Why does every new diver want to be an instructor?

[Lorenzoid]

I have been taught to do a great many things; drive a car, ride a motorcycle, fly a plane, martial arts, boxing, close combat shooting, and several other fairly dangerous things. The thought never crossed my mind that I should start training to be an instructor of ANY of those things when I was just learning myself. I didn't even want to look past rescue as a diver for some time and many dives. This mindset of rapid advancement to be able to teach others to do the same is just scary.

Psst: The difference is that dive certification agencies make it EASY for pretty much ANYONE to become an instructor or at least a DM. (I didn't say "good" instructor.) It isn't really necessary for one to gain years of experience to become an instructor. In contrast, some of the activities you mention require years of study and practice to become good enough to instruct other people.

I think that some people see becoming certified as an instructor or DM as a way to feel good about themselves--becoming certified at SOMETHING. It's a trophy credential, and it's a much easier and faster credential to earn than, say, a "flight instructor" credential, and "divemaster"/"scuba instructor" sounds more prestigious than "driving instructor." People are attracted to doing easy things that make them feel good about themselves. Not everyone can be a rocket scientist, but pretty much anyone can be a DM or instructor. I think there are people who earn the credential first and THEN think about whether it's the career they really want.

 

[Christi]

Haven't read the whole thread - but as I said in another thread yesterday:

PADI has glamorized and glorified being a SCUBA Instructor. They've dumbed down the training standards to the point that they are actually putting DANGEROUS Instructors, DM's and divers out there. This if course has a trickle down effect and we end with poorly trained OW divers and more fatalities and accidents due to inadequate and improper training. I'll add, that this dumbing down of training and standards attracts more people and attracts people that have no business diving EVER - but because they get the hand shakes and the cheering section form the instructor after clearing their mask ONCE - they think they are ready to go! The new instructor only cares about getting his/her student counts up - sometimes they produce more bad divers in a year than they even have logged dives! Scary thought! I know instructors who have never even done an ocean dive!!!!

PADI's business model: glamorize being an instructor > put more instructors out there > more instructors means more certification fees, studenta materials, lost c-cards, c-card upgrades, etc. And from the other end of the spectrum: dumb down OW training > more divers > glamorize moving up the "ladder" and getting useless specialty certs and glamorize Master Scuba Diver (one I always laugh at) > more of the same above! It's a vicious cycle! I get it, they are in business to make money like everyone else and they found a way to manipulate and trick people into thinking or being told that they are "Advanced Divers" - this is a big chest thumping sport as we know - but safety seems not to matter! I take issue every time they dumb down the standards. I have actually decided NOT to renew my Teaching status this year!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

While I applaud your stance Christi there are agencies that would welcome your experience and expertise that don't go against your beliefs, morals, and ethics. We can't afford to lose good people when a simple crossover would allow you to make a real difference in the status quo.

 

[xyrandomyx]

People fall in love with diving. And so they wonder how they can do that all day every day. Becoming an instructor seems a natural solution. Agencies might capitalise on and feed that (unrealistic) dream, but I don't think they created it. Personally, I don't and never have wanted to become an instructor. I'm probably too cynical -- I always figured the pay's probably rubbish and the work far harder than it seems at first glance.

I'm still hoping to make millions at my day job, though, so I can dive all day every day with an entourage of tank-carrying, gear-rinsing minions...

Just cause. On the flip side, after 21 years, I might get my advanced o/w this year. Although my instructor says I've already done everything, he suggested I practice my compass skills a bit. I can't ever find the damn boat.

The boat is on the surface! If it's not on the surface, you have a problem that can't be solved with a compass.

 

[adutto]

If I may... I'd like to share with you what I felt, which was a similar sensation to a "Oh my god this is awesome, I need more, I want to make my living out of this". Although several years had pass by, and I know that I WON'T be doing pro Diving for a living I kept on studing and I'm taking my IDC next month ...

Here's the explanation behind the logic of wanting to make a living from diving, i post my case:

I am a Telecommunications Engineer, I have a MBA, I manage a team of Engineers, I can say that proffesionally speaking my life is good... BUT, my day-by-day interactions are ususally with:
- Customers that are frustrated and come to us with a problem, they are NOT happy
- The working environment is nothing like a beach or the sea
- My work is to solve PROBLEMS
- Hardly ever customers are greatful with your work, beacuse "it is what you are supposed to do"
- The customer/vendor relationship leaves little time for other social life

So, given this landscape, it will always seem that the people that live from diving don't have this problems. Seeing it from outside, looks like these 5 points don't exist in the diving industry (customers are normally happy people looking for a good time, your work evironment is normally a place where people take vacations, you are not solving problems all the time, if customers had a good experience they will be greatful, ...).

Whay everyone wants to be an Instructor as soon as they discover diving, this is why.

In my particular case, I'm studing more and more, because I'm a freaking geek... but somehow after 5 years and lots of divinf I'll make it to instructor (hopefully) next month, after that, I'll just keep on diving hehehe

I hope I helped solving the mistery here

 

[Arubandi07]

I have seen hundreds of posts that read something like, "I would like to learn to dive and become an instructor", or "I got certified last weekend and want to open a dive shop". Why do so many people feel the need to be an instructor in an activity that they are either very, very new to, or not even certified in? Why do so many new, or not even certified divers think that they could or should move in to the professional side of diving. Would they have hired an instructor to train them that started diving last month and just made the minimum required dives while on vacation to go from zero to hero? It drives me nuts!

I think it may be time to take a break from internet diving.

Put yourself in a Newbie's fins for a second: You take up diving and absolutely fall in love with it, ... no turning back, forget about everything else, this is the one thing you wanna be doing every day, for the rest of your life!! Unfortunately, unless you're independently wealthy, there's that pesky little issue of having to make a living ... Now, based on the apt descriptions provided by quite a few folks here, 'Dive Instructor' seems to be the 'easy button' within the realm of professional diving, so ...

Some posts ago, Bob put it best, "to be a good instructor, you have to love teaching", and to choose that profession for the sole purpose of somehow satisfying your new-found ' addiction' to diving is a selfish, irresponsible, and ultimately shortsighted decision ...

 

[lsorenson]

I have seen hundreds of posts that read something like, "I would like to learn to dive and become an instructor", or "I got certified last weekend and want to open a dive shop". Why do so many people feel the need to be an instructor in an activity that they are either very, very new to, or not even certified in? Why do so many new, or not even certified divers think that they could or should move in to the professional side of diving. Would they have hired an instructor to train them that started diving last month and just made the minimum required dives while on vacation to go from zero to hero? It drives me nuts!

I think it may be time to take a break from internet diving.

Personally, I think many of us did the same thing when we first picked up this sport and fell head over hells with it! Bitten by the bug and ready to take on the world! While this is new to them for those of you who have been diving for 15 years and a 1000 dives see it as silly...

Myself, a couple of exercises away from my DM... I wanted my DM to help with the classes, pool work, and generally enjoy introducing others to the sport. Whether I continue to Instructor is up in the air for a couple of reason but DM is my goal. As far as owning a shop goes, can't see it happening but...

lee

PS, I am sure several of us still think about owning a shop or that choice job of monitoring the migration of whale sharks in the India Ocean... But I also wanted to be a President back in grade school, a Pro football player, and then there was that time...!

Edited to add... I am a pretty fortunate person with a pretty good paying job... I am not expecting a nickle in return for helping from anyone...! Also, a couple of us started a Dive Club over this way and were starting our second year; in the middle of nowhere... (NC coast is not that far away... @ 5 hours)

 

[xyrandomyx]

...

Some posts ago, Bob put it best, "to be a good instructor, you have to love teaching", and to choose that profession for the sole purpose of somehow satisfying your new-found ' addiction' to diving is a selfish, irresponsible, and ultimately shortsighted decision ...

I don't know too many dive instructors, but I know quite a few teachers in other fields. Many of them got into it accidentally -- wannabe musicians who ended up teaching music, others who just needed to pay their bills while saving for further studies. They didn't realise they'd love teaching, but they do. And aside from a love of teaching, a passion for your subject goes a long way (it tends to be infectious). So sometimes it can work out well...

 

[Arubandi07]

I don't know too many dive instructors, but I know quite a few teachers in other fields. Many of them got into it accidentally -- wannabe musicians who ended up teaching music, others who just needed to pay their bills while saving for further studies. They didn't realise they'd love teaching, but they do. And aside from a love of teaching, a passion for your subject goes a long way (it tends to be infectious). So sometimes it can work out well...

Sometimes ... But - and no disrespect - that remote possibility doesn't really go to the point I was making ... Totally understand what you're saying though, ... just check my profile, and you'll know why ...

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't know too many dive instructors, but I know quite a few teachers in other fields. Many of them got into it accidentally -- wannabe musicians who ended up teaching music, others who just needed to pay their bills while saving for further studies. They didn't realise they'd love teaching, but they do. And aside from a love of teaching, a passion for your subject goes a long way (it tends to be infectious). So sometimes it can work out well...

Hmm. Sounds a bit like me. I was a performance major and decided to take music ed. classes to get into a career where I could actually make a living. One classmate suggested to the prof. that those who want to play shouldn't take music ed. because A) they're not really dedicated to teaching and B)they could take jobs from those who are. I wound up enjoying MOST of my teaching career and would probably still be washing dishes at age 58 to support my "dream" (was it?) of being a performer. Of course, you CAN make a decent living with a teaching job without jumping through whatever hoops for years that a scuba instructor may have to. But I do agree with Bob's point as well-- It is selfish to get into any kind of teaching just because you happen to love the subject. You have to understand what teaching is really all about.