Going Pro

[RJP]

Oh, what about owning a dive shop? Is it so pathetic even if you are running your own dive center?

Combines the low compensation of being a dive professional with all the headaches of running your own business, with the added burden of owning a retail establishment.

A triple threat, so to speak.

:11:

 

[marsdiver]

Now you are joking cause I have dive shops in my area they do not look so miserable. There is almost 200 percent profit on an equip from mask to BCDs and I know few guys who run their own shop. Its not too bad. Probably you made all the bad choices in your career. My instructor, who is 48, is diving since he was 18 and still teahing it with lot of passion after 30 years and making decent money.

 

[ronbeau]

Now you are joking cause I have dive shops in my area they do not look so miserable. There is almost 200 percent profit on an equip from mask to BCDs and I know few guys who run their own shop. Its not too bad. Probably you made all the bad choices in your career. My instructor, who is 48, is diving since he was 18 and still teahing it with lot of passion after 30 years and making decent money.

I think you are overlooking the fact that most SCUBA equipment falls into the durable goods category. In other words, once people buy it they do not replace it very often. As a result your inventory turnover is not very high.

I see that you have an enineering background. I don't know wheter or not you took business courses within the your undergraduate or graduate studies. If not it might prove worthwhile before you jump into buying a dive shop.

Also, you have to consider the fact that you probably have never worked in or managed a dive shop. From the customer's perception it might appear very easy but they only see a fraction of what the dive shop owner does.

Also, from a bank's perspective you are an unknown quantity relative to opening a new SCUBA business if you have no expereience within that industry. This might make it difficult to get the startup capital for a SCUBA business since the lack of expereince adds an extra degree of risk from the banks perspective.

All of the inventory on the shelf has a carrying cost associated with it. You have fixed overhead such as the rent (or mortgage on the building if you own it). If you have actual employees you will spend plenty of time attending to government reporting requirements along with tax filings, OSHA requirements, unemployment insurance etc.

A lot of this sounds very similar to what you are trying to leave behind as an engineer.

You also might want to Google the phrase "Opportunity Cost". This is also a very important concept when trying to make a critical business decision. It will show you that you not only have to take into account your current salary, health insurance, 401-K, paid holidays, sick days, disability insurance, dental insurance etc.

No, I am not an accountant. I am software developer/project leader/systems consultant who also has an MBA. I design and develop business application software for one of the large engineering companies.

The people in this forum have given you some very solid advice. They are not trying to sabotage your dream. They are trying to make sure you consider all facets of your career switch to avoid making a descision that you may later regret.

My advice would be stick with your engineering career and pursue the dive instructor idea as a sideline.

If your current engineering job is not that satifisfying, spend time to determine exactly what it is that is making you dissatiisfied and research the steps to change that.

There are going to be bad days (or weeks) in the best of jobs. Just as panic in SCUBA diving can be dissasterous the same is true of panic career decisions.

In the end the decison is up to you AND your family.

I wish you the best of luck regardless of which decision you choose.

 

[RJP]

Probably you made all the bad choices in your career.

Nope - I head up marketing for a pharmaceutical company. Though these days that might not be seen as a great career choice...

 

[Doc]

 

[leapfrog]

How you can make a living diving...although you won't get rich!

1. Technical and Commercial diving. Very difficult, the courses are expensive and tough competition for jobs.
2. Yes, you CAN make money running a dive center with a shop attached, but I would advise you to get 10 years experience as an instructor and learning the business before you get involved.
3. With your engineering background, if you are a good salesperson, you could try to get a job working for an equipment manufacturer.
4. Working as a military or law enforcement diver.

 

[Garrobo]

RJP::Why not get a job for your wife, send the kids to gramma's for 6 months and try your hand at it. You'll find out pretty quickly if it's for you.

 

[emttim]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned doing SCUBA instruction part-time and then doing a regular job part-time or maybe full-time and instruction on weekends. Drive the students to the site? Give the dive shop most of the profit? Well, then don't work for a dive shop, work as an independent instructor. You give up some of the advantages that a dive shop has, however, you gain significant advantages too. As far as driving the people to the dive shop, especially if you're an independent instructor so you have control over it, you should be charging per the mile due to wear and tear on your vehicle and the current astronomical prices of fuel. Hell, every dive shop in my area, and my instructor who's an independent, just has you meet them at the dive site...they don't drive you there themselves, they expect you to be responsible as an adult and meet them there on time.

If people don't look at factors such as charging for fuel and/or having them drive themselves, or doing it independently, then shame on them for their lack of foresight. I see no reason why you couldn't make a decent amount of money on the weekends by teaching independently so you basically keep whatever doesn't go towards your own expenses, PADI certs, etc. Whatabout a place to teach the class? Well, figure it out. How about the pain of having them go to a dive shop to get the rentals? How tragic. Negotiate a deal with a dive shop and then use them exclusively...if your students actually like you, then you probably won't have to worry about the dive shop stealing them away for continuing ed classes. Just my two cents. Now I can just imagine the "oh, you don't have 5,000 dives in the same quarry, you don't know anything!" rhetoric start to fly...Marsdiver, I would advise you to look into this objectively, talk to people in the industry, etc. You will simply get too many negative, potentially inaccurate, comments/"advice"/etc. from people on here. Believe me, I already tried...it's a waste of time for the most part.

The only things I will agree with is that you will probably make more money as an engineer, especially since they are so well paid, and that having a family will prevent you from being able to do this as your only source of income since families definitely are not cheap. Opportunity cost is definitely something else to look at; are you ok with the lost wages that you could have made as an engineer to do this instead? Best of luck to you.

 

[Thalassamania]

I know of no "professional" instructors who do nothing but teach, guide or work in a shop and make what they see as an adequate living to support themselves and a family. Most instructors last less than three years and then find another line of work.

I do know of some shop managers and such who make a good living.

 

[zen_man]

Nice avatar Thal!

/end hijack

I think instructing on the weekends for a little extra cash and free diving may be the best way. Though, you never know what doors may open from there. Good luck, and I encourage you to pursue your goals.