are there jobs for freshly qualified Divemasters?

[b-man]

Hi guys,

I am leaving the UK and going to do my Divemaster's this year and hoping to make a new career out of it.

I guess mentally I am ready. I have finally got my finances in order, and my fitness is good and I have got to the point in my career where its logical to either start looking for managerial jobs or have a career change, so I am doing the latter!
However, its just occured to me that we are in a global recession and in most industries at the moment, its the people with experience and great CV's that are getting the work. I am suddenly aware that I may have some 3 months experience from a divemasters internship but thats really nothing compared to most people in the industry.

So I guess I am looking for some balanced views from you guys who are currently working in the industry in regard to whether I am being unrealistic about making a career change work.

so I guess my question is - how's the job market for newly qualified DM's at the moment?!

Also I dont seem to be able to find a ball park figure for a DM's salary?

cheers in advance,

Bman

 

[snowflake4727]

What salary? DM's make a salary?

 

[b-man]

:depressed:

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

First Congrats on starting your DM. Most "tropical" dive operators use Instructors as DM's and want someone experienced. You will have LONG days and will work seven days a week sometimes.
People only see the cool part of the job not the getting up early to fill tanks, get the boat ready, load the tanks on the boat and clean up puke if someone is seasick. After the tourists leave, you get to unload the tanks, clean the boat , fill the tanks. As far as pay I don't get any. I work for an independent instructor, so I don't get any dive shop perks. The shop we use does give me free air fills but that's about it. I don't do it for the money, I do it because I like helping new divers.

 

[b-man]

ah right - is this typically the case? I am thinking this might not work out quite as I had imagined then!!!

I'm happy with the hard work and long days, but I don't have any other form of income and would need to be paid if I was working 7 days a week.
Else how do you live??!

unless you get very good at fishing i guess

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I DM at home, not abroad, and this isn't my day job. In fact the instructor I work with is a hair dresser by day.
Some people who are instructors with a lot of experience can a make some what of a living.

The best advise I can give you is do your DM course at home and dive as much as you can to gain the experience you need to do the job. Once you have a few hundred dives under your belt, think again if this what you want to do?
Would you want someone with less than 50 dives to be responsible for your life underwater in a remote location?

 

[b-man]

hmm, I appreciate your point but UK diving in a dry suit in January isn't really gonna tick the boxes for me. I'm just not that hardcore. Maybe I need to toughen the hell up!

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

You may want to rethink the whole DM thing. I have to dive in a drysuit all year (Canada eh')
Some times I have to dive even if I really don't want to for various reasons because thats the job. Once about 4 years ago I had to do 7 dives in one day and be up the next day at 7:00 am ready to go again. You don't get to pick and choose waht dives you want to do.

 

[b-man]

Yep OWD, if it turns out your experiences are the norm across the globe then I definitely will have to rethink it, I unfortunately need a job that pays me at least something else I can't see how I will I ever fly home and visit my family!

 

[GoProHonduras]

Referring to the tropics/exotic locations, from my experience since I started working full time as an Instructor in the late 90's, and in Asia, Middle-East, Central America/Caribbean, I have seen very few paid positions for Divemasters, most positions as guides/Divemasters are taken by Instructors as they can guide and instruct.

Most live-aboards prefer to hire an Instructor to guide clients than just a Divemaster, as the Instructor on a live-aboard may also be teaching nitrox/digital photo.

In many countries in the tropics there is often more likely to be a local labor force that are qualified as Divemasters and get preference on the Divemaster/guide positions. However there is often a shortage of locally qualified Instructors hence why it is easier in some countries for foreign Instructors to find work.

Qualifying as a DM will probably allow you to trade off dives in exchange for helping out if your staying around long enough to get to know the dive sites and dive center protocols.

I have know a few of our Divemasters to find paid employment, soon after qualifying, but these are more the exception than the norm, again the reality in today's working climate (both dive industry and others) is finding employment is easier when over qualified!

Still the Divemaster course, and helping out after wards, is a great way to get your first professional qualification, and on the ladder, and get your dives up, experience assisting both students and divers, whilst figuring out if going on to become an Instructor is for you.