mrstein:
True ,,,,,,however if a Realy good employer is looking for Top shelf people I am sure that the training from a Top notch school would prevail over a LDS .......
How many True instructors really Know that they are Doing if they are trained by someone who doesnt know himself the Correct ways ???????
I just dont think the ENTIRE TRUTH is being told by many folks at all.......
I think there are many good jobs outthere But many folks are Afraid of Good stiff competion from a Diver who is trained 100%%% in all aspects.
I AM not trying to favor the Dive school However I think a school that is setup for everything HAS A HUGE Advantage over a LDS.
I just think its something to chew on thats all........
Mrstein
Hmmm ... the "entire truth" is a pretty broad topic. Not sure it can be covered in just one thread.
I worked with a Hall's grad once. He was a decent instructor ... but not as good as some I've worked with. What he lacked was context ... his entire diving career was focused on becoming an instructor, and in a lot of practical ways he wasn't nearly the diver that many of my non-instructor friends are. So, would he be considered top-notch? His resume looked pretty good, but in the water he wasn't real solid. He just didn't have adequate diving experience. He knew how to run a class, what the standards were, how to present class material and how to do basic skill demonstrations in the pool. But in the Open Water, something was lacking.
Part of the "entire truth" is that teaching solid diving skills entails first learning solid diving skills ... and that takes bottom time. You can't learn solid diving skills in 10 weeks, even with total immersion. Diving institutes don't really teach you how to be a solid diver ... they teach you the basics of recreational diving ... then they teach you how to teach those skills to people who know less than you do.
Another part of the "entire truth" is that most potential employers really won't care ... they're more interested in how fast you can turn a class around, or how good you are at selling the LDS for gear purchases or continuing education than they will be in how good you are at actually teaching students to be proficient in the water. If you can manage a class of 20 students, that'll be a big selling point. Whether or not any of those students manage to graduate with solid buoyancy skills, good trim in the water, or decent basic skills probably won't be a big part of the job interview.
Another part of the "entire truth" is that only a tiny fraction of people who sign up for a diving class are really interested in acquiring top-notch skills. The majority want a class that's quick and cheap. That's what sells, and that's what your potential employer will be looking for you to sell ... which is why the pay is so low.
If you're truly interested in becoming an instructor, you need to understand some realities, and consider them in the context of what it is you really want to do.
If you want to work in a resort, understand that the vast majority of your students will be resort divers ... people who dive very occasionally, have maybe a week or two, want to spend as little of that time in class as possible, and only want to learn enough to follow a divemaster around without hurting themselves. Being a top-notch instructor simply doesn't enter into that equation ... unless by that you mean knowing how to manage a class so as to move it along as quickly as possible without violating any agency standards.
If, on the other hand, you're really interested in becoming a top-notch instructor and turning out students with solid skills, then be prepared to put some time and effort into developing those skills yourself. Then be prepared to not make a whole lot of money, because you will be serving a niche market. As you develop a reputation for teaching solid skills you will eventually develop a following ... but it takes time.
If you really are interested in being a top-notch instructor, there is no fast-track.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
