Thinking about diving as a career and want advice!

[zack santagate]

People skills and passion count for a lot! Keep us posted as you continue and enjoy the community. All the best.

Thank you!

 

[zack santagate]

The answer to that is always "That depends". Become a DM first, then look around at your possibilities, okay?

Cart, then horse never seems to work out.

Good point. I'm doing my Rescue Diver certification next week. Then, later this year, I'll hopefully begin DM. Thanks for all your advice!!

 

[DMDavid]

Do you what you love to do most and if you happen to make a penny at it consider yourself one of the lucky ones. But don't make a job out of something you love to do and destroy it by trying to make it support your lifestyle.

I think that quote was from an old Chinese philosopher but don't quote me on that I've had one too many rumrunners after working as a dive master today.

 

[LariatAdvance]

I'm kind of thinking more at this point as having diving as another "side hustle" to make some extra cash on the weekends. Do you think this is even a viable ploy? and how long does it normally take ballpark to complete DM?

Thanks again for the honest advice

By the time you're 70 you will hit the break even point with the costs for all the certification classes and all the equipment you will invest in.

 

[Brandon]

By the time you're 70 you will hit the break even point with the costs for all the certification classes and all the equipment you will invest in.

I see we have an optimist in the crowd.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think you have more opportunities in tropical/vacation destinations where the cost of living is lower. The more skills you have, such as captain, diesel boat engine mechanic, compressor mechanic, web page design, videographer, photographer, what you can teach (Course Directors supposedly can make 6 figures in some places, but I doubt that is common), and so on, is what will help you make a decent living. Speaking multiple languages is also key (not sure if I am repeating myself here).

That is the path that I am headed, and early retirement with a variety of skills, seeing more of the world and leaving the rat race behind.

 

[Wingy]

Take a look at Simon Pridmores "Scuba Professional" - good book written for people looking to go professional and the different segments of the dive industry you may aim for. I bought my copy from Amazon

 

[Tom Winters]

I was in the dive biz for 20 years or so. I cashed out at the end of it all in Hawaii and pretty much never have had to work in this century. I don't have much advice to offer here, although try to keep the ex-wives to a minimum. My first divorce cost me $1.5 million back in the mid '80's, and a second one would have killed me financially.
As Chico Esquela would put it, "Diving been berry, berry good to me..."
Good luck with this.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I have two friends. One is a dive instructor who is also involved in scuba retail to some extent. The combined income he generates from both retail and teaching is so little that he can not afford a trip to Fiji, Maldives, Philippines. He has over thousand dives but most of them are in the quarry. I have another friend who is a dentist. He has very few dives but he has been to all three of those destinations and will be going to Raja Ampat next year with his wife. As a diver, who would you like to be?