Finished Divemaster, Did I just Make a Mistake?

[TMHeimer]

Can we go back to the part where you said you got paid per student to be a divemaster? I have actually NEVER heard of class DMs getting paid from a recreational shop to help with cert classes. Hell, the shop I worked at as an instructor I only made $150/student, and that was for the full 4-6 day class.

For my other thoughts on dive pro payment see:
What an instructor owes a shop?

-Chris

Wow, so many replies in half a day! This is a contentious subject, as usual. I stopped reading posts so far at this one to say that for 4 years I was paid $300 CAD as a DM for the usual 2 weekend PADI OW course. I figured that one course pretty much covered membership & insurance (I was only insured for assisting, not leading courses like DSD, refresher, etc.), another paid for my gas, and after that was profit. My 4 year total was $3,200 CAD and $10 US. Figured that the cost of the DM course was covered with that pay as well as the other stuff, with a few bucks left over. Hour wise, the pay probably amounted to minimum wage, but without pay think of the money I would've been out--all because I love scuba, enjoyed students (being a retired teacher), and got free air!
Did you not know the financial situation you would be in before you took the expensive DM course???
Everyone knows my feelings about DMs who work without pay or just for perks/tips, so I won't start in on that.

 

[TMHeimer]

To my knowledge DM’s aren’t really paid for classes except when doing DSD or re-activate but in my area some do organize and guide outings and collect the set fee per diver. That’s one way to make a few bucks.

Again, then there was me. Our shop is really the only major one around for maybe 100 miles, so it has a monopoly on things--yet DMs get paid. When I took the course the pay was $200/assisting OW course, then went to $300 just in time for me. Before that it was $100 for a long time, but according to what I heard, many of the DMs quit because the pay just wasn't worth it. So--up with the pay! I guess this sort of situation rarely exists, but I'm not sure why. DivingDubai says he pays his DMs. MaxBottometime also said he never heard of a DM getting paid assisting courses, other than if doing DSD, etc.--and he is a former working DM.
DMs who work basically for free are the reason many think that pay just doesn't happen anywhere. These gazillion DMs are the source of the problem.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Part of the reason I gave up being a DM is because I wouldn’t work for free, especially when someone else is profiting off that free labor. That’s unethical in my view.

Even those that don’t mind working for free should consider the affect that has on others. A DM that works for free because it’s just a hobby is preventing someone else from obtaining gainful employment.

All the people volunteering and working for free reduces employment opportunities for others. If people stopped, it would change the industry, forcing employers to pay a living wage.

Since PADI has codified the requirement for CAs, shops would be forced to hire a CA in the absence of free labor.

 

[Scott]

I should move to Utah. I've never heard of a DM making any money unless they were conducting a resort dive.

Naaa, your UW photography subjects would go downhill fast, unless you like taking images of silt.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Just kidding. I've been to Utah enough times to know that I'm happy right where I am.

 

[TMHeimer]

Part of the reason I gave up being a DM is because I wouldn’t work for free, especially when someone else is profiting off that free labor. That’s unethical in my view.

Even those that don’t mind working for free should consider the affect that has on others. A DM that works for free because it’s just a hobby is preventing someone else from obtaining gainful employment.

All the people volunteering and working for free reduces employment opportunities for others. If people stopped, it would change the industry, forcing employers to pay a living wage.

Since PADI has codified the requirement for CAs, shops would be forced to hire a CA in the absence of free labor.

Yes, completely agree. The only alternative to paying DMs to assist would be to either run very small courses (4?) that don't require a cert. assistant, or agencies change the ratios so instructors can have large classes without assistants.

 

[Blasto]

Appreciate you clarifying. I think we are now both challenging @Blasto ‘s claim that any diver can enroll in IDC, at least for PADI, not sure about other agencies.

Have to clarify, I never made that claim!

I meant "touches the DM" as in teaching it, of course, not taking it.
By far the longest course an instructor can teach, so few ever touch it.


This is clearer in context, as I was responding to the question:

I'm not sure how the classes work, but isn't part of becoming an instructor or higher, training a number of dm's?

 

[loosenit2]

Have to clarify, I never made that claim!

I meant "touches the DM" as in teaching it, of course, not taking it.
By far the longest course an instructor can teach, so few ever touch it.

This is clearer in context, as I was responding to the question:

Ahhh..thank-you for clarifying. As I re-read your post I now see your point in context. Thank-you.

 

[pauldw]

Just kidding. I've been to Utah enough times to know that I'm happy right where I am.

Oh, now that just has a bite to it! We have almost as many beaches as some California counties, if you take into account all of the municipal secondary irrigation reservoirs with sand added to one shore for recreational purposes. And then there’s the social science research documenting our happier lives: Raising Arizona Ending

 

[loosenit2]

Oh, now that just has a bite to it! We have almost as many beaches as some California counties, if you take into account all of the municipal secondary irrigation reservoirs with sand added to one shore for recreational purposes. And then there’s the social science research documenting our happier lives:Coen Bros and Utah

I went to East High and the University of Utah, learned to dive in the University program and did OW at Blue Lake and AOW at Fish Lake. Utah has a lot going for it...but a diving meca it is not.