How do make a living out of Scuba Diving?
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Find somewhere overseas where the food, beer and nightlife is cheap.. book yourself into a long term lease on a nice and cheap appartment and live the high life for a year or so on what you earn as a dm or instructor. There are lots of places in Asia you can do this! Tempted to do so myself again as I look out of the window at the crap weather here in 'sunny scotland'!
chrisch
Contributor
Most divemasters in the UK work for free just to get a feel for the business. An instructor can make enough money that s/he might just be slightly better off than claiming unemployment benefit. As per advice above the real "benefit" is to get to travel and dive in other places.
If you are thinking of being an instructor you should really get some experience diving! (not asking what is an IDC/IE for example).
That said I wish you, or anyone else, luck. After all we need people to run courses so we can learn new skills and we, the diving public, don't really want to pay very much for them - so the more people that are prepared to work for virtually nothing the better.
Chris
If you are thinking of being an instructor you should really get some experience diving! (not asking what is an IDC/IE for example).
That said I wish you, or anyone else, luck. After all we need people to run courses so we can learn new skills and we, the diving public, don't really want to pay very much for them - so the more people that are prepared to work for virtually nothing the better.
Chris
Buy up all the PADI shares, (or as many as you can get). Follow that with SSI, NAUI etc. Follow that with ONE equipment manufacturer (doesn't matter which) - and plug that as the best through whichever agency/agencies you now control! Easy! 
oceancrest67
Guest
Newtodive:
Most posts point out being a dive instructor / dive master and working at some resort somewhere.
It seems though that you do not know much about diving and that you will need to gain skills and further training...this will take some realistic time and patience. Like anything else, any kind of training / education / degree program will take a good amount of effort on your part, a serious dedication and a constant quest for new knowledge. It really comes down to how much you are willing to invest in the path.
Another path in diving is going into commercial diving...hard hat diving...working on oil rigs, demolitions, repair, maintenance...again, this is very hard work, dangerous work...it depends on you and what you want. Commercial diving is not for everyone, and there are long term effects on health etc. There are training schools everywhere.
Most of us that dive for enjoyment work real jobs that allow enough time/money to go diving on weekends and vacations.
For me...I enjoy diving that I do not see a point in burning out with diving...I once dabbled with the idea of working as a DM in some of the islands...I turned it down. I thought...why haul tanks for tourists for tips? Why be a step-and-fetch-it for some snotty tourist...not worth the aggravation.
With this...I am not saying working as an instructor or DM is bad...I am saying it is just not for me.
Know what you want out of yourself first and then go from there.
Just my O2.
Most posts point out being a dive instructor / dive master and working at some resort somewhere.
It seems though that you do not know much about diving and that you will need to gain skills and further training...this will take some realistic time and patience. Like anything else, any kind of training / education / degree program will take a good amount of effort on your part, a serious dedication and a constant quest for new knowledge. It really comes down to how much you are willing to invest in the path.
Another path in diving is going into commercial diving...hard hat diving...working on oil rigs, demolitions, repair, maintenance...again, this is very hard work, dangerous work...it depends on you and what you want. Commercial diving is not for everyone, and there are long term effects on health etc. There are training schools everywhere.
Most of us that dive for enjoyment work real jobs that allow enough time/money to go diving on weekends and vacations.
For me...I enjoy diving that I do not see a point in burning out with diving...I once dabbled with the idea of working as a DM in some of the islands...I turned it down. I thought...why haul tanks for tourists for tips? Why be a step-and-fetch-it for some snotty tourist...not worth the aggravation.
With this...I am not saying working as an instructor or DM is bad...I am saying it is just not for me.
Know what you want out of yourself first and then go from there.
Just my O2.
I recall reading a post on this subject here before (do a search) and one persons told an account of a guy who quit a good paying job ($60K or so), shelled out $30,000 to get trained as a commercial diver and landed a job paying $24,000(ouch). Bottom line is check out all the aspects first. Check what the typical commercial diver makes before you leap.oceancrest67:
The dive schools will talk about the wages that less than 20% of the divers actually make and not about what the typical commercial diver will make to get your money.
From what I can see, it is one of those great ideas on paper. Can you make a living diving? That depends upon your standard of living and your definition of making a living.
jkennedy
Guest
Use your will to dive to figure it out. There is a way.................maybe?
O2BBubbleFree
Contributor
I don't want to discourage your dreams, but would like to suggest that you broaden your perspective. Based on the posts I've read on this board, DMs and Instructors aren't paid very well, jobs are hard to find, and there are a lot them who seem to be regularly frustrated by their customers.
My perspective was changed a few years ago by my friend that is an electrician, and hates it. But he does excellent work restoring old cars as a hobby, and loves that. I suggested once that he look into auto restoration as a career, and he told me that he was afraid he would end up hating it if he did it for someone else.
When I first got certified I thought briefly about going the commercial diver route, but decided that if I was diving professionally in lousy conditions, I might not feel like diving for pleasure. I see posts from commercial divers who still dive for pleasure, but I don't think it would suit me.
Where I currently work, there's a dive team. I thought briefly about trying to get on it, but the dives they do aren't glamorous, and, again, I don't want to ruin my hobby.
Just a thought, but if you love diving just for the experience, and don't have an overwhelming urge to instruct others in the sport, why not pursue a career that requires travel to costal locations, then dive for pleasure in conjunction with the trips? That's what I'm trying to do. I currently have a temp-to-hire position with a company that makes equipment that must be installed in the ocean.
If this dosen't interest you, another option might be to pursue any career that is in demand, and look for a job in an exotic locale. I know that a previous poster mentioned teaching, and I know that there are others out there.
Working as a tour guide or otherwise in the travel business might be another such option. As a travel agent or tour guide maybe you could organizing dive trips, being reponsible for the people while on the land, but dive without the burden.
Just my thoughts on the subject...
My perspective was changed a few years ago by my friend that is an electrician, and hates it. But he does excellent work restoring old cars as a hobby, and loves that. I suggested once that he look into auto restoration as a career, and he told me that he was afraid he would end up hating it if he did it for someone else.
When I first got certified I thought briefly about going the commercial diver route, but decided that if I was diving professionally in lousy conditions, I might not feel like diving for pleasure. I see posts from commercial divers who still dive for pleasure, but I don't think it would suit me.
Where I currently work, there's a dive team. I thought briefly about trying to get on it, but the dives they do aren't glamorous, and, again, I don't want to ruin my hobby.
Just a thought, but if you love diving just for the experience, and don't have an overwhelming urge to instruct others in the sport, why not pursue a career that requires travel to costal locations, then dive for pleasure in conjunction with the trips? That's what I'm trying to do. I currently have a temp-to-hire position with a company that makes equipment that must be installed in the ocean.
If this dosen't interest you, another option might be to pursue any career that is in demand, and look for a job in an exotic locale. I know that a previous poster mentioned teaching, and I know that there are others out there.
Working as a tour guide or otherwise in the travel business might be another such option. As a travel agent or tour guide maybe you could organizing dive trips, being reponsible for the people while on the land, but dive without the burden.
Just my thoughts on the subject...
murphdivers286
Guest
My wife and I dive as much as possible. She is finishing up her DM and will be entering into an IDC (maybe Dive Pro in Ft. Lauderdale) school. We both love diving and our conversations seem to always turn towards diving. No matter what we are talking about. (Addiction?????) She has helped her Instructor in his other classes, and Loves It. She can't wait to be an Instructor so she can teach other people herself. She is doing this not only becuase she loves diving, but she loves teaching diving.
Becareful you are not wanting to work in the dive industry for the wrong reasons.
With that said, Good Luck!!!
Becareful you are not wanting to work in the dive industry for the wrong reasons.
With that said, Good Luck!!!
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