DM Pay

[TMHeimer]

Forgive me for revisiting a topic that has been discussed to death.
I came across this in an old issue of Dive Training in an article by Linda Lee Walden--

"The general category of recreational dive industry professional encompasses all those who receive compensation for their work and, in North America at least, are required to carry professional liability insurance".
We all know about the insurance.
I know there are those who will define "compensation" as almost anything--free air, discounts, working for tips only, etc.
If I were a non-diver lay person, I would interpret compensation as being paid money by a boss.
I personally don't regard as a professional anyone who works and doesn't get paid money, regardless of an agency giving them that title.

Don't think there is much to discuss here (it's all been said). Just thought it was an interesting quote.

 

[TMHeimer]

[QUOTE= double post

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Divemaster Pay is an oxymoron.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Free air, beyond the air used for working dives, I would call a perk and not compensation. Like Keyman pricing on gear. Even there, it’s assumed you will use that gear for working dives and as advertisement for the shops gear sales so it’s even less of a perk when you break it down.

 

[michael-fisch]

DM Pay ?
How much are they now having to pay to work for free?
Back in my day, after everybody else got done eating, we got to lick the plates.
Michael

 

[Scraps]

"Professional" means a lot of things. It can refer to specialized training required to do a job, it can refer to being paid to engage in an activity most people do on a recreational basis, and it can refer to the conscientious manner in which someone performs a task in accordance with best practices.

Getting paid well isn't a necessary part of any of those meanings.

As a general rule, it's very difficult to make a living doing something that millions of people love to do for free or at great expense to themselves. This rule applies to writers, musicians, athletes of every sort, skiers, surfers, anybody who races anything, crossword puzzle enthusiasts, actors, dancers, and beer tasters. For all these groups and many others, the median net income is zero.

I think most divemasters and dive instructors (at least the ones who don't take the plunge to buy a shop or a charter boat) quickly acquire a pretty realistic idea of their earning potential, but that realistic view does not dissuade them from approaching their jobs with a professional level of commitment. Many aim no higher than to dive locally for free or to earn enough to cover some of the cost of gear, continuing education, and dive travel. Those modest financial aspirations do not make them less professional or less than professional.

That's why I don't think it's disingenuous or dishonest to refer to divemasters or dive instructors as professionals or to promote professional standards and levels of care among them.

 

[Altamira]

If you think DM/Instructor compensation is horrible now, just wait for the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic to fully materialize. More DMs and instructors will be competing for fewer positions available as we see more dive shops and charters that may not be able to recover. No doubt, a significant number of SB divers will flock to dive ops/charters as soon as the restrictions are lifted, but I think dive professionals will continue to have a very hard time because diving and dive travel will be luxuries many millions of infrequent and vacation divers will no longer be able to afford.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

DM pay?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, you were serious? DMs are rarely paid. I'll pay DMs who assist in my courses if they don't require any training.

"Living the dream" is a pipe dream.

 

[W W Meixner]

Forgive me for revisiting a topic that has been discussed to death.
I came across this in an old issue of Dive Training in an article by Linda Lee Walden--

"The general category of recreational dive industry professional encompasses all those who receive compensation for their work and, in North America at least, are required to carry professional liability insurance".
We all know about the insurance.
I know there are those who will define "compensation" as almost anything--free air, discounts, working for tips only, etc.
If I were a non-diver lay person, I would interpret compensation as being paid money by a boss.
I personally don't regard as a professional anyone who works and doesn't get paid money, regardless of an agency giving them that title.

Don't think there is much to discuss here (it's all been said). Just thought it was an interesting quote.

TM...

In Canada...the Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Acts...define what a worker is...and in order to be classified as a worker...and to be protected as a worker in the Act(s)...you have to receive money...free air/chickens/bags of flour...don't cut it...

Anyone going to work as a ''Professional"...in any field...would want to be on the ''Employers'' payroll/with an employees payroll number ...receive an Employers pay cheque...and receive all correct payroll deductions...

By doing so...''the worker''...is protected by Provincial ''Workers Compensation Boards''...under the ''Employers Workers Compensation Coverage...and in accordance with Workers Compensation Board Acts...

If you are not on the ''Employers'' payroll and still receive ''money''...you are being considered an ''Independent Operator/Contractor''...and ''may'' be responsible for all your own workers compensation coverage...as well as all your own tax/other deductions...

As a worker...you can get hurt/critically injured/killed on a dive boat just as you can in any other workplace...and as a worker you need to ensure you are ''entitled to accident/injury coverage...

To be doing anything to the contrary...as far as ''work/worker'' is concerned...whether it's scuba...or anything else...is playing a dangerous game that will eventually leave you in a world of hurt...

Countries...as well as...various jurisdictions within countries have different ''Workers Compensation Systems''...and if you're a ''worker'' as defined by your local laws...you need to ensure you're ''under the umbrella''...

This topic has always been a discussion concern with divers wishing to enter ''professional status''...after spending all the money to be considered a trained/certified Professional ...only to end up working for ''free air'' and shop discounts...this system is called ''exchange of favors''...one party gets exactly what it wants...and the other party gets screwed...

Thank you...no...

W.M...

 

[lowflyer]

There are many definitions of the word "professional."

In my view a DM assisting a class, irrespective of his compensation, is a professional. Certainly a personal injury lawyer would consider the DM a professional and go after him if a student got injured no matter what his compensation might be.

In the US this means high premiums for the DM unless the "shop" can prove they are covering the DM. In my case I didn't trust the shop to be doing that. Too many loop holes.

For me the compensation was the fun working with students, free air and reduced cost of some gear. I think that made me a "professional", though apparently not in Canada. Finally the cost of insurance to cover my assets far outweighed the compensation.