Becoming a dive professional in Texas

[Trevor JC Brown]

Hello All,
I am writing this for a friend of mine, he is quite sick of his job and I, being a dive instructor for most of my life, recommended that he try the same.

He has never dove before and lives close to Austin.

I am looking for some advice on how he should approach this in Texas, I am Canadian and have never dove or worked in Texas and know nothing about the dive scene there.

In Canada there are many work/school programs that offer student loans to become a dive instructor, does anyone know if there are similar programs in Texas?

Any recommendations on a dive shop to get started with? I am wary of the dive centers that offer free training for work, maybe it's better in the USA but overseas those programs aren't great.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Cap335]

Well first things first find out if he likes diving, how close to Austin? To make a living in diving business you really need to work full time at a store or a lake teaching is just a way to cover some of your expences

 

[halocline]

You're giving your friend really bad career advice. Tell him to take up diving as a hobby, that's really what it is. In TX, like almost anywhere except dive destinations, it's almost impossible to make even a meager living teaching diving. The dive shop owners are having a tough enough time getting by.

 

[Phil_218]

I live in Austin and work for Scubaland Adventures. If your friend is still looking to get into the field he/she should contact the store owner, Rob. He is looking to hire full or part time help for the store. Our phone number is 512-323-6999.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

What did your friend decide? I agree with those that say diving is a hobby in TX. As a long-time Austin DM, I'm lucky to pay off annual insurance and gas money with tips. Instructors are paid, but they don't make much profit either - summer has enough classes to make mediocre money, but the rest of the year may not be enough to break even on costs, like insurance and gear.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Carl Griffing in the Houston area is a high-quality recreational, technical, and cave instructor who makes a living in the Texas dive industry. He manages Sea Sports Scuba in Katy, TX. Might be worth a trip for your friend to pick his brain.

 

[ReefHound]

Carl Griffing in the Houston area is a high-quality recreational, technical, and cave instructor who makes a living in the Texas dive industry. He manages Sea Sports Scuba in Katy, TX. Might be worth a trip for your friend to pick his brain.

Fortunate to call Carl a friend. He's one of the few here who have made it a fulltime career by scrapping and hustling and being able to teach just about anything to anyone. Open water will not be enough. Tech divers don't expect quality instruction for $5/hour.

 

[mcohen1021]

is your friend independently wealthy? I hope so, otherwise he's going to starve.