Part time pro feasibility

[YoDadio]

Based on everything I’ve read online, short of selling everything I own and opening my own instantly overwhelmingly successful dive shop there is little money to be made by going pro. However, I have to admit that the idea of a hobby paying for itself (with potential tax benefits no less) as a part time gig has some appeal…

I know all of the agencies have their nuances, both good and bad, but in the end they all pretty much hold the same standards. The instructor is the star, not the agency (i.e., bad instructors from the greatest agency produce poor divers and vice versa). So if/when I do “pull the trigger” on going pro, it would most likely be with PADI. Simply because they are local, the largest agency, and I am half way there already with them.

The kicker is that I have only been diving for a few years and the idea of sacrificing my fun to “babysit” lacks appeal to me. As a 45 year old PADI Rescue Diver approaching 100 dives, I know that my window to get certified as an instructor is closing. Sure I’ve got time yet, but getting through the physicals in my mid to late fifties does NOT sound like fun. Yet I do enjoy teaching/training in other aspects of my life (namely work and the kid’s sporting/scouting activities). So I suspect I would enjoy it here as well, but I would prefer it to be on a (very) part time basis. Pretty much just enough to cover the ongoing costs associated with being an instructor (or to fall in love with instructing).

Obviously while interning I’ll get a feel as to whether or not being a DM/AI/OWSI is right for me, all the while a qualified instructor will be "babysitting" me. If I hate it or can’t hack it I’ll leave better trained than when I started.

I freely admit that I have not spoken to my local dive shop (LDS) about any of this because it just doesn’t seem right to say; “Hey, can you certify me so that I can teach just often enough to suit my needs?”

So I guess my question is, just how realistic am I being about my needs and/or the needs of the LDS for that matter? We’re both an hour’s drive inland from the ocean in southern California, so they may not even need me enough to meet my needs…

So there you have it, my long winded pitch as to if/when I should go pro. If so, what are my prospects of a part time gig covering my ongoing costs? What would my ongoing costs be? Any suggestions regarding the do’s and don’ts of possible tax matters?

 

[Crowley]

First off - If it makes you feel any better, the oldest DM and instructor I trained was 63 years old. He wasn't planning to work in the industry, it was simply something he wanted to achieve, but he got through it all.

Instructor work is very often part time outside of the big resort towns and working on a freelance basis is common. Maybe you get to be the spare instructor when the dive centre gets busy. Most will expect some form of commitment, I am sure, because turning down work when you're needed is never a good thing - and customers are not going to want to be told "we'd love to do your course but our instructor only works every second Tuesday of the month".

You need to have the discussion with the LDS - what can YOU bring to THEM - as well as what they can do for you.

You're right - the majority of part time instructors outside of resorts are not going to get rich from their diving jobs - in those circumstances it's a second job, with a supplemental income, and you get to dive for free or for substantial discounts - along with discounted gear and equipment. I have no idea what the tax repercussions might be...!

My advice would be to discuss terms of the DM program and see what they can offer you on a part time basis and how their internships work. Once you start the program you may find that you are willing to commit more time than you initially intended, you may find that professional diving is not for you.

Give it a whirl!

Hope that helps a little -

C.

 

[TSandM]

Most of the people who instruct here in Seattle do so part-time, as a way to get better prices on gear and to recoup some of their diving costs. How much an instructor teaches is usually a negotiation between him and the shop for which he teaches, or in the case of independents, may be set by demand, or the instructor's willingness to commit time to teaching. This is definitely something to discuss with your shop -- depending on their need for instructors, they may be more or less willing to meet your idea of how much you want to teach. (Sometimes, if shops are sufficiently in need, they'll make very attractive deals with students for their instructor courses.)

Instructor burnout is a real issue. In the last five years, I've seen a lot of people get their instructor rating, teach for a couple of years, and drift off. I think it's particularly bad for people who really don't have a lot of opportunity to dive to begin with, and find that all they are doing is teaching. (This is one of the reasons that shops are often looking for instructional staff.)

If you are unsure how much you want to teach, by all means get your DM and assist with some classes. I was amazed at my very ambivalent reaction to doing that. In general, I love to teach anything I know how to do, but teaching OW turned out not to be nearly as much fun or as rewarding as I had thought it would be -- thus my prolonged stop at DM. Helping already certified divers who want to get better is a different story, but then you have a selected group of people who already know they like to dive!

 

[reddiver970]

What everyone else said is right on the money. By the time you finish an internship for DM you will have a better idea of how much further, or not, you would like to go. I think the DM course is probably the best PADI course available, if you find teaching is not your thing at the very least your skills and knowledge will improve.

 

[Peter Guy]

If you are trying to come up with a cost/benefit analysis of being a Pro, good luck!

a. IF you are a DM, working for a shop, it is unlikely you will get paid much (at least that is the norm around here, PNW). You generally get "free air" and reduced prices on gear but that is about all -- and you give your time by doing classes. In order to be a DM you need to pay your yearly fee (around $150/year?) and insurance (around $250/year?) on top of the costs of becoming a DM (course fee/materials around $600?). Don't see the cost/benefit being in favor of pro status.

b. Being an instructor -- hmmm -- generally agreed to cost at least $2000 (IDC, IE, PADI fees, Insurance) -- yearly fees -- $250(?) to PADI and maybe $450 for insurance. UNLESS you have some significant diving expenses (trips and gear purchases) that can offset non-salary income, there really aren't that many tax benefits as far as I can tell.

You need to want to be an instructor to do this -- not because of the financial benefits in most cases.

 

[diveprof]

ok, so you want to earn $5 per hour ( about the average when you figure in all the time you invest and if you are doing it right by your students). Yeah, you don't mind the liability issues (even with insurance which is a must). The money in scuba is made on the gear sales. Yet, given all of this, there are tax benefits, discount gear and travel, and the total joy of introducing others to the underwater world. One tip from experience, teach a variety of courses, not just OW to keep it interesting for you so you do not burn out. If you enjoy teaching others to enjoy the underwater world, then the math does not matter.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Tax benefit?
You can write off expenses and subtract from income for your "Dive Instructor Business," which for most of us yields a significant loss, true, but if you do it by much, often, then the IRS will classify it as a "hobby" and you'll only be able to zero the balance sheet.
Rick

 

[Ste Wart]

I know all of the agencies have their nuances, both good and bad, but in the end they all pretty much hold the same standards. The instructor is the star, not the agency (i.e., bad instructors from the greatest agency produce poor divers and vice versa). So if/when I do “pull the trigger” on going pro, it would most likely be with PADI. Simply because they are local, the largest agency, and I am half way there already with them.

I seemed to focus on this section for some reason.
It is not just the instructor. You are there to teach the course, not your own version of it. This is the reason standards are put in place. I'm an instructor for 2 different agencies, but I teach according to their specific rules. For example if I am doing a PADI Open Water course I do not mix in aspects of the IANTD OW course. Similarly when I teach Adv Nitrox for IANTD, DSAT tech is not mentioned.
When you have the Standards & Procedures lecture on the PADI IDC you will see this. It is important that we have a format to follow otherwise any old teaching will prevail. I guarantee that your first few courses will be incredibly difficult as you come to realise the actuality of teaching, but you will soon find your groove.
A good instructor is someone who can present all the information from a course in a clear concise way, without devitations.
Teaching is incredibly rewarding. The OW course can be quite stressful at times, but it is also the one where you receive the most feedback. You introduce somebody to a new world and that is special.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

A good instructor is someone who can present all the information from a course in a clear concise way, without devitations.

I disagree with this. A good instructor is someone who can present all the information from a course, explain the possible logic behind the way an agency wants things done, explain the potential problems and benefits of doing those things, then explain possible and even better alternatives without violating standards of safety or training.

Instructors who only teach what they are told and don't know any better are a dime a dozen.

 

[Ste Wart]

I disagree with this. A good instructor is someone who can present all the information from a course, explain the possible logic behind the way an agency wants things done, explain the potential problems and benefits of doing those things, then explain possible and even better alternatives without violating standards of safety or training.

Instructors who only teach what they are told and don't know any better are a dime a dozen.

Yes I do teach only what I'm told. That way my insurance is always valid. When PADI took the decision to change the skills for the AOW deep dive (that is to compare colours at depth, rather than do a Narcosis test) I complied. I didn't agree with it but I still followed standards.
There equally too many instructors out there who teach their own course and then pick from a series of certifications to give to the student. Tech instructors are the prevalent practioners of this. One example when a student could not complete physical skills for an IANTD Normoxix trimix course the Instructor gave him a TDI license instead. That is not teaching, that is a dangerous mentality.
I have skills and experience way above what is needed to teach the OW level, after all you can become an instructor with only 100 dives. How much of my own dive history comes into the course, only what is relevant to the course and only if it does not task load the student.
I teach my students how to dive,how to control their buoyancy, plan their dives and be safe divers all within the PADI framework.