Divemaster Information

[abitton]

Can one take non-certified divers out for a shallow OW dive when a DM?

Just wondering...

 

[SadiesMom]

Hi, myself and my partner have been offered the chance to work on a boat next summer in exchange for logged dives and training to divemaster and possibly instructor level. We are very keen to do this and hope it will offer us a better way of life. I like to have things planned out, so am asking for peoples advice on the best way to go about getting work once we are qualified. Is it as easy as turning up in a resort and going straight to boats and asking?

As far as your hoping that DM and/or instructor will offer you and your partner "a better way of life" that depends on how you define it. If you define it by money, that's unlikely. However, if you love to dive and can subsist on a relatively small amount of money and a lot of hard work, you may well just be on the right track .

I primarily work assisting instructors with teaching - every time I take on a class, however, I lose money. It costs me more in gas back and forth to the pool and checkout dive sites than I make. But I really *love* working with the students and for now, it's a tax writeoff - that won't last forever, but for a couple of years, I can do it. By then, hopefully I'll take the IDC/IE and at least make enough as an instructor to cover my costs and show a *small* profit. I've wanted to teach diving pretty much since I started diving myself - it's a great fit for me, since I love to teach and I love to dive.

A lot of IDCs have placement services to help you find that first job once you're an instructor - you may want to look for one that does. In talking to instructors and DMs on liveaboards, I found that many of them seem to have a kind of "network" developed through travelling where they hear about other jobs available - once you get that first job, you'll be involved in that network and if travelling and working as an instructor/DM is your goal, you should start hearing about other opportunities once you're working. Remember, though that many countries require work permits...

Best of luck to you...

 

[wetrat]

Hey there ruthpenaluna! Welcome to SB.

John

 

[ruthpenaluna]

Thanks for your advice. My idea of a better way of life is to do something I really enjoy, at the minute I work in a very stressful environment which i do not want to be part of for the next 30 odd years.

Is it a common occurence for a dive centre to offer you accomadation and 1 meal with a very minimal wage? As long as we have money to live and get from A to B that is all am bothered about, surely DM jobs will cover this?

 

[Scubaliz]

I say this:
Until you get your DM cert, do whatever you need to in return to keep getting free training, to keep getting free diving, free rentals, whatever. Once you are a DM, however, never work for a shop for free in return for diving (unless you really want to!). Any reputible shop will pay you a wage for DMing, and any decent instructor will either pay you or work out an exchange for certifying you for specialties for free if you've earned them. I would do that with an instructor while working at a shop that paid me. You have the opportunity to take people on tours. Use it! Ask the shops in town if they can put you on their DM lists, (lots of shops use DMs as independant contractors) as any dive shops will ususally get constant calls about local dive tours and such. Once they're in a bind, they'll call you to fill in and then you're in. Good luck. Don't let shops take advantage of your hard earned certifications. Unless they're paying for your instructor cert and insurance too, in which case (and that's a rare find, my friend) play $***** all you can. Hah