DiveMaster or IANTD Deep Diver?

[MikeFerrara]

The best I've ever been able to do for my divemasters was to minimize their expenses. It cost them money to be a divemaster.

The only thing they ever got paid for was scub reviews and there weren't enough of those for them to make anything.

I paid their insurance but I could only do that because I was insured through Marsh. That wouldn't have been possible if I weren't also an IANTD instructor. My shop insurance covered tham at no additional cost to me.

I paid their way into the park for OW dives but I couldn't pay them for their time or traveling expenses. Sometimes those expenses included things like hotels.

Of course I gave them good prices on equipment but that doesn't help unless you're buying equipment.

free air? big deal.

Now that I don't have a shop I can't insure them and they won't get enough by helping me to even pay for their insurance.

 

[diverbrian]

The best I've ever been able to do for my divemasters was to minimize their expenses. It cost them money to be a divemaster.

The only thing they ever got paid for was scub reviews and there weren't enough of those for them to make anything.

I paid their insurance but I could only do that because I was insured through Marsh. That wouldn't have been possible if I weren't also an IANTD instructor. My shop insurance covered tham at no additional cost to me.

I paid their way into the park for OW dives but I couldn't pay them for their time or traveling expenses. Sometimes those expenses included things like hotels.

Of course I gave them good prices on equipment but that doesn't help unless you're buying equipment.

free air? big deal.

Now that I don't have a shop I can't insure them and they won't get enough by helping me to even pay for their insurance.

Dorset and Mike,

Thanks for telling it like it is!

I was interested in leading divers and had no illusions about it being a losing proposition moneywise. I took both classes because I wanted to improve my diving and for no other reason.

My wages as an AI aren't worth mentioning. The shop pays my insurance. It is up to the individual instructor to compensate me for assisting in classes and that is basically a minimum of money if I get anything. I get my Nitrox comp'ed for shop work (OK, at ten bucks a fill, that can add up.) I do get paid for snorkelling classes and Scuba Skills Updates, but the more senior DiveCons get to those. If I DM a trip, my diving and gas is paid for. My travel expenses (including hotel) are up to me. I do get good prices on gear, but most of my expensive gear was bought in order for me to take the course as the policy is that the DiveCon's use near the top of the line stuff that the store sells (Ok, I already owned it, LOL.).

In other words, all it does is cut my losses. It doesn't make me much money and that is what I expected. The LDS owner told me this stuff up front. In a few years, I will most likely take the instructor course and can use this time to learn to be a better instructor for that day when my instincts as a teacher come to the front.

Given a choice, I would have taken the Adv. Nitrox first to be a better and more well rounded diver first. But, as Mike implies, I am a certified trainer at work and have those instincts. I wanted to lead. I was fortunate enough to be single and didn't have to make that choice. The other factor in my case is that I work a straight afternoon shift. I had to switch to midnights to take either course, so I decided to do it once and get the switch over with as straight Midnights was a killer on my body clock.

Will, I wish you luck on your course. If you have the right attitude about it, being a DM can be very rewarding. You will know by the end of the course if you have a love for it!