Can I jump start my career as a PADI certified Scuba Instructor?

[T.C.]

First, get experience. Experience diving, Experience teaching, and experience working with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures, especially if you intend to work overseas. Figure out where you want to be, and get experience with the local language.

But first, you need to learn to dive. 10 dives means you know how to survive underwater, and somehow return to the surface without dying. It does not mean you know how to dive. Learn to control your bouyancy, until it's perfect. Learn the basic skills, until you can do them without thinking. You MUST master the basics. And finally, learn all the specialties you can. That's going to be expensive, but it'll set you up as a better qualified instructor.

Then, learn to teach. Teaching is not just repeating what's in the book. I can make a parrot do that. LEARN the material, learn the basis behind it. Learn to present it in interesting, imaginative formats, and learn to let the students teach themselves. You'll be mainly teaching adults, and no one likes to sit in class and learn how to use a compass from Powerpoint. They'll be texting on their cellphones inside 5 minutes. Go outside and make them navigate around the building and tell you the compass bearings. Diving is a hands-on skill. Learn to teach it that way. Learn to teach to a very diverse audience; you can't use the same approach to a 40-year old brain surgeon as you would a 18 year old kid who barely graduated the worst high school in town.

There is no money in being a dive master or instructor, so get a good job and then spend your money travelling the world diving.

There are thousands of people who live and work as dive masters and instructors. Everything is not about money it's about being happy.

You know the difference between a Dive Instructor and a Large pepperoni pizza?

A pizza can feed a family of four.

Like it our not, you need money. You do have to eat. If you're going to work at a popular diving area, you may also want to start working on your Captain's License. Driving a boat may not be *fun*, but it helps to get a job.

 

[MilwaukeeDan]

First, get experience. Experience diving, Experience teaching, and experience working with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures, especially if you intend to work overseas. Figure out where you want to be, and get experience with the local language.

But first, you need to learn to dive. 10 dives means you know how to survive underwater, and somehow return to the surface without dying. It does not mean you know how to dive. Learn to control your bouyancy, until it's perfect. Learn the basic skills, until you can do them without thinking. You MUST master the basics. And finally, learn all the specialties you can. That's going to be expensive, but it'll set you up as a better qualified instructor.

Then, learn to teach. Teaching is not just repeating what's in the book. I can make a parrot do that. LEARN the material, learn the basis behind it. Learn to present it in interesting, imaginative formats, and learn to let the students teach themselves. You'll be mainly teaching adults, and no one likes to sit in class and learn how to use a compass from Powerpoint. They'll be texting on their cellphones inside 5 minutes. Go outside and make them navigate around the building and tell you the compass bearings. Diving is a hands-on skill. Learn to teach it that way. Learn to teach to a very diverse audience; you can't use the same approach to a 40-year old brain surgeon as you would a 18 year old kid who barely graduated the worst high school in town.


You know the difference between a Dive Instructor and a Large pepperoni pizza?

A pizza can feed a family of four.

Like it our not, you need money. You do have to eat. If you're going to work at a popular diving area, you may also want to start working on your Captain's License. Driving a boat may not be *fun*, but it helps to get a job.

I didn't say *fun* I said happy. But thank you for all of your feedback it was greatly appreciated.

 

[crosshairs]

Hello my name is Danny

I am interested in becoming a Scuba Instructor and have been for a few years now. I have completed my OW and I enjoyed it very much. That being said I am still extremely new to the world of diving and have only had a few dives (less than 10) but I believe this is something I would like to do for my life. I guess the main question I wanted to ask is if I was to spend the next 6 months - 1 year obtaining all the certifications I needed and logging 100+ dives and passed my Instructor exam, how hard would it be for me to find work? I live in and would most likely be taking all of my courses in South Eastern Wisconsin but I would be very open to relocating if a job opportunity arises as an Instructor. My long term goal is to be an Instructor for a few years and then become a Master Instructor and one day to work on a cruise ship and being able to travel and dive, two things I am passionate about. So if anyone has ever taken the "quick route" or whatever you want to call it, or just has some advice/constructive criticism I would love if you would leave some feedback and tell me your thoughts, whatever they may be.

Thank you,
- Danny

I say follow your dreams.........if you want to travel,look into some internships in the Caribbean..many of them will train you in exchange for your labor over a period of six months..... its hard work ,and no doubt, they get the better end of the deal, but you will get trained and get some experience at the same time.....

However, being an instructor is a lifestyle...you wont get rich, but you can make a living...if you go into it with your eyes open, you can certainly be happy and do what you love for a living.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I know several instructors who only dive with students. They are dependent on teaching for a living and when they have a day off they have no desire to get in the water. Not every instructor is like that but it does happen more often than not. If you truly want to be a dive professional and make that your career then get out of Wisconsin. You should have a variety of diving experience and you won't get that by diving quarries and a small area of the great lakes. You need to travel and experience different environments throughout the world.

Take your time. Don't rush into becoming a divemaster or instructor. You don't even have a dozen dives. Get out there and dive and build your experience. Take a rescue diver course eventually and continue to dive. Once you have 150 dives or so then look into becoming a divemaster through a busy dive shop. This way you can get some experience with students. Spend some time doing that and gaining more dive experience before you move on to instructor.

And get a good job to pay for all this because it's not cheap. Diving is the end. The job will be the means to the end.

 

[RJP]

There are thousands of people who live and work as dive masters and instructors. Everything is not about money it's about being happy.

Q: "What's the difference between a scuba instructor and a large pizza?
A: "A large pizza can feed a family of four."

EDIT: I see someone's already hit this one. Oh well. If nothing else, it shows that the sentiment is widely-held.

 

[T.C.]

Q: "What's the difference between a scuba instructor and a large pizza?
A: "A large pizza can feed a family of four."

EDIT: I see someone's already hit this one. Oh well. If nothing else, it shows that the sentiment is widely-held.

Gotcha. Have to get up earlier next time.

 

[Doppler]

There are thousands of people who live and work as dive masters and instructors. Everything is not about money it's about being happy.

I make a good living as an instructor and consultant for companies in the industry... however, I have a little experience built over years of diving. Others are less fortunate.

Firstly, think about what you can offer to your students. An instructor who has the minimum number of dives and limited experience is worthless.

Secondly, take some time to learn about the physiology of learning and the dynamics of teaching... study human nature... you will be unlikely to learn any of this directly from a scuba class of any sort, so look outside the industry for help.

Thirdly, get some other skills... marketing, language, boating, mechanical, compressor technician. Something that will help your appeal to a dive operation

Lastly, broaden your personal understanding of diving and dive travel well beyond what you currently believe and understand. For example, it is likely from the heading you used for this thread that you have little idea how alive and vibrant the world of diving is outside north america... and one specific agency.... travel, learn, grow.

 

[oreocookie]

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big, but on your journey to becoming an instructor, don't take the highway, take a more scenic route. Go dive just for you between steps up the training ladder, don't just do one course after another, focusing only on the end goal. Take courses that interest you as well as the ones that will move you closer to your end goal (I have no intention of becoming an ice diving instructor but I took an ice diving class this weekend). Travel around and dive different places. As has already been suggested, consider internship options which will allow you to travel and dive (some can be really good, others not so much). Keep the goal in mind but enjoy the journey... If taking courses and teaching is all you know, you probably won't last long as an instructor.

 

[tursiops]

Being an instructor and traveling is not a final objective. It is part of the journey. Enjoy the journey...and you'll never be unhappy because you didn't get to your "objective." Making a plan is dangerous...it will be full of failures to stick to the plan. Much better to grab the opportunities as they come along. The more you know, the more experiences you have, the more tickets and union-cards you have (like Instructor and Captain and Webmaster and Equipment Tech and Photographer, etc) then the more opportunities come your way.

 

[TMHeimer]

Secondly, take some time to learn about the physiology of learning and the dynamics of teaching... study human nature... you will be unlikely to learn any of this directly from a scuba class of any sort, so look outside the industry for help.


********************************



Excellent point. I am not familiar with exactly how the IDC goes--I believe there is a practical portion where you teach students or other pros acting as students. I would assume it is nowhere near the extensive university training school teachers get with this. I will also assume, as with school teachers, you'll probably learn considerably more teaching your first couple of years than you do in the training.