Moving to Tasmania - Employment Opportunities for a dive Instructor in Hobart?

[GTRio]

I am a Mechanical engineer living in Vancouver Canada and am planning to move to Tasmania. I am doing my rescue course at the end of the month with DM and Instructor courses to follow.

I am considering taking a break from engineering and trying to make a living as a dive instructor in Hobart and am looking for any advice anyone has to offer. I also have a few questions.

Foremost, am I crazy?

Second, would it be better to do my dive professional training in Hobart instead of Vancouver? Is it more expensive there? Here DM is between $600-$700 and the instructor course is around $2000.

Third, anyone know what the employment situation is like for instructors in Hobart?

Cheers.

Brandon

 

[burna]

With the arse falling out of our dollar, everything is cheap here for all of yooz from over there. :depressed:

Can't help you with diving in Tassie, try here www.diveoz.com.au - The Biggest Site for Australian Scuba Diving Info

 

[Sas]

I am a Mechanical engineer living in Vancouver Canada and am planning to move to Tasmania. I am doing my rescue course at the end of the month with DM and Instructor courses to follow.

I am considering taking a break from engineering and trying to make a living as a dive instructor in Hobart and am looking for any advice anyone has to offer. I also have a few questions.

Foremost, am I crazy?

Second, would it be better to do my dive professional training in Hobart instead of Vancouver? Is it more expensive there? Here DM is between $600-$700 and the instructor course is around $2000.

Third, anyone know what the employment situation is like for instructors in Hobart?

Cheers.

Brandon

Ok I think to your questions

1. maybe a bit but nothing wrong with being a bit crazy It might be worthwhile to get a bit more experience behind you before you make the switch.

2. Ok I looked up course fees at Tasmania shop, for SSI DiveCon at Scuba Training and Courses Aqua Scuba Diving Services Tasmania Australia it is $800. A lot of the stores only seem to train up to Divemaster or Divecon level. But I did find that this shop Bicheno Dive Centre trains to instructor level apparently, though it doesn't have info on the site, send them an email I guess.

3. No idea sorry. There is a forum for Australia www.diveoz.com.au - The Biggest Site for Australian Scuba Diving Info, a lot of locals there who can answer your question better. Also if you go to Info Directories in the left menu you can look at info about Tassie.

Good luck~~ I have heard Tassie is a lovely place to dive and I hope to get there soon to check it out myself

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Bradon -

The dive scene is quite small in tassie - we have some of australia's best diving, but unfortunately tourists, being uneducated in the joys of cold water, seem to prefer the great barrier reef.

Many of the instructors I know have other jobs. However there are 3 dive shops in hobart that can train you, and possibly give you some work once you finish.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[almitywife]

i agree - i think it would be tough making a living by just teaching scuba

but i was surprised by the number of dive shops in Hobart and they have GREAT diving opportunities down there so enjoy

 

[digital_steve]

Plenty of shops down here in Tassie, especially in Hobart.
Good luck making a living as an instructor, i doubt it'll happen. There's plenty down here already with shedloads of experience... go for it if you want to do it for fun, but the likelyhood of a shop hiring an instructor that's just jumped their way through the PADI hoops as soon as they could is pretty slim (trust me, one of my mates owns a shop here).
As for training, as far as i'm aware (i asked around today) there is no instructor training in Tassie; you an do your DM and then head off elsewhere for your instructor.

Can i ask why you want to move here to Hobart? How old are you?
I only ask as it's not the most lively of cities and if you're on the younger side then Sydney or Melbourne (i heart melbourne, i wish i was allowed to move back) would be way more fun.

 

[almitywife]

Steve

what are you saying! i would choose tassie over melbourne any day

 

[digital_steve]

Ow... my apppendage
Would you really? I used to think that, so i moved back.
To be honest, it's pretty limited here in terms of food, night life and general entertainment... especially if you're a younger person (like early twenties, not old like me at late twenties).
The bonuses are smaller population, traffic, pollution and diving. Smaller population also has negatives, like everyone knowing your business.
It is a nice place, but the grass is always greener.

 

[almitywife]

heheheheh

considering im awake 7 days a week at 5am, out of bed by 5.30am and my bedtime is 9pm i guess i would fit right in there

i see Tassie as having alot to offer like clean air, open spaces, privacy (my inlaws are my neighbours dammit!). the winter cold might be a bit much for me but i guess you get use to it at some point. the diving was outstanding and opportunity to get outdoors is a nice bonus

oh, and youre only a boat ride away from leaving the state

 

[digital_steve]

Yeah you might love it here... the diving you already know is great.
My inlaws are my neighbours too, so i feel your pain.
It's not very private here though, for instance someone i never met before fronted me about something i said on DiveOz when i first met them. Silly little things