Teaching for me was more of a passion and hobby and definitely not profitable at all in the form of tuition / fees. I was never independant and I taught for a shop. I also managed two shops which also did not pay very well.. My shop did not cover any of my insurance... I was PADI and my best friend was NAUI so we helped out each other in classes a lot.... If I could have done it all over again I think I would have gone the NAUI route as I just liked the curriculum and flexibility a bit better. But nothing wrong with PADI.
My main "compensation" was that I just loved it. Also, I took full advantage of the shop giving me key man pricing on gear, free services, free air etc. The other awesome compensation was setting up group trips where my wife and I would basically go for free as compensation for booking a group, filling a boat, etc. ... Did many trips to Bon, Little Cayman and Coz. Also, we did MANY trips up to the San Juans on the Starfire, and also up to BC on the original Nautilus VII and then the Explorer...
But the best compensation was simply the people and lifelong relationships that I made throughout the years that may have never happened were it not for teaching....
My main "compensation" was that I just loved it. Also, I took full advantage of the shop giving me key man pricing on gear, free services, free air etc. The other awesome compensation was setting up group trips where my wife and I would basically go for free as compensation for booking a group, filling a boat, etc. ... Did many trips to Bon, Little Cayman and Coz. Also, we did MANY trips up to the San Juans on the Starfire, and also up to BC on the original Nautilus VII and then the Explorer...
But the best compensation was simply the people and lifelong relationships that I made throughout the years that may have never happened were it not for teaching....