Scuba Diving Careers?

[KaizerWilhelm]

You could always get into the dealer representative area or product distribution area. for example, be the US Dealer Rep for ScubaPro or Halcyon or Dive Rite. Those are diving careers, I think. You get to try new products and tell people about them. Probably travel too!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What type of money do recreational divers make? Im enlisted in the army but sadly I did not pick 21D diver position.

Depends on region and who you work for. Shop instructors may get 40- 50 per student for the whole course. Some do much better. Independent instructors set their own rates and keep most if not all of what they charge less pool and gear rental fees if any. I have an arrangement with a shop for pool and gear usage for a nominal fee in exchange for referring my students for gear purchases.

 

[bailey.jose1]

What kind of jobs could you compare OWSI to? I found a dive shop offering a free internship from open water all the way to OWSI. What would you compare their yearly salary to?

 

[DevonDiver]

Really... being a scuba instructor is something you for for the love of the diving, and not for the salary.

You won't make much money as a scuba instructor. IF you are successful, it will be enough money to live on, but you won't be living any sort of bling lifestyle...

In truth, a very tiny percentage of scuba instructors manage to earn sufficient money to stay with diving as a full-time, life-long career. Many do it for a few years, as a sabbatical etc, before going into a mainstream job because they need more income. Many just do it part-time for extra cash and because they love diving and teaching.

 

[tregrrr]

What kind of jobs could you compare OWSI to? I found a dive shop offering a free internship from open water all the way to OWSI. What would you compare their yearly salary to?

maybe comparable to busboy in a backwoods diner or perhaps a hole digger during summer months...


but you get to dive... there are unfortunately so many kids (mental age) willing to work for free or worse pay to work ("internships") in some of the nice resort areas that the median wage has gone quite low. untill you are well experienced, and or choose to go independent and thus are able to command your own price as Jim described,be prepared to eat or drink well each day. To do both may be too costly on slow days. Atleast as a bar back you might get staff discounts on food. Its hard to eat a cheap regulator.