Going from novice to IDC instructor

[dontyouliketheparty]

Hello Everyone,

Can ya help? Like my previous post I'm aiming to get some advice as I'm going to risk it all and try to join the scuba dive professional scene.
I really want to become employed as a diver so that I'm able to stay abroad in various locations and avoid doing the rat race thing, which I've been doing my whole life. Is it possible to go from novice to instructor in around 6 months in Indonesia for less than $4000 usd ? Or anywhere in the world for that matter that offers ok dive sites. (Not like I know an OK dive site). I want to have the best possible chance of getting a job after my training/intership. If I can't realistically be employed I'll do something else begrudgingly...
I understand I wont be earning a lot and I'm willing to live like a pauper, no bother!
But I do need to earn enough to get by, as after my savings run out - All £5000 that's it. Diving will have to put food on the table.

Thanks in advance for any joy on the situation.

Am excited to get out there and do it!

Lee

 

[Web Monkey]

Hello Everyone,

Can ya help? Like my previous post I'm aiming to get some advice as I'm going to risk it all and try to join the scuba dive professional scene.
I really want to become employed as a diver so that I'm able to stay abroad in various locations and avoid doing the rat race thing, which I've been doing my whole life. Is it possible to go from novice to instructor in around 6 months in Indonesia for less than $4000 usd ? Or anywhere in the world for that matter that offers ok dive sites. (Not like I know an OK dive site). I want to have the best possible chance of getting a job after my training/intership. If I can't realistically be employed I'll do something else begrudgingly...
I understand I wont be earning a lot and I'm willing to live like a pauper, no bother!
But I do need to earn enough to get by, as after my savings run out - All Ž£5000

Google is your friend. This comes up every month or so.

The good part is that if you toss enough money and/or time at it, you can be an instructor.

The bad part is that it doesn't pay anything, and chances are slim that if you're just starting out, that you could live on what you make, even if you live cheaply.

If you have other sklls, things could be different. For example, if you can speak several different languages, fix diesel engines and are a gourmet chef, you might be able to do OK.

OTOH, if you can cook and fix diesel engines, you would be better off getting a job as a diesel mechanic, cook to impress your girlfriend and dive because you like it.

Terry

 

[Dive Junky]

Glad to see you are so enthusiastic about diving. Just remember however, many times when you do something you love for a living it sucks much of the joy out of it.

 

[Don Wray]

As to your profile, how do you know you can dive? How do you know you can teach diving? Slow down, get some experience. Maybe enroll in a commercial dive school, learn to weld and make a living that way. Best of luck in your endeavours

 

[DivingAnarchy.info]

No, not for US$ 4000.-
Keep up with the rat race a bit longer, safe some more, do some short courses like compressor mech, equipment specialist, diesel mech, RYA yachtmaster, O2 provider and then go for it.
A decent preparation is half the work.
I think you won't get from novice to Instructor including housing, food and a drink for 4000,- but even if you do you'll be out of money before you have landed your first pay-check.

 

[Gen San Chris]

Your enthusiasm is great but in reallity you should first try diving and find out if you can and if you like it! Its not easy to get to Instructor Status even if you have a lot of experience diving, not all candidates pass the IDC!
I would advise you to take an Open water course first to see if you like it and then make the descision as to weather or not you want to try to improve your standards and go for Instructor!
There are lots of freelance Divemasters and Instructors around Asia and most of them do not make too much money at all!
Good luck to you in your future!

 

[bamamedic]

I totally understand your enthusiasm! When I first became OW certified, I looked into becoming an instructor. I was so in love with diving, that I wanted to do it every day! (and maybe even make a living at it).

After looking into it, it turns out that it's hard as heck to make a living as a dive instructor. Nearly all dive instructors that I've met, teach diving as a "hobby" and make their living from a different occupation.

Another thing to think about is experience...I know everyone is different, but I've been diving for a year and a half so far, with about 130 dives (diving practically every weekend). I feel barely ready to start a DM program, much less become an instructor. An instructor should have excellent comfort in the water, know their skills like the back of their hand, and be able to deal with any emergency that might arise. Do you feel that you'd really be ready for that with your level of experience?

 

[cflJason]

Not sure which question you are asking since the thread topic states IDC instructor, and your post above states just instructor, but the below covers both.

In addition to the very good comments above, think of the reality of going from nothing to IDC Instructor.
1. Get OW certified
2. Get AOW certified
3. Get at least 20 dives under your belt
4. Get CPR/AED and rescue diver certified
5. Get at least 60 dives under your belt
6. Get DM certified
7. Get at least 100 dives under your belt
8. Become an emergency first response instructor (now required before you can become OWSI)
9. Go through IDC, pass IE and get OW scuba instructor (OWSI) certified
10. Get at least 5 specialty instructor certifications - requires an additional 10 or 20 dives per specialty type to be able to teach depending how you get certified.
11. Certify at least 25 divers, and pay for your MSDT certification
12. Take another IDC to get Staff Instructor certified - Now you can teach IDCs under the direction of a Course Director.
13. To become a Master Instructor - Certify at least 150 divers - at least 50 of which need to be Adventure. At least 15 need to be specialty diver. At lease 5 need to be Rescue. At least 5 need to be DM. Then comes the hard part. At least 5 need to be Assistant Instructor. Almost everybody takes this in one swoop AI and OW instructor at the IDC. Almost nobody does the AI seperately. Train at least 10 emergency first response certs.
14. Get at least 250 dives under your belt (given the above requirements you'll have plenty more than that)
15. Apply for and maybe get accepted to to the IDC training course in California.

You still want to go from 0 - 15 with $4,000?

 

[Malene]

OTOH, if you can cook and fix diesel engines, you would be better off getting a job as a diesel mechanic, cook to impress your girlfriend and dive because you like it.
Terry

:yelclap:

And I agree with all above posts.
Plus: I love diving and spend most of my holidays abroad diving 3 or 4 times a day. Teaching or guiding is a entirely different thing. You don't dive for yourself anymore.
I love hiking and lived as hiking guide for 2.5 years in Greece. I did not make much money. I had no social security. If something had happened to me, I'd have been in trouble. And I found out that looking after customers every day is not so much fun. It is a big responsibility and they are not always the nice, relaxed, interesting people you think you'd be with... So I went back to the rat race ! And I am trying to make it as interesting as possible.

 

[speedhound]

Hi Lee,
In Scotland, you'll have BSAC, Scot-SAC, and PADI. If you want get certified quickly, and be taught specific skills over specific weekends, then pay money to a good instructor with PADI.
Having been quickly certified, you'll still have to learn to dive better and gain experience before progressing further.

I had my first training and qualifications in the US (with the YMCA) and have crossed over into BSAC, the British Sub-Aqua Club. Being in a club, I'm able to dive regularly with individuals and groups from the club (Cardiff BSAC) and have learned immensely from the experiences of others members of the club. I'm being mentored towards my BSAC Advanced Diver and OWI qualifications. The route may not be as quick as PADI can be, but my learning has been progressive, varied and a lot cheaper than with PADI certification. I've attached a link to BSAC below;
Learn to scuba dive and snorkel dive the BSAC way - there is no better!!

I've not got any experience of Scotsac but they appear to be run along the same lines as BSAC.
Here's a link to their website:
Scottish Sub Aqua Club

To be fair, a link to the PADI website:
PADI The Way the World Learns to Dive? - Find Scuba Diving Lessons, Scuba Certifications, Dive Shops, Dive Resorts, Scuba Gear, Scuba Diving Trips and Vacations, Scuba Diving Careers

To echo the others on this page. Welcome to diving, dive safely and have fun. Be sure that diving, and instructing diving, is really for you before selling up and disappearing into the sunset.
Cheers,
Brian