Divemaster for a fee?

[Karibelle]

When I did DM work with a shop in Canada I was paid for that work, and when I became an instructor at that same shop, if the shop didn't pay for a DM then I'd pay him myself. In my opinion, offering to work for free devalues the service. As a student, I would much rather participate in training offered by paid professionals, than by volunteers.

 

[TSandM]

You can certainly charge for your services, but you won't get much business. The model the shops around here use is to charge very little for open water classes -- even the instructors at our shop get a grand total of $50 per person for the entire open water class, and they aren't very likely to pass any of that on to you, if they can get other DMs to work for free. (And we do, although I'm not sure why we do it.)

There are a few opportunities for a DM to work independently. You can conduct scuba reviews, do local dive guiding, and once signed off to do so, run Discover Scuba sessions. You can (and most do) charge the client for those activities (or get paid for them through the shop that booked them).

I doubt many Washington DMs make enough to cover the cost of their insurance.

 

[Hawkwood]

Where I teach, insured DMs get priority for refreshers, discover scubas, and discover snorkelling. Conducting one of each in a month, I was more than able to cover fees and insurance, and have plenty left for equipment purchases etc. when I was a DM.

If I ask a DM (renewed and insured) to help in open water classes (OW, AOW, specialties, etc.) they get 20% of what I get. If they want to take advantage, they also have the opportunity to stay at my place near Banff. That also means dinner, breakfast and lunch. DMC's get the same offer, just not the 20%.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

More DM's need to insist on payment and more shops and instructors need to look at them as more than indentured servants. Kari is correct when you work for free or allow a shop to treat you like an unpaid servant or slave the whole profession is devalued.

 

[Karibelle]

Hey Hawkwood,

I might come DM a class for you just so I can stay at your place near Banff! We stopped doing our dives in Jasper because it was cost prohibitive. By the time you drive up, stay two nights and drive home, the hope of making enough money even to cover expenses vanished unless you brought with you an unreasonable number of students, or used the camping option. I like camping, but I'm past the age where I'm willing to "rough it" and chance a rainy weekend while I'm doing up to four dives a day in a glacier-fed lake!

kari

 

[ffdiver]

I agree with you 100%! The shop that I work through, pays zero for DMs and rarely if ever pay out the instructors who do the classes.

When I brought up that this practice is unfair and insane for anyone to agree to, I basically got told to get out of the shop. It was alot meaner when it happened.

If instructors and DMs are willing to do the job for free why in the world will anyone pay them for it. The only way to make money in this business is to be independent and get the customers yourself.

 

[Hawkwood]

Karibelle,

Calgary divers are indeed lucky. We have three locations within the City for training dives (those who live in the lake communities can use them all the time) and of course Two Jack and Minnewanka in Banff for fun diving and training. At an hour drive from the City limits, you can't beat it, and the variety of dive opportunities is great and open to divers of all levels of training and experience. There are many other locations in Southern Alberta for diving, many of which are not too far from Calgary. Forget-me-not Pond is another.

It is nice to be able to offer the stay to folks helping me. After a long day of AOW or ice diving, it's nice just to drive 20 minutes to the condo and relax. It is a simple way for me to give some payback.

My apologies for the hijack.

Bill

 

[Easdem]

The shop where I DM has rates for DM's for each student. Entry fees are reimbursed and air fills are free. You also get a significant discount on gear. However, you pay for your own insurance either with the shop policy or your own. Its a good deal!

 

[dgreenh]

I don't pay my divemasters. I can't keep them away, they are so willing to work for free that they show up without even being asked. If I do ask them to help with a class, I let them ride with me to the dive site (which is about 3 hours away), take care of the hotel, meals and entrance fees. Any tips I get I pass on to the DM.

Worse than that, there are even a couple of instructors that are more than ready to DM for free. Everyone has a day job and they just want the opportunity to get wet.

Most of the time, my wife is my DM so she really gets all the money after expenses anyway but we have fun.

 

[TMHeimer]

Having been down this discussion road before, I agree with Jim, ffdiver, and the others. I would think that if all got on the same page (sound like a union?) the following would occur:

--DMs should get paid to assist with classes. Always. How much is debatable, but more than gas money and tips.

--Instructors should not pay DMs at all. SHOP owners should!

--Instructors who get paid diddly should not work there.

--Instructors or DMs that work for peanuts or nothing because they "love diving and watching others learn" should not DO THAT. Everybody is SUPPOSED to enjoy their work and still get paid decently.

--I think this weekend I'll do a musician gig for someone without pay because music is so much fun......