Instructors pay....

[O2BBubbleFree]

Classes here around Austin, TX run in the $200-$250 range, but I work with an instructor (with a great resume, USN Dive School, years of pro experience) that hooked up with a law office and is providing classes for the lawyers at $500/lawyer.

Since someone mentioned niches, I thought I'd throw that out...

 

[WetDawg]

Scubajoh,

I too "ran away and joined the circus" last year to go work and teach on a liveaboard running the Bahamas. I have enough stories to write a book about the experience.

I left a very lucrative yet unfulfilling IT job to "live the dream" and make a living doing what I love. Bottom line was a 100 hour+ work week for $100 US plus tips. Oh, wait... AND room and board.

Here is the harsh reality of the diving for dollars business, as with any "fun" job there are tons of people sitting around thinking the same thoughts you are, unfortunately most of them are young, have no responsibilities or bills and are willing to work for nothing to avoid going to college or getting a real job. The overseas dive industry is keenly aware of this fact and exploits it. If you want to improve your tan and dive a great deal, then the overseas dive industry is for you. If you want to make a living, stay on land with your "real" job.

Yes, there are a few folks out the making a go of it, they are in the perfect spot teaching a lot and have carved out a niche for themselves. The overwhelming majority of dive professionals out there worldwide are in the business because they love it, not for the money. I saw a lot a "mid-life career changers" such as myself come and go last year for this very reason. Most of them did not last more than a week or two before they jumped ship and RAN down the dock. By the time I was on the boat for 4 months I was one of the "old guys" on the crew.

The dive industry is very romantic and IDC places all over the world seize this concept to sell you the dream... watching beautiful sunsets while sipping pina coladas on the beach. I saw a lot of beautiful sunsets while filling tanks, scrubbing decks and doing dishes. If you are willing to bust your butt and work long hours, slave over hot tank fills and kiss the asses of greedy dive operation owners then you might make a go of it.


Not really trying to discourage you, just giving you the straight inside info from someone who has been there.

Needless to say I'm back in the IT business full time now, but I do still dive / teach just about every weekend now in sunny South Florida and it's a nice supplement to my income (basically I use "dive money" to buy more gear like everyone else).

If you are a full time teacher, you may have the perfect setup. Hook up with a dive operator during your summers off and have fun while keeping your full time gig. Better still, find a local university that needs dive program and take those kids to the bank - they can afford it.

if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[WICKED_WIZARD]

WOW I guess my training was cheap! I paid $275 for private lessons. He did not put a time restraint on it, said that when I was ready we would be done. Got in lots of extra dives, some of them we went on just for fun, all in the quarry. Paying $175 for the AOW with the same set up ( with no quarry fees, cost for air fills or equipment rental if I need it) Will be $75 total for nitroxand also $75 for wreck diving. Guess I am very fortunate, I would not hae been able to learn to dive for $660 or $800 for OW

Skybird

Sometimes you can get cheap lessons private. Mostly when you know the instructor.
I have done nitrox courses for a group of friends where they only paid for the material and dives themselves, lectures and time was free. But if your main income (mine not) comes from diving, one have to be careful of cutting to much back, cos its your bread and butter. Personally I would rather train less divers with a higher mark up, but give them extra attention and training than just turn out divers marginally trained.

 

[Ron Brandt]

Yeah, $850 in Canadian money right????????????

That's $725.00 USD.

Ron

 

[robbcayman]

That's $725.00 USD.

Ron

Wow, what else can I say?

 

[wheelietaco]

holy crap. I paid $150. My girlfriend paid $200. If it was that much I don't know if I would be diving

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

If internet sales keep cutting into dive shop profits expect those prices to go way up.

 

[abitton]

I paid 300$ (CDN) for my BOW...

That's $725.00 USD.

Ron

 

[DementialFaith]

$200 here to get certified if you're a student... but like all ow class rate around here, that doesn't include the 75-100 dollars coat dive.

 

[diptera]

Here is the harsh reality of the diving for dollars business, as with any "fun" job there are tons of people sitting around thinking the same thoughts you are, unfortunately most of them are young, have no responsibilities or bills and are willing to work for nothing to avoid going to college or getting a real job.

Basic economics - people pay you to do stuff you wouldn't do without the pay. The more people want to do something, the less you have to pay them to do it.

That's why there are more female prostitutes than male ones.