What do employers want?

[dan-dan]

Sorry about posting into the wrong forum, my bad! I thought I deleted it after realising my error, but apparently not. Thank you to the moderator who helped me.

Thank you for all your responses, it really has shed some light on the situation. I obvioulsy can't reply to every point made, but I'd like to make some.

Firstly, I realise rescue diver is my next port of call. I would do that even if my mind changed about 'going pro', as I know it would make me a more aware, knowledgable, and safer diver. I'm hoping to do this course at the start of next year after getting some more dives under my belt.

The boat handling and equipment servicing experience aren't something I'd thought of, but they definately seem like a good idea.

I also acknowledge the idea of training in my colder waters before the transition, as depressing as it sounds.

I have a relatively well paid job now, and funding everything isn't a problem.

There has been much talk of the money earnt. To me, money really doesn't matter that much. This is about lifestyle and doing something you love (that's diving, who knows if I'll enjoy instructing yet). If I have to work a second job, that's fine too. I've done that many times over the last few years.

The main point of 'enjoying the journey' has sunk in the most. I would rather be a diver who can teach than a teacher who can dive! I think I'm just going to concentrate on getting my gear and getting back into the water (however cold haha). Maybe RD next year, then I'll go from there.
It's all quite exciting!

Thanks again for all your replies. It's great to recieve advice from real divers/instructors who aren't out to grab your money.

 

[sea_ledford]

Just to throw out a few things... I've been of those that has done the instructor gig full time, and I did quite well at it. If you drop me on a tropical island with diving, I could find a job. What makes me special? We'll I've been at it a while for one thing but my quals on paper are: NAUI and PADI Instructor, US Coast Guard 100 ton Master, certified Scubapro tech, BS and MS in marine biology, very good u/w photographer, excellent water skills, excellent people skills.

Those last two are the important ones. The instructor rating and the marine bio degrees get me in the door, the CG liscense gets me out on the boat, and water and people skills get me the job.

For the full time positions in tropical resort type places, how good of an instructor you are is somewhat irrelevant, as you won't be doing many classes. I've got about 3000 dives, and maybe 50 student certs, most of those were in my first year of teaching when I was still at university. I spent 4 years in Hawaii after swiching over to PADI, and I have 19 PADI certs, maybe 6 of which I did in Hawaii. It was all leading dives and doing DSDs (and I avoided places where I would be doing DSDs all the time, like at a Beaches, Club Med, etc). Shooting photos really helped with the paychecks when I worked places that would allow it. But don't plan on doing that when you start out, WAY too much task loading for a new instructor/guide.

What do I think would make me more employable? A second or third language would be at the top of my list. Also marine engine maintenence would make you stand out. If you can weld aluminum you could pretty much write your own ticket.

What do I think is irrelevant? PADI MSDT rating, and most specialty instructor certs, EAN being the primary exception, and maybe UW photography. They just cost you money to take, and you won't make anymore money with them, and will probably never do a class with them anyway.

As far as money, I made anywhere from $60/day to $130/day plus tips. If I was shooting pictures, I could walk at the end of the day with a couple hundred in cash (US) on a very good day, plus my salary. The problem is that isn't normal. The last boat I worked on I would say our average tip out was $30-50/ crew. $100 with photo money was a good average day. The primary issue with figuring out money is you only get paid when you work. Ear problems? Go home, no pay. Sinus infection? Stay home for a week, no pay. Bad weather and the trip cancels? No pay. Big storm moves through and kills everything for a couple weeks? Hope you saved some of that money from the $200 days! Break your arm? Time to move back home.

If you've got a decent nest egg, you can make it through the slow times, but it also helps if you can do something that doesn't involve getting wet. That is where being a captain helps, and the gear/boat maintenence comes into play. So the things that will make you stand out are the things you can do OUT of the water not under it. As someone else already said, instructors are a dime a dozen, but boat mechanics aren't.

Chris

 

[sarahdee]

There is a whole list of extra skills that you can learn so don't spend too much time worrying about it. If you decide to do an internship divemaster course this would give you some 'working' experience so you understand how a dive shop works. Plus most internships should teach you the extras like how to fill tanks, change the filter on a compressor and service equipment.

Don't worry for now about getting the manufacturers equip specialists as its all very well you taking a Scubapro workshop when you end up working on an island that only has access to Mares. As long as you head a basic understanding from your divemaster to make simple repairs you can fine tune extra skills when you get a job.

The only other thing that is very useful when working abroad is languages. I speak German (and can guide/teach in German) which has proved much more useful than anything else. My husband has far more experience than me, can repair equipment and has way more useful skills but its my German that gets us jobs.

As to where to do it as you have three courses to go, why now do them all in three different places so you get an understanding of how different areas work. I did my Divemaster in Roatan which was a brilliant place to do it. Island life and amazing diving plus there are loads of divers coming through so lots of experience and courses to help on. I did my IDC is Thailand which was the complete opposite (there were 100s of candidates) and it was manic. I was glad to experience both. Now I teach and work in the Philippines (back to island life).

Above all enjoy it. You have rescue to go (my favourite course) and the divemaster, while hard work, if you do it in the right place is so much fun. The IDC is hell, fun but hell, but it is only two weeks....

 

[randytay]

. It was all leading dives and doing DSDs (and I avoided places where I would be doing DSDs all the time, like at a Beaches, Club Med, etc). .

Chris

What is DSD?

 

[jago]

Maybe the first link of my signature will help you.

 

[duskdiver]

It is hard but rewarding but it is possible to become a diveinstructor that actually makes a decent living.
It is not the agency, watermanship, skills, level or c-cards, languages, equipment specialist or captains license...it is all about "people skills"!!
These other characteristics do help ofcourse..but the last one, at least to me, is by far the most important one.
Don't give up to early, make sure you are stronger then the rest!!

 

[h90]

I'm aware of the following careers in Recreational SCUBA that pay a living wage:

• Shop owner (of a sucessful shop). Note that there are very few of these and it's not a "job" you can apply for. Although if you're rich you could buy a sucessful shop.
• Manufacturer's rep for one or more sucessful brands (nice work, but someone has to die before there's an opening)
• Full-time instructor for high end technical training. However it could take you a decade or more to actually be qualified for this.
• . . .
• Profit ???

I know a lot of OW & AOW instructors and none makes a living at it. They all have (other) real jobs.

You could do OK if you work at a profitable resort doing tourists, however it's a never-ending grind and almost all countries have rules that prevent non-citizens from taking jobs that locals want, so you proably can't get one of these.

The short answer is to dive when and where you want, teach if it makes you happy, but get a real job doing something else that you like and that pays well.

flots.

Well there are a lot OW/AOW instructure who work at tourist resorts, always on tourist visas between illegal and grey area...
And some of them are really gradefull if you buy them a beer so it seems they don't got rich with that.

 

[randytay]

Maybe the first link of my signature will help you.

Ah.. thanks for the help.

My FM is NAUI so that term doesn't exist. As for the FW, the first thing that came up says "Double-Sided Dildo". Is that something you do alot?

 

[Crowley]

What do you need to succeed? (apart from diving skills that is)

Language skills
People skills
Knowledge
Talent
PASSION

C.

 

[jago]

Ah.. thanks for the help.

My FM is NAUI so that term doesn't exist. As for the FW, the first thing that came up says "Double-Sided Dildo". Is that something you do alot?

diving dsd - Recherche Google

I can sell you the "internet search specialty course", a must have for any new Instructor.