Starting a divemaster career

[halocline]

If you've only done 10 dives in 3-4 years, I don't think that's a good indication that you "love diving" and "its your dream" to be a dive professional. Unless there is some reason that has prevented you from doing more than 2 dives per year on average, in which case, please forgive my statement.

It's very difficult to make any appreciable money guiding dives. Most people in the dive industry that earn a living do so by combining business ownership (gear sales and/or tourism) with dive teaching or something else dive-related. For most of those people, their dive skills are likely one of the less important aspects of their success. Business and entrepreneurial skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and good personal financial management skills are likely much more important for long term success.

 

[fjpatrum]

I'm no dive pro but I've talked with an awful lot of them all over the world. (Even before I got scuba certified.)

You want to be a dive pro? Get some language skills. I'm assuming you have at least two languages you're comfortable with given your location and the quality of the written word in your first post. Realistically though, you're going to need more. Especially if you plan to be a pro anywhere the water is warm.

Beyond that, get a lot of dives under your belt in different conditions. If you can afford it, travel around for 6 months to different diving destinations working your way toward your "final" stop where you can get an internship or a "zero to hero" type program that will let you work on your DM/instructor ratings.

Make sure you don't just do the same dive over and over again though, as that won't actually train you to be a good DM or a good diver. Do some night dives, do some shore dives, do some drift dives, do some cold water dives, do some wreck dives, etc etc.

Get experience, work on your skills on your own every chance you get. Get some other non-diving skills. Learn to drive a boat. Learn some clerical/office skills that will bump your resume to look better. The reality is dive pros really earn a meager living and work their asses off for what they do earn. On top of that, there are far more people qualified to be DMs than there are positions for them. Make yourself a stand out candidate with other skills as well.

 

[buddhasummer]

One other point of view.

With 10 dives under your belt, do you really know what it's like to be a dive pro? I think lots of people think it's going to be all about leading awesome dives in beautiful, exotic locations and teaching bikini clad supermodels how to be a super cool diver. If only it were like that in real life!

Take some time to become a good diver. Get really good and comfortable in the water, get good with your gear, find a local dive shop to spend time learning what it really is to be a dive pro. Get experience in all kinds of conditions and get really comfortable in good and bad conditions. Hang around the shop, volunteer to help out with classes, learn how to fill tanks and maintain gear.

If you get to this point and still want to be a divemaster, go for it.

Above all, while you're doing all of the above, have fun!

Guess I lucked out

---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ----------

PS make sure you have plenty of savings, a rich man you will not become.

---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 11:23 PM ----------

...but it's better than sitting in an office pushing paper watching the clock even if you're getting a good salary. Stabbing myself in the eye with a butter knife springs to mind. Good luck.

---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 11:33 PM ----------

The majority of my DM "work" was/is unpaid, free tanks and comp trips, I was happy with that arrangement as was not a "career" but a spare time thing. Nowadays I do it often just because I like doing it and get nothing tangible just another dive.

 

[RJP]

Some other skills:
Languages
Diesel mechanic
Captain's license
Compressor repair
Retail sales

 

[christieball]

You can't replace experience, which is where good judgement come from. Dive in as many places as you can, with a variety of people and operators.

 

[5280Steve]

If you've only done 10 dives in 3-4 years, I don't think that's a good indication that you "love diving" and "its your dream" to be a dive professional. Unless there is some reason that has prevented you from doing more than 2 dives per year on average,...

This touches on my thoughts as well. You have received many excellent responses. To me - at 10 dives you don't even have experience in hot, cold, bad weather, surge, currents, changing weather...... I believe that you need a lot more dive experience and experiences. There's no reason why you can't begin your DM training right where you are. As stated above you have time to get your AOW and Rescue Diver. Once you've done that you will have a better idea what type of diving and locations you might like. I do like your enthusiastic ideas just don't try to do it all too fast. Burnout can happen even in the magical world beneath the seas.

 

[Neilwood]

As with all careers, there is a huge difference between doing something every day for money and doing a hobby for fun especially where members of the public are involved.

If you can stand dealing with all types of people (from posh to poor, polite to downright obnoxious) while doing sometimes heavy work and long hours for relatively poor wages without losing your cool or losing enthusiasm then it might be for you.

 

[USdiver1]

You lack the requisite experience at this stage. Do some local dives in Holland, Germany or the UK. Cold water does a lot to weed out the "lovers" from the "posers" in diving. I don't personally feel the zero-to-hero programs help anyone except the resorts/shops that sell them. Diving is not all hot bods and whale sharks in tropical resorts. As a professional you will be responsible for the lives of your students and guests. It is a huge responsibility. Put yourself in their shoes, would you rather dive with a DM who has 500+ dives, under many different conditions, or one with 50 dives in tropical seas?