Making a good salary in the diving business isn't impossible, but it usually means that you're self employed in diving tourism, own a profitable LDS, or are a working commercial diver. Simply put, DMs and instructors are a vehicle to make a store/resort owner money. It seldom filters down to the worker. On the otherhand the worker gets to do what they like at the expense of doing it.
So chances are, if you want to make the money in recreational diving, you have to be entrepreneurial. That probably means that you wont be the one that's always taking divers out on a dive, or necessarily are the one even selling the equipment. You find yourself in a supervisory capacity, working with financial statements, or advertising your business. There's always something that needs your attention. Likely its not what you thought you would be doing when you set your course.
As far as commercial diving is concerned, you make excellent money if you're employed, but there are too many schools punching out divers with no experience that aren't able to compete in the industry. I believe that recreational schools do the same thing (too many new instructors with a dream and without the experience). I'm not trying to discourage you, but blowing hot air up your shorts isn't doing you, or your family any good.
So chances are, if you want to make the money in recreational diving, you have to be entrepreneurial. That probably means that you wont be the one that's always taking divers out on a dive, or necessarily are the one even selling the equipment. You find yourself in a supervisory capacity, working with financial statements, or advertising your business. There's always something that needs your attention. Likely its not what you thought you would be doing when you set your course.
As far as commercial diving is concerned, you make excellent money if you're employed, but there are too many schools punching out divers with no experience that aren't able to compete in the industry. I believe that recreational schools do the same thing (too many new instructors with a dream and without the experience). I'm not trying to discourage you, but blowing hot air up your shorts isn't doing you, or your family any good.