How do make a living out of Scuba Diving?

[newtodive]

Dear all divers,

I am new here. I just wonder could one make a living out of scuba diving? Or, it is just an expensive kind of activity for those who can afford it only.

I am interested to pursue a career in scuba diving, but I am not sure if it is possible. Please advise.

What kind of career can we have as a diver?

 

[cdennyb]

Best bet for the travel, activities, and the great diving is pursue a career as a dive instructor or divemaster thru an association. Lots of opportunities around the world, especially in the islands near Australia and New Zealand. (Lots of resorts popping up).
Otherwise, do like me...get a good IT job that has small hours and dive your ass off on your days off.
db

 

[RIOceanographer]

I am sure you will get mostly responses suggesting the dive instructor or dive travel route. That is probably the safe bet, but just to throw out something a little different, if you are are interested in marine sciences then that is also a possibility. Some research does involve diving. I would not say this is exactly "making a carreer out of diving" but it is a career that can allow you to dive as part of the job. Just be aware that most research does not involve diving so the oppurtunities are limited. To go into this area of work, grad school is pretty much a must these days. This is definitely not the path of least resistance.

If scientific diving interests you check out the links below:
http://www.aaus.org/
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/

 

[Rick Inman]

Dear all divers,

I am new here. I just wonder could one make a living out of scuba diving? Or, it is just an expensive kind of activity for those who can afford it only.

I am interested to pursue a career in scuba diving, but I am not sure if it is possible. Please advise.

What kind of career can we have as a diver?

I don't own a dive shop, but this is from an old teaching on owning your own business that can be plugged into diving.

Qualifications for owning a dive shop:

1. Love to scuba dive.
2. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment.
3. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction.
4. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills.
5. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills; possess expert business skills.
7. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills; possess expert business skills; have adequate financial capital.

There's more, but it seem like a lot of folks think that #1 is enough. A person once told me that the best way to distroy the hobby you love is to make it your job. (Actually, I DID turn my love into my job, and now I love my job!)
Just another side of the coin...

 

[Mako Mark]

I don't own a dive shop, but this is from an old teaching on owning your own business that can be plugged into diving.

Qualifications for owning a dive shop:

1. Love to scuba dive.
2. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment.
3. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction.
4. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills.
5. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills; possess expert business skills.
7. Love to scuba dive; expert at all aspects of scuba diving and scuba diving equipment; gifted at instruction; great people skills; possess expert business skills; have adequate financial capital.

...

I cant wait to see what Mike F has to say about this post.

 

[M.darwin]

Dear all divers,

I am new here. I just wonder could one make a living out of scuba diving? Or, it is just an expensive kind of activity for those who can afford it only.

I am interested to pursue a career in scuba diving, but I am not sure if it is possible. Please advise.

What kind of career can we have as a diver?

hi i am martin from Germany but now i live and work in egypt
what do not u try to gather a group of a divers . come and have a safari diving for 6 night/7 days . if u manage to gather
15 persons . i will be more than happy to teach u diving for free .
www.uschis-divingparadise.com

Yours
martin

 

[MikeFerrara]

I cant wait to see what Mike F has to say about this post.

I aint taking the bait. LOL

Actually a former student of mine left his wife and child and ran away to California. He did an IDC/IE and managed to get into the union as an electrician for movies. Then he got started as an underwater electrician and safety/stunt diver. Now he has a Screen Actors guild card and from what I hear it looks like he has some real parts in movies comming up.

It sounds like he fits right in out there and has managed to make dive buds out of a bunch of movie stars.

I don't think the life style would be for me but I think that he's made more than most have off diving.

 

[newtodive]

I aint taking the bait. LOL

He did an IDC/IE and managed to get into the union as an electrician for movies.

What is IDC/IE? :06:

 

[Curt Bowen]

Dear all divers,

I am new here. I just wonder could one make a living out of scuba diving? Or, it is just an expensive kind of activity for those who can afford it only.

I am interested to pursue a career in scuba diving, but I am not sure if it is possible. Please advise.

What kind of career can we have as a diver?

I have the secret on how to make one million dollars on the dive industry


START WITH 2 MILLION AND WORK HARD FOR 10 YEARS, YOU WILL THEN HAVE ONE MILLION LEFT

 

[MikeFerrara]

What is IDC/IE? :06:

IDC = instructor development course. IE = instructor examination.