NEW to diving

[ibro216]

i'm considering in taking diving courses to become a master diver, i would like input on what cetertification
that will get me a job in diving. I noticed everbody talking about you got have this cert.... no you gott have this
cert to qualify. I would like to know the number one crucial cert i need to start in diving career first, i dont care if it takes years. I'm willing to do the all the dives and training to further my scope in diving. I know this post is long
but i need advice from all my master diver's on here. I live in MN so i am also looking for training and cost inquiry.

 

[Angelo Farina]

If you have passion, it will be a nice journey!
I wish you the best!
The 5 years I worked as DM - Scuba Instructor were probably the best of my life.
Had been possible, I had continued doing that life (we call it "the other life") for many more years.
The problem was (and, from what I read here, is still today) that the wages are low, and maintaining a whole family was impossible.
In those 5 years also my wife was doing the same job (we are both instructors), so we did survive. But then we made sons, which cost a lot of money, and of course she could not dive anymore while pregnant...
So we have to switch to a more "normal" life, gone are the years when we were spending periods of 2-3 months at Maldives, or in small Mediterranean islands in wonderful resorts.
At the time, it did take me almost 4 years for becoming instructor. I do not know now, it depends on the agency. but in general it is a long and expensive path. Perhaps stopping at DM is shorter. Be prepared to the time required and the money to spend. For me, it was fully worth the effort, even if I managed to work just 5 years.

 

[ibro216]

If you have passion, it will be a nice journey!
I wish you the best!
The 5 years I worked as DM - Scuba Instructor were probably the best of my life.
Had been possible, I had continued doing that life (we call it "the other life") for many more years.
The problem was (and, from what I read here, is still today) that the wages are low, and maintaining a whole family was impossible.
In those 5 years also my wife was doing the same job (we are both instructors), so we did survive. But then we made sons, which cost a lot of money, and of course she could not dive anymore while pregnant...
So we have to switch to a more "normal" life, gone are the years when we were spending periods of 2-3 months at Maldives, or in small Mediterranean islands in wonderful resorts.
At the time, it did take me almost 4 years for becoming instructor. I do not know now, it depends on the agency. but in general it is a long and expensive path. Perhaps stopping at DM is shorter. Be prepared to the time required and the money to spend. For me, it was fully worth the effort, even I managed to work just 5 years.

Angelo

I am single and don't plan to have kids, also i don't want to be a teacher. Arent there other avenues in scuba diving besides instructor?
also whats the best agency to get training from, does it depend on location?
I would like to be not a instructor but something to that level and earn at least a wage for a single man. I am a minimalist and don't spend alot of money, to me the traveling and change of work environment aka some degree freedom is what i'm after.

 

[Gareth J]

Angelo

I am single and don't plan to have kids, also i don't want to be a teacher. Arent there other avenues in scuba diving besides instructor?
also whats the best agency to get training from, does it depend on location?
I would like to be not a instructor but something to that level and earn at least a wage for a single man. I am a minimalist and don't spend alot of money, to me the traveling and change of work environment aka some degree freedom is what i'm after.

There are industries where divers are used. As a general rule, diving is an additional skill. In much the same way that you might be a welder or fabricator, and drive to work to carryout a job. In the same way, you might dive to reach the harbour gate where a weld repair is required.
Even marine biology doesn't 'require' you to dive. First you are biologist, second you might dive as a secondary skill, or dive an ROV, or pilot a submarine, or you might only be based in a laboratory miles from the water!
Or you might be a photographer first, and a diver second, and combine these skills to do underwater photography.

In the recreational world. If you work with the public. Then generally you are an instructor, who might act as a guide. Whilst PADI DM is (within PADI) the lowest 'professional' qualification, and all that is required to act as a dive guide. A DM is bottom to the totem pole. As an employee, what you can do is limited. If you where an instructor, for the employer you are a more useful employe.
Similarly, often, if you are working in the diving industry. Being an instructor is not sufficient. Having additional skills, like equipment service technician. A Boat Coxswain qualification, etc, are all beneficial and make you a more valuable employee.
Those that act as Dive Guides on Liveaboards supplement their very low wage by offering training on trips. To do this they also need to be qualified instructors.


Hope that helps

 

[Angelo Farina]

I second entirely what Gareth J said. A "DM only" is just the first step of the ladder of professional jobs in the holidays scuba industry. It could be acceptable for people having another job, and working as DM only for having the possibility to dive at no cost. It would be very hard to get a full wage and living of it...
Before being hired, I had to provide full qualification. I am a three-stars CMAS instructor, I have the license for driving boats also outside the territorial waters, I have the license as a marine radio-telegraphist, I have the qualification for teaching swimming and finned swimming also to children (6 years old or older), and as a marine rescuer. My wife has similar qualifications, but she is qualified also for teaching swimming and "aquaticity" to very small children (below 6 years).
Despite these profiles, our wages were really low: we could survive only because, while at these nice resorts, we were given free lodging, free food and drink, some allowance for super-alcoholics, the "staff" clothes we had to wear all the day, and free transportation (a flight to Maldives is very expensive).
There were some lower-level "helpers", which were treated (by us) almost as slaves: we were the instructors, those guys were still working at their training, and albeit already DMs, they had to obey entirely to us.
I do not think they were paid at all. Probably they had to pay something for being allowed to stay at these resorts and being further trained by us, albeit they were operating as DMs under our control.
Last point: teaching is wonderful. Seeing people improving and learning from you is something really nice. It is what I am missing more from those 5 fabulous years. And after leaving "that life", I ended up teaching at the University. Which indeed is not on par as teaching scuba, the second is much better, for the stricter involvement, the responsibility on the life of your students, and the "connection" you can establish with them.

 

[loosenit2]

Master Diver is not commercial certification and is mostly a prestige rating in recreational diving with very few benefits.

If you want to make a living in diving there are limited options. You can go the instructor route, becoming a Divemaster (not master diver which is different) then progressing to instructor. Like all teaching jobs there is not a lot of money in this.

Alternatively you can go to a commercial diving school and do commercial/industrial diving. Best Commercial Diving Schools 2018 - LeisurePro

 

[ibro216]

Master Diver is not commercial certification and is mostly a prestige rating in recreational diving with very few benefits.

If you want to make a living in diving there are limited options. You can go the instructor route, becoming a Divemaster (not master diver which is different) then progressing to instructor. Like all teaching jobs there is not a lot of money in this.

Alternatively you can go to a commercial diving school and do commercial/industrial diving. Best Commercial Diving Schools 2018 - LeisurePro

Commercial/ Insustrial Diving in my area cost 16,000 for a course with 1,000 down payment, at this moment i can't afford that
are these the only options i have when it comes to career in diving. Either commeercial diving or instructor are the only routes?

 

[loosenit2]

Commercial/ Insustrial Diving in my area cost 16,000 for a course with 1,000 down payment, at this moment i can't afford that
are these the only options i have when it comes to career in diving. Either commeercial diving or instructor are the only routes?

More or less yes. You can try the odd job route, hustling to clean boats etc..but that requires a lot of hustle and is definitely not a living wage.

 

[Edward3c]

i'm considering in taking diving courses to become a master diver, i would like input on what cetertification
that will get me a job in diving. I noticed everbody talking about you got have this cert.... no you gott have this
cert to qualify. I would like to know the number one crucial cert i need to start in diving career first, i dont care if it takes years. I'm willing to do the all the dives and training to further my scope in diving. I know this post is long
but i need advice from all my master diver's on here. I live in MN so i am also looking for training and cost inquiry.

From a UK prospective, but its likely to be much the same in the US.

To get paid a wage diving you need to provide at least 2 things:
1. Qualifications to do the job, be that instructing, welding, construction, inspection, etc.
2. Provide experience of doing the job, few employers will take on someone inexperienced (catch 22: how do you get experience if you can’t get the job?)

If your want a small fortune from diving; start with a big one.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Well, if the teaching/instructor path does not appeal you, then there are schools for becoming a professional diver, for doing various UW activities such as welding, scraping boats or platforms, inspecting and repairing cables, placing explosives, etc.
I am in Italy, and the most famous school for this here is Istituto Rossi in Vicenza. In Italy the best schools are public, private schools are quite crap here (same as for Universities).
Hence following the one year post-diploma course at Istituto Rossi is substantially free. But of course you must already have a technical diploma, if not you have to follow the entire diploma course first (that is 5 years).
My instructor, named Fabio, did already hold a "geometra" diploma (some sort of junior civil engineer), so he was admitted and followed the one year course, and then worked a couple of years on gas platforms in Adriatic sea. Very hard work, staying underwater several hours per day with a narghile', scraping off mussels from the platform.
I and my wife went sometimes helping him, very very hard.
In less than 2 years, indeed, he had enough money for shutting that job, he opened a shop of diving equipment and started his new activity with good luck.
In the end, this is the third option: instructor, professional UW worker or owner of a shop...