How is DM'ing in exotic locales?

[crispos]

This is my first post, after answering many. I wish to get input from pros working the southern resorts and dive operations. How is it DM'ing and Instructing in those beautiful places we read about, like Phuket, Papua New Guinea, Red Sea Liveaboards, Antilles paradises, Cairns and the Coral Sea, Maldives and Seychelles, Canary Islands, Micronesia, South Africa, and all the others too exotic to remember?? Can you really make a permanent life out of it? Can an old guy at 40 something hack it??

I am seriously thinking about putting my scuba diving profession into good use. Will I become a vegetable brain and end up hating diving?

 

[drbill]

Speaking as a geezer (older than you), my experience when backpacking to such areas to dive is that the DM's and instrictors tend to be twenty-something unless they are the shop owners. None of them seemed to be making a real living although most of them seemed to be enjoying their experience.

So, if you have a substantial savings account, give it a try... the worst that could happen isd your savings account will be a bit smaller and you will probably have some great experiences.

Follow your bliss!

Dr. Bill

 

[DORSETBOY]

I'm in my twenties myself but many of the instructors and dm's I was working with were in their thirties or forties. This was both out in Thailand and also in Cyprus, to give you an example of pay in Buddha View Dive Resort on Koh tao Thailand I'm told some instructors were earning around 70k baht per month which is more than a grand in £. When I was staying there I could easily live the 'life of riley' for around 20k baht per month. If you go out Gulf of Thailand way for example best to get there before end of dec as new season starts Jan.

Personally, I think may dive shop owners would prefer older instructors / dm's as they invariably tend to be more mature.

Good luck.