volunteering with local dive shop?

[henkyyeah]

hey everyone,

I completed my DM a few months ago and moved back home and am keen to get involved with scuba again, I'm a student and don't have much money so I don't know if I will be able to afford diving regularly right now, but I was wondering if working/volunteering with local dive shops and learning about gear and servicing is a thing people do?

I'm based in Melbourne, Australia.

Thnak you for your answers

 

[covediver]

Don't know the situation in Oz outside of diving there back in 2011 on Osprey Reef, etc. By "volunteer" I assume it would be "unpaid." Many dive shops and charters here in the States entice newly minted assistants and divemasters with equipment discounts for helping out with classes, working on dive boat charters, etc. The only pay you will get is a "tip" every so often but you will do a lot of diving. The situation has not changed much in 40 years when I took that route in Southern California. I worked with some great people and got a lot of diving out of it. I did it for a number of years, eventually settling on a couple of instructors who treated me as a pro. I got some life long dive buddies in the process. The secret is the team you work with. Do they treat you like a valued member or as merely someone to tote their gear? Some may have the attitude "if they don't value thier time, why shoould we" These folks should be avoided.

If you decide to go that route, I hope it works as well as you as it did for me.

 

[henkyyeah]

Don't know the situation in Oz outside of diving there back in 2011 on Osprey Reef, etc. By "volunteer" I assume it would be "unpaid." Many dive shops and charters here in the States entice newly minted assistants and divemasters with equipment discounts for helping out with classes, working on dive boat charters, etc. The only pay you will get is a "tip" every so often but you will do a lot of diving. The situation has not changed much in 40 years when I took that route in Southern California. I worked with some great people and got a lot of diving out of it. I did it for a number of years, eventually settling on a couple of instructors who treated me as a pro. I got some life long dive buddies in the process. The secret is the team you work with. Do they treat you like a valued member or as merely someone to tote their gear? Some may have the attitude "if they don't value thier time, why shoould we" These folks should be avoided.

If you decide to go that route, I hope it works as well as you as it did for me.

Thank you covediver for this reply, I will reach out some dive shops this week and try to suss out the situation a bit better!