Tipping your dive instructor

Isn't the logical recourse for any instructor who thinks he is under paid to raise their rate? Or does that bring up the possibility that potential students will go somewhere else because of a lower rate?

Expecting a tip as an instructor has never been something I ever considered.

I guess you can't have it both ways.

If an instructor thinks they are being under paid why not do something else,if you say you do it because you enjoy it,you like seeing a person breathe underwater,you like to see the enthusiasm in someone on scuba,etc.,etc.,etc.,then be happy with what you make.

It seems that with some instructors it is all about MONEY.

 

And it's usually pretty obvious who those folks are.

 

Me either. They are always nice though and again, it shows that I have usually exceed all expectations.

I disagree. I think it's all about survival. Look at the hype used to get people to become instructors. It's all about "living the dream" and not about making a million dollars. That's what agencies and the instructor mills tell them. Unfortunately, they don't tell them that there is a glut of instructors and that the competition will be fierce. There's a couple of mills here in the Keys. Last year one of them churned out 99 OW instructors. Wow. They even won an award for that. Did we need 99 more instructors here in Florida? That shop certainly can't employ them all and in fact, I would imagine that well over half of them will do something else to make a living and becoming a full time Scuba Instructor will still be a dream that remains just out of reach. It's almost a pyramid scheme when it comes down to it. But even the Instructor mills aren't getting all that rich. They're just trying to survive too. The joke I posted about the difference between a Large Pizza and a Scuba Instructor is far more tragic then it is funny.

 

Tipping an instructor for a certification class is not the usual, but if they go over and above the expected, if they did something of additional value ( retrieve a piece of gear, provide extra one on one time, schedule at a time other then what would be normal to accommodate you, etc) tipping is appropriate. It is an individual thing, and depends on the unique circumstances of each situation.
DivemasterDennis

 

I agree about the "Instructor Mills" but shouldn't someone perform "Due Diligence" before embarking on a so called "Career choice".Everyone who sells something ,no matter what it is,will make claims that are un-true or exagerated to get people to buy. It is not just the "Instructor Mills" putting out instructors many individual instructors push their students to take additional courses leading to instructor,maybe they also need to be honest in the employement that will be available.I honestly think that a 50 dive "Divemaster" has no right "assisting" because they don't have the experience necessary but that's my opinion.I think a majority of DiveMasters do have their eye set on Instructor,maybe I am wrong but that's what I see.

I come from the Old School method of teaching which makes me a dinosaur now.I was instructor certified in the late 70's.

 

I was one of the 99 and I can't give you the breakdown of all of the classes but I can tell you what my class of 10 is doing now.

One stayed in the Keys and mostly teaches family and friends. He was already a Master Instructor but had been out of teaching status for several years so was really just doing an update, he is also helping with the IDCs now. His job as a commercial pilot supports his family very well.

I'm the only other one who stayed in Fl and I'm in north Florida teaching in Georgia. I am doing it part time, as I had planned all along, and have a military retirement that pays the bills.

Two of the guys already had jobs lined up teaching in the Caribbean and are still doing that.

One actually quit his full time job and is teaching full time in NYC. His original plan was to instruct part time but he was tired of his full time job and the shop he is working for has plenty of students to keep him busy.

Another opened his own shop in Kentucky and his friend that attended the IDC with him is instructing part-time in that shop.

One is a retired military officer, now working for a defense contractor. He gives private SCUBA lessons in the DC area and is happy teaching on his own schedule when he wants to do so.

One returned to college in Canada and I have no idea if he is currently teaching or not but I know he was offered a full time job and has family connections in the business that can probably get him employed pretty easily.

The 10th has returned to Illinois and I don't know if he is currently teaching but his family owns a dive shop in the Keys so I'm sure he has a job if he wants it.

I think that most of us had realistic views of our future as dive instructors. The only guys who were planning on doing it full time already had jobs lined up and most of the rest of us had part time jobs lined up but much better paying full time jobs or school that would be our primary focus.

 

I agree that the hype/dreams agencies and instructor mills portray should be accompanied by a realistic employment picture. Also that folks should be responsible enough to look into that job market (it's certainly easy enough with the internet). If I had not taken Ed. courses and become a teacher-- and stuck with my plan to be a pro musician as a career I may still be washing dishes at age 59.