hg frogman
Contributor
Most testimonies you are likely to get here are from people happy with their experience as dive instructors (at least so far 
). The not-so-happy ones may not express themselves so much, feeling they may be judged as "losers".
There are good things in instructors' life under the sun (they are easy to imagine) but reality is not like the post-card, so I'll insist on the bad things for Westerners in tropical resorts (things are often better in one's home country).
Fact is, there is a strong turnover of scuba instructors. One should consider this and ask oneself : why ?
Most free-lancers in tropical places are either young adults that spend one or two years doing this as a break before going into a real career ; or half-retired, older people who have spare money and enjoy doing some "mentoring" for free.
There is strong and harsh competition between free-lancers, hidden behind a mask of mutual sympathy and "fun mentality". There is a massive production of OWSI (notably in Thailand) and in fact there are way too many dive instructors around the world. It is too easy to become an OWSI. The agencies don't care because they get a lot of money from the IE and annual fees.
All those baby-instructors with 100 logged dives are ready to work for free "to gain experience". So the wages, already small, get even smaller. Bottom line, you work for peanuts. Provided you don't have to wait for weeks (as a free-lancer) to get some work ; spoken languages are often paramount for being employed, usually much more so than most dive specialties (that are just another way for the agencies to collect money).
As an owner, you can have a decent life. As an employee, it can be very hard for your self-esteem as well as for your wallet. Your spine needs to be flexible. The greedy owner may ask you to do things that are not your job, e.g. cleaning the toilets at the end of a long day. Or may interfere too much in your job, e.g. by telling you how to do the OW course way more quickly. If you are not happy with this, there are dozens of other instructors knocking at the door for the job.
The social status of an instructor in those places convenient for wandering free-lancers (e.g. Thailand) is low, he/she is a "working-class" worker. And then there is all the hassle and expense to get the work permit, unless you work illegally, which won't bring you much consideration from the local authorities.
Some countries are worse than others. You'll find out. And most tropical countries are poor, corrupted, and no democracies. You are a stranger there, and for many, many natives you are a competitor stealing their job. That's very often hidden behind a welcoming smile.
Not many places are convenient for free-lancing on a part-time basis. Many resorts want to have instructors that stay one year minimum. That's not my definition of what "free-lance" and "part-time" are.
In these tropical resorts in the middle of nowhere you can become furiously bored. Only social contacts are colleagues and clients.
Doing too many DSDs and OW courses can (and does) become boring as well. Teaching at this level is not fun diving.
It's a dream, in every sense of the word. The dive industry is fed by this dream.
). The not-so-happy ones may not express themselves so much, feeling they may be judged as "losers".There are good things in instructors' life under the sun (they are easy to imagine) but reality is not like the post-card, so I'll insist on the bad things for Westerners in tropical resorts (things are often better in one's home country).
Fact is, there is a strong turnover of scuba instructors. One should consider this and ask oneself : why ?
Most free-lancers in tropical places are either young adults that spend one or two years doing this as a break before going into a real career ; or half-retired, older people who have spare money and enjoy doing some "mentoring" for free.
There is strong and harsh competition between free-lancers, hidden behind a mask of mutual sympathy and "fun mentality". There is a massive production of OWSI (notably in Thailand) and in fact there are way too many dive instructors around the world. It is too easy to become an OWSI. The agencies don't care because they get a lot of money from the IE and annual fees.
All those baby-instructors with 100 logged dives are ready to work for free "to gain experience". So the wages, already small, get even smaller. Bottom line, you work for peanuts. Provided you don't have to wait for weeks (as a free-lancer) to get some work ; spoken languages are often paramount for being employed, usually much more so than most dive specialties (that are just another way for the agencies to collect money).
As an owner, you can have a decent life. As an employee, it can be very hard for your self-esteem as well as for your wallet. Your spine needs to be flexible. The greedy owner may ask you to do things that are not your job, e.g. cleaning the toilets at the end of a long day. Or may interfere too much in your job, e.g. by telling you how to do the OW course way more quickly. If you are not happy with this, there are dozens of other instructors knocking at the door for the job.
The social status of an instructor in those places convenient for wandering free-lancers (e.g. Thailand) is low, he/she is a "working-class" worker. And then there is all the hassle and expense to get the work permit, unless you work illegally, which won't bring you much consideration from the local authorities.
Some countries are worse than others. You'll find out. And most tropical countries are poor, corrupted, and no democracies. You are a stranger there, and for many, many natives you are a competitor stealing their job. That's very often hidden behind a welcoming smile.
Not many places are convenient for free-lancing on a part-time basis. Many resorts want to have instructors that stay one year minimum. That's not my definition of what "free-lance" and "part-time" are.
In these tropical resorts in the middle of nowhere you can become furiously bored. Only social contacts are colleagues and clients.
Doing too many DSDs and OW courses can (and does) become boring as well. Teaching at this level is not fun diving.
It's a dream, in every sense of the word
. The dive industry is fed by this dream.
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