great point there.
In a 4 season environment circumstances ARE different. I live in Florida (having moved from New Jersey) so in Florida it is scuba diving season probably 100% of the time.
I think we need to make a VERY clear distinction between LDS and independent scuba instructors. LDS already have a facility where they work so rent is paid for through student courses and equipment sales and repair. Independent instructors do not have a facility and I honestly do not see why they would need one. A group could go over course work in a park, in library, in someone's home and students would oblige gladly as long as they are taught. Pool sessions could be done in a community pool (ie YMCA or some sort of aquatic center). Locally to my area admission fee is $10/student which students pay. Lake dives are free so there is additional savings there. In not so many words independent instructors could hypothetically operate with no facilities that they own.
In a 4 season environment scuba shops make ends meet by multi tasking. Boyscout stuff this season, scuba stuff that season, hunting equipment other season, winter stuff during winter. I do not own a scuba business so I do not know all the intricacies but my instructor has 3 things under 1 roof and we live in climate where scuba is available at all times.
Another aspect of scuba business is that older crowd tends to come to dive shops or dive masters asking to organize dive trips. In most cases for the shop and or the dive master travelling accommodations and on site diving and lodging are factored into group's overall price... in other words they go for free. Every situation is different, of course but a business savvy person could figure out how to make money.
Finally (and not to disrespect any person on this board nor off this board). Let's be honest about something. This country rewards education level with earnings. This country also allows (and I do not want to use this ugly word to be honest) unskilled laborers to earn a living in many creative ways. Some flip burgers, others become tour guiders, others pressure wash homes and some become scuba instructors among other things. I honestly can not put a price to the latter. You have a group of people teaching other people to risk their lives in a safe manner with eventuality of out of this world entertainment, peace of mind and all that cool stuff. When it boils down to it, scuba instruction does not require college education and there is no "set" salary for such craft. With teachers for example... average salary is $40,000; with engineers average salary is $70,000. Since many scuba instructors are self employed there are virtually no laws that govern how much they should be getting which brings me to the final word of the day....
As a scuba instructor one should not look at their income as some sort of loss but rather a gain. You need to structure your finances around absolute minimum that you can earn and anything extra gets set aside as an investment or something of that sort. If you were living in a dive all year environment then you could potentially make about $35,000-$40,000 easy and that is very good considering all things said. If you live in middle of nowhere and you are a scuba instructor where diving is only 3 months out of the year and you are struggling to make ends meet... pack up and move. My dive shop always has people from up north coming down for a couple of years until they get back on their feet and move back or move further south. You should be willing to move where business is and not expect business to come to you. Understanding that self net worth is directly proportionate to amount of effort you put into it is what makes this country unique. You can be somebody if you put your mind to it.
In a 4 season environment circumstances ARE different. I live in Florida (having moved from New Jersey) so in Florida it is scuba diving season probably 100% of the time.
I think we need to make a VERY clear distinction between LDS and independent scuba instructors. LDS already have a facility where they work so rent is paid for through student courses and equipment sales and repair. Independent instructors do not have a facility and I honestly do not see why they would need one. A group could go over course work in a park, in library, in someone's home and students would oblige gladly as long as they are taught. Pool sessions could be done in a community pool (ie YMCA or some sort of aquatic center). Locally to my area admission fee is $10/student which students pay. Lake dives are free so there is additional savings there. In not so many words independent instructors could hypothetically operate with no facilities that they own.
In a 4 season environment scuba shops make ends meet by multi tasking. Boyscout stuff this season, scuba stuff that season, hunting equipment other season, winter stuff during winter. I do not own a scuba business so I do not know all the intricacies but my instructor has 3 things under 1 roof and we live in climate where scuba is available at all times.
Another aspect of scuba business is that older crowd tends to come to dive shops or dive masters asking to organize dive trips. In most cases for the shop and or the dive master travelling accommodations and on site diving and lodging are factored into group's overall price... in other words they go for free. Every situation is different, of course but a business savvy person could figure out how to make money.
Finally (and not to disrespect any person on this board nor off this board). Let's be honest about something. This country rewards education level with earnings. This country also allows (and I do not want to use this ugly word to be honest) unskilled laborers to earn a living in many creative ways. Some flip burgers, others become tour guiders, others pressure wash homes and some become scuba instructors among other things. I honestly can not put a price to the latter. You have a group of people teaching other people to risk their lives in a safe manner with eventuality of out of this world entertainment, peace of mind and all that cool stuff. When it boils down to it, scuba instruction does not require college education and there is no "set" salary for such craft. With teachers for example... average salary is $40,000; with engineers average salary is $70,000. Since many scuba instructors are self employed there are virtually no laws that govern how much they should be getting which brings me to the final word of the day....
As a scuba instructor one should not look at their income as some sort of loss but rather a gain. You need to structure your finances around absolute minimum that you can earn and anything extra gets set aside as an investment or something of that sort. If you were living in a dive all year environment then you could potentially make about $35,000-$40,000 easy and that is very good considering all things said. If you live in middle of nowhere and you are a scuba instructor where diving is only 3 months out of the year and you are struggling to make ends meet... pack up and move. My dive shop always has people from up north coming down for a couple of years until they get back on their feet and move back or move further south. You should be willing to move where business is and not expect business to come to you. Understanding that self net worth is directly proportionate to amount of effort you put into it is what makes this country unique. You can be somebody if you put your mind to it.