Wanting to learn in the Caribbean..(opinion)

[mister_parton]

My wife and I were considering going to Halls Diving School in the Keys, but we are also considering other facilities in the Caribbean. Maybe even in San Juan, PR or somewhere like that. Would anyone be able to shed some light on U.S schools vs. Caribbean schools. We are both planning on getting financing and want to be instructors.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Do you currently dive, or is this an open water class you're considering? If you are already certified, what's your experience level? What program are you planning on. Unless you have a clear plan on where you want to work and whether that will provide enough money to support you, I would avoid financing any kind of dive instruction. Instructors don't make much money. There are some that have made careers out of it, but it's not easy.

As for US v. Caribbean, you will find good courses in both and bad courses in both. There are instructor mills in both places. You need to narrow down your options to a few different schools and then ask for opinions on the schools.

 

[mister_parton]

well i want to be an instructor/dive shop. its not all about the money to us. we could live in a houseboat and be perfectly okay with it. money is not the issue. neither of us have experience so we need "ground-up" training

 

[Don Wray]

Do you know you even like diving? You might want to consider taking a discover diving course first...my wife thought she would absolutely love diving and she went to the Discover diving course and found out that it was not her cup of tea due to serious equalization problems. My advice would be get a course either aforementioned or open water...you'll be out alot more money than if you chunk everything and go for the academy only to find out it's not for you. Your only 22 and there are schools all over Tennessee with good instructors. What part of Tennessee are you in?

 

[mister_parton]

Do you know you even like diving? You might want to consider taking a discover diving course first...my wife thought she would absolutely love diving and she went to the Discover diving course and found out that it was not her cup of tea due to serious equalization problems. My advice would be get a course either aforementioned or open water...you'll be out alot more money than if you chunk everything and go for the academy only to find out it's not for you. Your only 22 and there are schools all over Tennessee with good instructors. What part of Tennessee are you in?

I am in Murfreesboro, TN. Its about 30 miles SouthEast of Nashville, TN

 

[Don Wray]

I know there are several places in Nashville and probably at least one in Murfreesboro....I'm from Memphis but spent alot of time all over the state....

 

[Dive-aholic]

well i want to be an instructor/dive shop. its not all about the money to us. we could live in a houseboat and be perfectly okay with it. money is not the issue. neither of us have experience so we need "ground-up" training

I suspected as much. Take Don's advice. Start out with a discover scuba session. If you like that, then put up the money for the open water course, but don't borrow it. When you add it all up - courses, diving, gear - It will run you between $5,000-10,000 to go from no experience to instructor...times 2. (and the $5,000 route won't make you a very good instructor) That's a lot of money to invest without ever having been in the water on scuba. It's good that it's not about the money, but it can be hard just making ends meet as a dive instructor, never mind having to pay back a loan! A houseboat will also cost quite a bit, and the maintenance on it can be quite a bit.

A couple of old sayings:

The best way to make a million dollars as a dive shop owner is to start with two million.

The 2 happiest days in a boat owner's life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it.

Get your OW cert. and go diving. If you find you like it, then go from there. Most dive shop owners I know don't dive for fun or even that much. They're too busy working in the store. When they do get to dive, they are teaching, not necessarily diving. I know a few instructors who log about 300 dives a year, but 90% of those dives are in local quarries or lakes. There's nothing wrong with that. But I like diving. Training dives are fun, but I like the non-training dives better. That's why a majority of my dives are non-training. I teach part-time and have another job to support my diving. This allows me to dive more.

Take it slow. I wish I had gotten certified at your age!

 

[mister_parton]

Thanks for all the advice. I think that we will build up over the next year and try to get our instructor certifications next july or so. I will do just as you guys/girls said. I'm going to find a discover scuba class here and go step by step!

 

[Dive-aholic]

Most agencies require a minimum of 100 dives to become an instructor. In most people's opinions, that's a low number. Don't rush it.

 

[halocline]

Thanks for all the advice. I think that we will build up over the next year and try to get our instructor certifications next july or so. I will do just as you guys/girls said. I'm going to find a discover scuba class here and go step by step!

Sorry, but this response says that you're not "doing as you guys/girls said." They said try an OW or discover scuba class and you said you're going to get your instructor certification....

It doesn't matter; you're excited about diving now and that's a good thing. Who knows how you'll feel about it after a year or so...maybe more excited, maybe not. I would suggest a nice long vacation on Cozumel; you can find a weekly or monthly rental if you don't want to pay hotel prices and you can take your pick from many, many good dive instructors for your discover scuba, OW, etc..., and you'll undoubtedly meet others who are or were in very similar situations to yourselves.

Oops, sorry, just re-read the thread and saw that you're 22 years old. Forget my advice, finish college if you haven't, and get a job!