Geting Paid to Dive in Cozumel

[Dave Dillehay]

The question has come up several times lately as to how dive shop employees get paid and what many consider normal employment benefits.

The major differentiation is whether the dive shop is operating above, or below the table. That means "legal" and paying taxes, or not. Then there is a major difference between dive guides/instructors and regular employees such as capitans and bodegeros (laborers).

Almost all dive masters/instructors are treated as independent contractors. Some shops pay them cash or under the table and those are not able to get Social Security even if they want to. The other shops pay them formerly with checks or cash and require facturas (reciepts) from them. Those are legal and may contribute what is a small amount towards their own social security and other government taxes.

Then all dive masters/instructors can buy DAN insurance now matter how they paid. Some shops, like Aldora, pay for the DAN insurance for their dive masters.

For Capitans and bodegeros (laborers) that work as direct employees for the dive shops that operate under the table cannot offer Social Security benefits. They juts pay cash to their employees and if hurt on the job or otherwise, they are on their own! For those shops that are legal and pay taxes, the shops MUST pay social security costs and a host of other expenses for their employees. These include retirement accounts, housing accounts, holiday payments and HUGE severance payments--even if discharged for theft or repeatedly being drunk on duty. Aldora complies with all aspects of the law and does a pretty good job of protecting our employees, many with us for 20 years. I am sure that there are also other reputable, long established shops that do the same

Then there is the issue of dive boats. Trust me, there are plenty in daily operation in Cozumel that are not legally registered or insured or equipped. Can you believe that the law in Mexico actually requires minimal equipment and insurance? But that is another subject.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[cicopo]

Sounds like operating a "legal" shop requires being very selective in who you hire based on the cost to fire them. A huge severance payment kind of forces the employer to keep a bad worker who could in fact hurt the business in many ways.

 

[firstdive2005]

Yes I know a dive shop that hired some pretty girls to be their dive masters and they wherent even certified yet when they hired them. They qualified dms where edged out by not giving them work everyday. It was a disgusting thing to do. These guys opened up another dive op that is doing ok, but the island is very slow right now.
Just like it Canada, my company is affected by guys coming from less fortunate provinces seeking work. They dont have the same liability insurance, WCB, or business license like me. Does it affect me, yes I suppose, but I always end up getting hired later down the road to fix their mistakes. Now some of them are like diving freelancers. They pay their own if they choose to. Some do some dont. Not my responsibility to care if they do or dont. So in the end whatever the operator spends on insurances does not always mean poor workmanship but it can mean tragedy if someone gets hurt. That is what the buyer needs to discern. Deal or no deal

 

[buton]

i am from mexico so i kind know the situation over there about companies dont paying social medical security....


Well i dont know but this is a question to ask, are all the divemasters working in mexic certified by an agency? or there might be some that they where workers for a diving company contractors to weld underwater, pier installation, cutting pipes under water. so this guys get retired and then get a job as a dive master because of their great experience underwater, but they are not like, padi or naui certified dive masters? do they get paid less? a padi, naui, ssi get paid better?...

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I don"t know of any "un certified" DMs in Cozumel. There may be but it would surprise me.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[Ron Lee]

Yes I know a dive shop that hired some pretty girls to be their dive masters and they wherent even certified yet when they hired them.

Not sure about the uncertified allegation. However, I would like to see more female DMs in Cozumel as a part of the effort to right to decades of unjust repression of women all over the world.

 

[cruiser]

About dive boats being legally registered, insured and equipped, how can a diver tell if the dive boat is in compliance? Are there papers on board that can be looked at? Do they post this info somewhere visible?

Or is getting this information best left up to the group leader to ask the dive op or boat captain (and see verification)? The group leader could always say they need to check this as a requirement of their home dive shop (and for the benefit and safety of the divers).

 

[cvchief]

Not sure about the uncertified allegation. However, I would like to see more female DMs in Cozumel as a part of the effort to right to decades of unjust repression of women all over the world.

:shocked2:

 

[Christi]

About dive boats being legally registered, insured and equipped, how can a diver tell if the dive boat is in compliance? Are there papers on board that can be looked at? Do they post this info somewhere visible?

Or is getting this information best left up to the group leader to ask the dive op or boat captain (and see verification)? The group leader could always say they need to check this as a requirement of their home dive shop (and for the benefit and safety of the divers).

There are several documents that are required to be on the boat at all times (copies). These include marine park permits, insurance, permits from the harbor master, inspection papers, etc.

Hoestly, without keeping up with all of this, marine park permits and the "Turismos Nautico" which is a permit from the harbor master that is renewed every two years is very difficult to obtain - so while there may be some "illegal" boats out there - I don't think there are as many that have been implied. If you are diving with a reputable shop, you should not have to worry about this.

 

[UteFan]

Last year while I was on a dive boat in Cozumel the Mexican navy stopped the boat and came on board (M-16s and all) to check all of their papers. Everything checked out fine, but they did hassle the crew a little bit because they didn't have any maps or other navigation equipment. They crew looked at them like "Um... we can see the shore the whole time and we pretty much have the whole thing memorized."

I don't know how routine the checks are, but I would think it would discourage people from operating non-licensed boats.