thing and pitched in with the gear during the OW class. These guys are right. Maybe no bigs when you're mid-20's but like everyone else, you'll get older to. I've already started placing limits on what I'll do in the water. I want to chase the grandkids around the yard some day....my biggest priority, and that fun is free.

 

[lazyturtle]

If you're REALLY luckily teaching scuba you may make enough money to break even.

And things like working in a dive centre and tech diving with a bad back to me sound like a very bad idea.

Sorry, but it's gonna be a lot of words......

The first statement is not true, I've worked full time as a SCUBA instructor for 12 years now, and done all right. Not rich mind you, but paid all my bills and had some spending money. I’ve been able to afford a vechile (when I chose to own one) and to go on vacation once or twice a year. It does depend a whole lot on where you work. I'd say you could expect to make between $25,000 and $35,000 USD/year (that includes tips and bonus), possibly including accommodations.
You will probably get health insurance, but have to pay your own liability insurance and instructor fees. You’ll need your own gear, but you’re going to get special prices on gear so that’s ok.
If you want to work at the prime dive locations I’d suggest getting a PADI instructor course over NAUI. I’ve never seen a NAUI shop in the Caribbean and don’t know of any here in Hawaii. I’ve worked with NAUI instructors, but only 2 or 3 (in 12 years) and most of them had a PADI crossover. I’m not saying either agency is better or worse, I’m just saying that 99.9% of the jobs I’ve had/seen advertised required a PADI instructor.

Now to be fair, I'm moving out of the SCUBA field to (hopefully) make more $, but it worked just fine for me, if I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change much. I've lived in fantastic places (twice directly on the beach), dove in the best locations, seen the best stuff. So even though the pay is low compared to say an engineer, you be surprised (or perhaps not) how many people in the SCUBA industry used to have white-collar jobs before moving into the field.

The second part: You can't have a bad back. You maybe able to take the instructor course, but as far as working goes, it won't go well. You have to realize that working as an instructor is not all stingrays and turtles, it'sgenerally a very physically active, lifting oriented job. For example to prepare for a boat trip (of which you'll generally do 2-3 per day, 5 or 6 days a week) in a tropical dive location (why would you want to work as an instructor anywhere other than a primo dive location?):
1. Load the boat with tanks (anywhere from 10-40 tanks per trip, depending on the boat).
2. Load the gear for the divers (again anywhere from 5-20 setups per trip)
3. Setup the gear.
4. Setup and distribute weights (like a 10-20 lb belt per person)
5. Tie up the boat/anchor
6. Possibly wander around the (rocking) boat in full gear fixing minor problems.
7. Go for a dive, generally carrying 2-10 lbs worth of extra weights.
8. Exit the water quickly, carrying your own gear (sorry but there's no way the capt/deck hand have time to deal with your stuff).
9. Pull anchor/untie boat (I've never worked on a boat that had an electric winch, anchors will weigh from 20-60 lbs + chain and line). Despite the environmental issues, I’ve worked on many boats where the anchor was used over a mooring.
10. Change all the gear in 10-20 minutes (while the boat is moving).
11. Repeat 5-9 for dive 2
12. Return to dock, tie up boat, and unload all tanks.
13. Fill tanks (which involves a lot of tank moving).
14. Do it all again, probably without any sort of break.

That's all assuming everything is ok. You may need to tow/rescue someone who is up to twice you size. Working at a beach diving op is no better. You remove the boat stuff and replace it with sand, which you have to carry gear/tanks across.

Now I have worked with people who have had back problems, but it never lasted more than a month or two. One issue that you'd need to overcome is the balance of work between you and the rest of the crew. Everyone who I've worked with that had back problems ended up getting all of the junk jobs (clean the head, etc) because they couldn't help with the tanks (a major part of the work day). They got passed over for the special trips because those trips usually had a smaller crew and those folks needed to do everything.
So I’m not saying that it can’t be done, but I am saying that it would be hard. If you do go for it, be choosy about the jobs you take. Ask lots of questions and find out where you’re going to be doing the least lifting. Some shops (I’ve worked at 2 now that did this) had their compressor setup in a location that it could fill the tanks while they were on the boat (saving everyone a LOT of lifting). Other shops may have tank monkeys (we’ve got a guy now whose sole job is to deal with tanks…sweet).

But no matter what, you have to be able to rescue big people. If you cannot do a full rescue from boat or shore on someone who is literally twice you’re size, you simply shouldn’t work in SCUBA. While I’ve never had to pull someone from the water (thankfully), I have had to tow 300 lb panicking divers 300 or 400 yards back to the boat, followed by the resumption of the schedule. It’s part of the job.
I hope all the above helps you in you’re decision.

 

[String]

No. I am not kidding. And Am not trying to teach now or in a few months. This is a long term thing. Not trying to be an instructor right away. In a few years... maybe.

Come on. All you divers are in pefect health??? No back or knee problems?

People aren't joking here. Im not sure you realise just how physical instructing can be. It isnt a case of turning up, kitting up and going diving. There is a huge amount of behind the scenes stuff, equipment moving, filling, maintenance, gear transport, long periods of carrying your own kit AND a students if its a small child/small lady etc.
If you have any physical injury that could be triggered or aggravated by carrying things around then although you maybe able to dive with other people helping you can never instruct as then the sides are reversed. A lot of training is done via shore dives or inland sites which themselves mandate you walking on land carrying a tank for extended periods and often carrying them up steps, slopes and so on.

When i go abroad to work in the summer instructing in 6 months i typically lose 20-25lbs of body weight and my shoulders and arms get so big i need to wear different shirts. It IS physical doing it all the time.

Certainly here in the UK you wouldnt pass a HSE medical so wouldnt be legally allowed to teach any diving for any agency but the USA does have far less stringent rules for that. Even then though its debatable whether you'd be allowed instruct and even more so whether its safe or a good idea to do so.

A little standard day from 2 years ago where i worked.

(i) 9am. You and 3 others help carry 55 tanks 150 yards from the fill centre down the beach and place by the sea
(ii) Ferry those tanks out to the boat along with all the other gear and load the boat
(iii) Back to shore, meet DSD students, brief then then downstairs to get their weights and kit sorted
(iv) Help them kit up by lifting tanks, weights and so on.
(v) Walk wearing your kit the same 150 yards into the sea for skills. If its a child or small person often carrying their kit as well.
(vi) Finish DSD skills, help all the DSDs dekit and lift all their kit and weights onto the boat as well and load it. Then you need to see how much lead all the qualifieds need, make the belts up and carry it to their seat
(vii) 12pm. Boat goes to dive site. Then you have to help all the qualified kit up by getting their lead, lifting tanks and other gear
(viii) Kit up yourself and guide a dive
(ix) After the dive help lift the qualified divers kit back onto the boat and lead etc. Then do the same with your own.
(x) Short lunch break then DSD time. Lifting their kit and weight, yours, carrying spare weight on a dive, doing the dive, lifting their gear back on the boat
(xi) Do qualified dive No.2 so lift all their kit, help kit up, do your own etc. End dive, lift it all back on board. If you're REALLY lucky there'll be more DSDs do to at this point
(xii) 1630 Boat returns, unload all gear to beach
(xiii) Carry those 55 tanks back up beach to dive centre
(xiv) Fill all those tanks lifting them from the empty pile to the compressor and moving the full tanks onto the shelves and rack
(xv) Wash, hang, dry, and put all the gear used away;
(xvi) By now its probably 8-9pm. If you arent on shop night duty then go home now, otherwise sit down behind a desk until 2230.

Then take home your pay, typically €20, $30 for the days work.

That was a standard day working at a busy resort and the format was the same 7 days a week. You just cant avoid doing lifting.

 

[bfw]

If you're REALLY luckily teaching scuba you may make enough money to break even.

There's no reason to pay people big bucks to do something they're already inclined to do without being paid.

Basic economics - work has to suck a little, or there's no reason to be well paid.

 

[fisherdvm]

No commercial diving for me.

Okay. lets try to get some where in this topic.

For the physical exam. What is needed to pass? Because if surgery can do it then I might go under the knife sooner then later. I was trying to wait till I was thirty before I got this fixed.

And if tech if out I am ok with that.

I think the physical exam for you to pass is simply the one you should place on yourself. Stay physically fit, swim 2 to 4 times a week (at least 1/2 mile at a time, I usually get 2-3 miles a week), do aerobic exercise daily (run 2 miles a day, and I usually do 6 to 8 miles a week), get at least 50 dives under your belt in a variety of conditions including shore dives with regular 80 cu ft aluminum tanks and standard gears that you lugged from your car to the shore without help.

Being a gymnastic coach, you're probably 3 times better shape than I am. I have a back problem too, but as long as I am active, I am fine. You might also find that swimming is great for your back, and who knows - you might not even need surgery with proper excercise and physical therapy. Surgery is not the solution, even for a herniated disc.

If you can do that without problem, then, as far as I am concern, you've passed your physical exam. But in reality, when I was an working as an occupational health physician in the service, a herniated disc is a disqualifying dianosis for most jobs requiring lifting greater than 50 lbs. A scubatank, wetsuit, BC and weight belt easily exceed 80 lbs.

 

[Mudbug_CSD]

How about a different direction entirely? You sound young enough to go back to school and get into marine biology, which doing field research would allow you to dive almost as much as you could stand, make real money with gear on your back, and only be responsible for lugging your own kit about. Something to think about, at least.

 

[weaserm99]

I made the decision over a year ago to enter scuba as a full time job, i dropped out of college and started working full time at a dive shop. There were a lot of people telling me to stay in school but there were some that said take the chance. Luckily for me i was able to intern at the shop i now work for my senior year of high school, in that time i learned basic stuff which led me to a summer part time job, 6 months later i was working full time. If you want to do this as a full time job i say go for it, everyone has their limitations, some have problems with the physical things and some have problems with say shyness. That is more my problem but ive overcome that problem and i bet you can overcome your limitations. So like i said you should definitely go for it and ill tell you what my motto was, dont let anyone tell you that you cant do this.