Is there an instructor crisis?

[Eric Sedletzky]

What’s happening in the instructor world?
I hear there is a lack of people becoming instructors and the ones still doing it are starting to retire. My LDS used to have 10-12 instructors on their list or resources back 20 years ago. Now there is one and she’s 65 and wants to retire. They cannot find anyone that want’s to do it.
Is this a regional home town problem only and not at resorts? Do resorts still have more instructors they know what to do with who are willing to work dirt cheap or is this changing too?
I’m not seeing many if any young bloods coming into the instructor or even DM side.
People are telling me all sorts of doom and gloom stories about how the industry is going to cave in if there are no instructors.
If the local shops can’t find instructors then does that mean they just get into selling gear and trips and they will have to hope that people get certs somewhere else on vacation?
I can see how the increased cost of basic living, plus the cost of becoming an instructor, plus the cost of insurance, plus the low pay make it almost impossible to do, and that’s why nobody’s doing it.
What does this mean for the industry.
What will eventually happen?

 

[MB NZ]

They'll be enough young keen beans coming through who will work for nothing/peanuts to keep the industry going. When they get burnt out, or move in to a "proper" career, they'll be another lot ready to replace them. Isn't that how it's always been? If this isn't the case, then wages will have to go up. If dive centres can't increase wages, then they will have to close.

 

[tomfcrist]

Eventually, courses will pay a living wage for instructors. This means no more 4-8 day courses for $300. Open water courses are going to start costing $8-900. Bonus, class sizes will get smaller, and hopefully the quality of divers increases as a result.

 

[Pressurehead]

Most of the dive instructors and DMs working North of here are from overseas, work for awhile and move on.
A couple from the US, one from the EU [Dutch I think] and a Scott that I can think of off the top of my head [all PADI], and one from the UK [SSI shop].
The last 2 resorts [I dived a week in both], the boat coxswains were all locals, but the DMs and a few instructors were [at as guess] 90% from overseas.
Local instructors and DMs were 'thin on the ground'.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Eventually, courses will pay a living wage for instructors. This means no more 4-8 day courses for $300. Open water courses are going to start costing $8-900. Bonus, class sizes will get smaller, and hopefully the quality of divers increases as a result.

So, GUE is ahead of the curve?

 

[DogDiver]

You get what you pay for. Quality diver instruction will cost the consumer more.

 

[Lorenzoid]

You get what you pay for. Quality diver instruction will cost the consumer more.

Sadly, there are some great instructors who teach for less than they should.

 

[BoltSnap]

In my part of the world and the neighboring areas, free diving is getting much bigger than scuba. Scuba isn't getting any bigger, most likely on the decline.

 

[tomfcrist]

So, GUE is ahead of the curve?

They are. Eventually scuba instruction should as a whole be similar to cave instruction, in that it’s not nessecary to market to the masses and the “bucket list” clients. Folks that want to dive will pay a premium for quality instruction. It won’t happen as long as every side hustle instructor out there is willing to work for free gas, gear, etc. $199 scuba courses have got to go.

 

[Superlyte27]

Wait til you see what happens with insurance come June 30th. Lol