Why can't you make a living as an Instructor?

[Habraken]

that doesn't sound so bad at all!

 

[beautybelow]

"In my opinion though diving should be affordable unlike popular belief. So many people believe their time is valuable (which it is) but priced too high we will only succeed in suffocating our sport into the history books because people will simply opt for other hobbies and enjoyments."

In my opinion, that scenario is doubtful. Just my opinion. Too many people with too much money still wanting to go diving and do whatever it takes to do so. (they don't all hang out here, trust me)

If you are smart you can work around the competition factor. let the other instructors go get drunk on "transition night" and you be the only one at the shop and start holding hands from the beginning and see what happens tip wise throughout the week. ​

 

[Hollywoodivers]

I make a living as an instructor. I have for 20 years. I have been lucky to do this for a job. Luck, being polite 99% and trying to stay fit to dive are challenges. People skills will be tested. Bank account will not grow as much as some other professions. I could have worked for fed ex or been a personal trainer...My wife made more her first year as a personal trainer ( in Los Angeles ) than I have ever made teaching scuba in one year. Funny how people will pay you 40 to 75 per hour to get their heartrate up to 135 beats per minute but don't want to pay an instructor to take them into a safe diving environment for an hour. Haha wooohoo not complaining. I think a good combo is to have a real job ( a computer technician ) with diving as a side business. it's been a fun career so far, but not nearly set for an ivory tower. I wish you luck. It is hard work.

 

[k ellis]

Funny how people will pay you 40 to 75 per hour to get their heartrate up to 135 beats per minute but don't want to pay an instructor to take them into a safe diving environment for an hour.

By looking at the mass population I really think paying someone to loose weight is either not happening or someone is getting jipped

 

[Doriadiver11]

"In my opinion though diving should be affordable unlike popular belief. So many people believe their time is valuable (which it is) but priced too high we will only succeed in suffocating our sport into the history books because people will simply opt for other hobbies and enjoyments." ​

Really ?? And why SHOULD diving be "affordable"....and to whom should it be "affordable"........to everyone? Is everyone entitled to quality scuba training from a seasoned and dedicated professional for next to nothing in return?

And you say that people will leave diving in favor of some other hobby because an entry level course costs more than a few hundred $$ ??

That's nonsense.......Have you been to an alpine ski area lately. A 3-day lift ticket at Killington and two 1-hour ski lessons delivered from some pre-pubescent high-school kid that took a 3-day instructor course at the lodge....costs well over $500.

THey have LINES of people willing to pay that kind of money.

Do you actually think that SCUBA instructors who conduct a 30-hour course plus 5 training dives (another 12 - 16 hours' work) to 4 or 5 students, at $300 per head is "priced too high" ? If you believe that, you should join the Obama administration's illiterate economic advisory team. Scuba training courses cost the same today, as they did 15 years ago, yet in the same time-span, housing has more than doubled, the price of gas has tripled, insurance has more than doubled, etc. The potential liabiliity to the instructor for a student's injury or death has gone up dramatically over the past decasde. Both the actual COST, as well as the financial opportunity cost to deliver a QUALITY training course, far exceeds what people are currently paying for scuba training, and the reason is that Dive Instructing has remained nothing more than a "HOBBYIST'S TRADE", run by a bunch of children living in adult bodies. As long as instructors (and even more-so the training agencies NAUI, PADI, etc.) don't take themselves and their work seriously enough to charge WHAT THEY SHOULD for QUALITY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, to people who are serious about getting QUALITY training, then recreational scuba training will continue to have to be subsized by the instructors themselves. At the end of the day, IT IS NOT WORTH IT, to be a diving instructor these days. All the nice fluffy bull about "loving what you do" is nonsense. Sorry, but the REALITY of this needs to be said by someone with the balls to tell the unvarnished truth.

Do the math.....most instructors wind up making LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE; after all costs and fees are accounted for; and for what ? To work their a$$ off while accepting substantial liability for the safety, health, and eventual competence of their students, while often taking substantial risk themselves, and working laboriously in sometimes rather uncomfortable conditions.

I've been an instructor for more than 30 years, and have trained thousands of divers. I did it "part time" as well.....and "for the fun of it". To be completely honest....it wasn't really all that much fun. I quit instructing last year because I'm FED UP with this broken business model. I too taught diving because I LOVE the sport....but you have to realize that this sport doesn't LOVE YOU back. If you put your heart and soul into something like this, while then accepting getting ripped off of your time and effort, the enjoyment eventually evaporates. The only people making a decent income from diving, are the liability insurance providors, and the training agencies. As one who has been passionate about this sport since the 1970s, while being one who understands economics and business....I unequivocally, and unapologetically say that being a diving instructor nowadays is a JOKE, and is a WASTE of your time, energy, and efforts, and if you LOVE diving and are serious about this sport; than go and DIVE.....but don't waste your time teaching.....it is a pain in the arse and will cost you far more money than you'll make with it. If you want to "make money" diving, then go to commercial diving school and go to work in the oil and gas industry as a REAL PROFESSIONAL diver, in an industruy that REALLY RECOGNIZES and REWARDS professionalism.

The recreational dive industry doesn't REWARD excellent instructors.....it EXPLOITS them. This is the fault of the dive training agencies, and their liability insurers. If they had half a brain; dive training would be priced according to minimum suggested retail pricing standards, just like any other BRANDED product or service sold in the market place.

In summary, if you really LOVE to dive....then go and DIVE, but don't teach....you'll be wasting your time. Except for the training part, diving is a very expensive sport (in terms of equipment, travel, etc.). So, you are far better off entering some vocation or profession that PAYS YOU a FAIR income, so that you can have enough financial resources to actually DIVE. If you think that being a dive instructor will somehow subsidize the cost of your diving activity.....you are mistaken, it doesn't. It will COST you far more to teach diving, than you will ever earn from it.​

 

[herbdb]

Wow! Feel better getting that off your chest?

Talk to someone who is a flight instructor, sailing instructor or as you mentioned ski instructor. No difference. Its hard to make a good living teaching recreational activities unless you own/operate a company where that is just part of the income.

The airport fixed base operator and dive shop owner does OK. Their instructors have another job or get food stamps.

The instructors at my LDS seem to do it for love of the sport and enjoying sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. I wonder if they would have the same attitude if they had to do it all day, five or more days a week?

Some thing work better in small doses.

 

[k ellis]

Really ?? And why SHOULD diving be "affordable"....and to whom should it be "affordable"........to everyone? Is everyone entitled to quality scuba training from a seasoned and dedicated professional for next to nothing in return?

And you say that people will leave diving in favor of some other hobby because an entry level course costs more than a few hundred $$ ??

That's nonsense.......Have you been to an alpine ski area lately. A 3-day lift ticket at Killington and two 1-hour ski lessons delivered from some pre-pubescent high-school kid that took a 3-day instructor course at the lodge....costs well over $500.

THey have LINES of people willing to pay that kind of money.

Do you actually think that SCUBA instructors who conduct a 30-hour course plus 5 training dives (another 12 - 16 hours' work) to 4 or 5 students, at $300 per head is "priced too high" ? If you believe that, you should join the Obama administration's illiterate economic advisory team. Scuba training courses cost the same today, as they did 15 years ago, yet in the same time-span, housing has more than doubled, the price of gas has tripled, insurance has more than doubled, etc. The potential liabiliity to the instructor for a student's injury or death has gone up dramatically over the past decasde. Both the actual COST, as well as the financial opportunity cost to deliver a QUALITY training course, far exceeds what people are currently paying for scuba training, and the reason is that Dive Instructing has remained nothing more than a "HOBBYIST'S TRADE", run by a bunch of children living in adult bodies. As long as instructors (and even more-so the training agencies NAUI, PADI, etc.) don't take themselves and their work seriously enough to charge WHAT THEY SHOULD for QUALITY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, to people who are serious about getting QUALITY training, then recreational scuba training will continue to have to be subsized by the instructors themselves. At the end of the day, IT IS NOT WORTH IT, to be a diving instructor these days. All the nice fluffy bull about "loving what you do" is nonsense. Sorry, but the REALITY of this needs to be said by someone with the balls to tell the unvarnished truth.

Do the math.....most instructors wind up making LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE; after all costs and fees are accounted for; and for what ? To work their a$$ off while accepting substantial liability for the safety, health, and eventual competence of their students, while often taking substantial risk themselves, and working laboriously in sometimes rather uncomfortable conditions.

I've been an instructor for more than 30 years, and have trained thousands of divers. I did it "part time" as well.....and "for the fun of it". To be completely honest....it wasn't really all that much fun. I quit instructing last year because I'm FED UP with this broken business model. I too taught diving because I LOVE the sport....but you have to realize that this sport doesn't LOVE YOU back. If you put your heart and soul into something like this, while then accepting getting ripped off of your time and effort, the enjoyment eventually evaporates. The only people making a decent income from diving, are the liability insurance providors, and the training agencies. As one who has been passionate about this sport since the 1970s, while being one who understands economics and business....I unequivocally, and unapologetically say that being a diving instructor nowadays is a JOKE, and is a WASTE of your time, energy, and efforts, and if you LOVE diving and are serious about this sport; than go and DIVE.....but don't waste your time teaching.....it is a pain in the arse and will cost you far more money than you'll make with it. If you want to "make money" diving, then go to commercial diving school and go to work in the oil and gas industry as a REAL PROFESSIONAL diver, in an industruy that REALLY RECOGNIZES and REWARDS professionalism.

The recreational dive industry doesn't REWARD excellent instructors.....it EXPLOITS them. This is the fault of the dive training agencies, and their liability insurers. If they had half a brain; dive training would be priced according to minimum suggested retail pricing standards, just like any other BRANDED product or service sold in the market place.

In summary, if you really LOVE to dive....then go and DIVE, but don't teach....you'll be wasting your time. Except for the training part, diving is a very expensive sport (in terms of equipment, travel, etc.). So, you are far better off entering some vocation or profession that PAYS YOU a FAIR income, so that you can have enough financial resources to actually DIVE. If you think that being a dive instructor will somehow subsidize the cost of your diving activity.....you are mistaken, it doesn't. It will COST you far more to teach diving, than you will ever earn from it.[/LEFT]

Wow a little bitter over the price. I stand by my statement though unless americans make minimum wage 200 dollars an hour then its not bad that they are charging under 200 dollars a cert here. the reality is the over price and over value people put on both themselves and their product is whats killing America. Do you really think gas cost almost 4.00 a gallon? If it did then the oil companies would not be boast record profits. But someone thinks it does and as a result every one else suffers. Yes life is good for that one person on top and the company itself though.

Diving is what it is and that is a recreational sport. I am getting into diving and looking to become an instructor so I can help people enjoy this sport not buy a new BMW every week and if that hurts peoples feelings then sorry. I know the real value of time and its not monetary. Its the priceless memories we make in life and the relaxation we get away from every day life. Its making life long friends who will be there when you need them most not hate you because you caused them financial hardships so they too could enjoy life.

Yes diving agencies exploit both divemasters and instructors but do you not suspect that we already know this. We are coming back for more so obviously there is something bringing us back besides the dream of eternal wealth.

As I have said before I am for affordable and will always be despite others beliefs. I am for the average guy coming to me learning something that will help him love life and not hate it. I am also for the family who dives together and loves it. It provides them a time to be together as a family and excercise together. Id rather loose money and see some family grow up and their kids achieve something in life rather then watch the parents sit at the tv all day and the kids playing exbox and breaking into houses all the time.

Sorry your bitter about the subject but you stated your opinion this is just mine

 

[Mayor]

Really, affordable training sounds like discounted training that makes me think somethings missing... What's missing?

Wow a little bitter over the price. I stand by my statement though unless americans make minimum wage 200 dollars an hour then its not bad that they are charging under 200 dollars a cert here. the reality is the over price and over value people put on both themselves and their product is whats killing America. Do you really think gas cost almost 4.00 a gallon? If it did then the oil companies would not be boast record profits. But someone thinks it does and as a result every one else suffers. Yes life is good for that one person on top and the company itself though.Diving is what it is and that is a recreational sport. I am getting into diving and looking to become an instructor so I can help people enjoy this sport not buy a new BMW every week and if that hurts peoples feelings then sorry. I know the real value of time and its not monetary. Its the priceless memories we make in life and the relaxation we get away from every day life. Its making life long friends who will be there when you need them most not hate you because you caused them financial hardships so they too could enjoy life.Yes diving agencies exploit both divemasters and instructors but do you not suspect that we already know this. We are coming back for more so obviously there is something bringing us back besides the dream of eternal wealth.As I have said before I am for affordable and will always be despite others beliefs. I am for the average guy coming to me learning something that will help him love life and not hate it. I am also for the family who dives together and loves it. It provides them a time to be together as a family and excercise together. Id rather loose money and see some family grow up and their kids achieve something in life rather then watch the parents sit at the tv all day and the kids playing exbox and breaking into houses all the time.Sorry your bitter about the subject but you stated your opinion this is just mine

 

[Thalassamania]

Wow! Feel better getting that off your chest?

Talk to someone who is a flight instructor, sailing instructor or as you mentioned ski instructor. No difference. Its hard to make a good living teaching recreational activities unless you own/operate a company where that is just part of the income.

The airport fixed base operator and dive shop owner does OK. Their instructors have another job or get food stamps.

The instructors at my LDS seem to do it for love of the sport and enjoying sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. I wonder if they would have the same attitude if they had to do it all day, five or more days a week?

Some thing work better in small doses.

I know a few Golf Pros, some Tennis Pros, some Martial Arts types, even a Bowling Pro, all of whom make enough money to afford a modest home, feed their family, drive a decent (if older) car, etc. That's way more than most dive shop instructors will ever see.

Wow a little bitter over the price. I stand by my statement though unless americans make minimum wage 200 dollars an hour then its not bad that they are charging under 200 dollars a cert here. the reality is the over price and over value people put on both themselves and their product is whats killing America. Do you really think gas cost almost 4.00 a gallon? If it did then the oil companies would not be boast record profits. But someone thinks it does and as a result every one else suffers. Yes life is good for that one person on top and the company itself though.

Diving is what it is and that is a recreational sport. I am getting into diving and looking to become an instructor so I can help people enjoy this sport not buy a new BMW every week and if that hurts peoples feelings then sorry. I know the real value of time and its not monetary. Its the priceless memories we make in life and the relaxation we get away from every day life. Its making life long friends who will be there when you need them most not hate you because you caused them financial hardships so they too could enjoy life.

Yes diving agencies exploit both divemasters and instructors but do you not suspect that we already know this. We are coming back for more so obviously there is something bringing us back besides the dream of eternal wealth.

As I have said before I am for affordable and will always be despite others beliefs. I am for the average guy coming to me learning something that will help him love life and not hate it. I am also for the family who dives together and loves it. It provides them a time to be together as a family and excercise together. Id rather loose money and see some family grow up and their kids achieve something in life rather then watch the parents sit at the tv all day and the kids playing exbox and breaking into houses all the time.

Sorry your bitter about the subject but you stated your opinion this is just mine

The price inflation is not coming from the wage demands of the teaching staff, though I agree with your concept of "over price and over value,: but perhaps not in the same way that you mean it. The problem is that it is so easy to become a diving instructor that the credential has little or no value, except perhaps to the individual holding it. The most capable instructor in the world, as long as he or she remains tied to the dive shop/Certification agency monopoly will never be able to make a decent living. All the folks that I know who are both involved in diving and make a respectable living (let's, for the sake of discussion set that at twice the minimum wage) with benefits do so bey either moving up the ladder in the monopoly (moving away from instruction and becoming a manager, sales rep, etc.) or by working in one of the few and far between situations that are available outside of the monopoly (e.g., photographer, University Diving Safety Officer, Aquarium Curator, etc.) but even then it is a matter of applying ancillary skills to the diving ... I don't know anyone who makes more than a meager living as a Diving Instructor.

 

[herbdb]

At my sons Karate studio the only full timer is the owner/instructor. He has about a dozen part timers who have other jobs. Well paid golf pros are those who were on the professional circuit or they also run the pro shop. I suspect the same is true for tennis. A retired pro can do it, but the hobbiest turned instructor not so much.