A Scuba Diving Instructor Salary Explained - How much do Dive Instructors earn?

[rjack321]

Think the name "course director" says it all.

Why is it that football players aren't directors or managers? That's because they have the skills whilst the directors get on with the shouting and ordering pencils.

The course directors are writing the standards and supervising the numpties that are paying crazy money to get into the highest tiers of the pyramid. They are the gate keepers and the only ones actually making a reasonable living

 

[rvojr]

The course directors are writing the standards and supervising the numpties that are paying crazy money to get into the highest tiers of the pyramid. They are the gate keepers and the only ones actually making a reasonable living

Is there a course director for each course for each agency or is it more of a region that they cover for ?

 

[TMHeimer]

Is there a course director for each course for each agency or is it more of a region that they cover for ?

I believe at least for PADI it is simply the highest "rank". Not specific to one course, agency, etc. I believe there are just so many openings each year or time period, etc. and Master Instructors apply, then do the Course Director Course. They train instructors.
Need an expert to be more exact on the procedure.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I believe at least for PADI it is simply the highest "rank". Not specific to one course, agency, etc. I believe there are just so many openings each year or time period, etc. and Master Instructors apply, then do the Course Director Course. They train instructors.
Need an expert to be more exact on the procedure.

What is the cost of the PADI CD course now? About 5 years ago, I was told it was $15K by someone who went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

That's quite an investment.

 

[rjack321]

Is there a course director for each course for each agency or is it more of a region that they cover for ?

A course director is more like an agency VP. They approve who becomes instructors to instructors (the most lucrative courses of all) so they are at the top of the ponzi pyramid

 

[boulderjohn]

A course director is more like an agency VP. They approve who becomes instructors to instructors (the most lucrative courses of all) so they are at the top of the ponzi pyramid

Eventually someone will get this right.

Course Directors train instructor candidates. They are certified by Instructor Examiners.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’m not an instructor, but it sounds to me like this is the perfect storm for classic exploitation.
You have an industry that is not necessarily in high demand, retail prices seem to have stagnated to some degree and/or are at about the max for what the public perceives as doable for dive instruction based on the average and the most popular locations for getting certified. You have a glut of instructors that are willing to work for literally nothing or next to nothing by today’s standards because it’s considered a hobby fun job. You could make way more working at Starbucks.
As @boulderjohn said, there ten people in line that will take your job if you don’t want to do it. Take it or leave it. It’s all based on the laws of supply and demand.
Why would they pay more if they don’t have to? It’s a business. Maximize profits, minimize expenditures.
If people were stampeding to get certified with skyrocket prices for OW and instructors were scarce, it would be entirely different.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Why would they pay more if they don’t have to? It’s a business. Maximize profits, minimize expenditures.
If people were stampeding to get certified with skyrocket prices for OW and instructors were scarce, it would be entirely different.

Quality? But yes, given the false equivalency of all courses, consumers go just on price most of the time. There is a disincentive to produce quality instructors who are not sand dwellers.

To some degree, It depends on what segment of the market a business targets. Most target the lowest common denominator.

 

[rjack321]

Eventually someone will get this right.

Course Directors train instructor candidates. They are certified by Instructor Examiners.

Yep instructor examiner would be the tippy toppest of the ponzi scheme

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Yep instructor examiner would be the tippy toppest of the ponzi scheme

Not really. The bar is really low. You have to be a real screwball to fail. I'd expect the correlation to taking more that 4 years to finish high school and failing the IE is pretty high (that's a joke people).