What is the best school for me?

[nryder64]

Hello.
I am an Army Veteran looking to change things up a little. I was discharged in '09 and have spent my time since traveling the world. One major means of income and traveling is Sail boats, so I have found myself on the water quite often and I enjoy it. I would like to add a little more to my resume through an investment in myself. I have done a bit of diving in the Red Sea and Andaman Sea but it was always with professionals that I had become acquainted with so I never found the need to become certified at the time (considering my budget...). I have spent this Summer back in my home town in West Michigan and am really starting to lose my mind being here. It's strange how nothing changes. Anyway, I have decided it's time for something new and I've chose SCUBA as the direction I'm heading. I need your help as knowledgeable divers to refer me to the best program for me.

I am eligible for Vocational assistance through the Veterans Affairs and I have confirmed that they will pay for the training as well as the equipment necessary to work as a professional in the industry, I just want to know what program I am going to benefit from the most in regards to being a competent well rounded dive instructor. I have looked in the the International diving career institute at Halls in South Florida but I have read some really terrible things about the place. That's when I realized I needed to ask the people who know best!

If you have any recommendations I would much appreciate them!

 

[g1138]

To be a dive professional, you have to work for the love of the sport and have no regard to making money off it.
To be a dive instructor, you have to have a love of teaching people.
Being in the professional ranks of a scuba agency means paying annual dues to keep your rating, as well as having liability insurance coverage, which usually is an annual charge.
For NAUI I pay about $90 for my DM rating, and $400 for my individual insurance. Some shops and boats will have an umbrella policy, in which case you may not have to pay for insurance as long as you're diving under their operations as an employee.

Be prepared to work a second job and dive as a hobby (both as work and for fun).

You will meet a variety of hardships as an instructor, from students who are very competent, to those that are absolutely incompetent at all aspects of life; planning/scheduling, athletic ability, social activity, being downright clumsy etc.
You'll meet those who have an irrational fear and those who just feel the need to question and interrupt constantly to the point that everyone groans.

And that's not even setting foot into the door of being a good instructor. Don't expect to be a knowledgeable instructor, let alone a great instructor right out the door of getting your rating. Knowledgeable instructors often have years of experience or do a lot of outside research and question asking, like here on scubaboard (you're in the right place). Good instruction just comes with experience and being modest with yourself. i.e. Gung-ho instructor are often narrow minded; they'll eventually clash with someone.

It would be wiser to stick with one instructor up until your Rescue cert. Then TA several full OW classes with him/her from start to finish to get an idea if teaching scuba is the route you want to take. Try to TA Adv and Rescue classes too if you want an idea of how being a dive guide might suit your fancy. After you're sure you may still want to pursue a professional dive career then and only then would I suggest going for your DM and Instructor rating.

As for what education track you should take, it really depends on having a good instructor; one you get along with at the very least. Also one that's pretty flexible and reasonable. You may change your equipment configuration base on personal preference during your path, something that some instructors are very strict against (either because of a reasonable issue or just because they're unwilling to learn/debate something they've never worked with). This can become an issue if you prefer to dive one way and don't have to money for multiple equipment setups or just don't plain like using rental equipment.

Most schools won't turn you out into this great instructor in any case so you can't really do all the bad with your choices.
I've had a friend go through the full zero to hero route at Halls in Florida and she turned out pretty good. Don't know how she is as an instructor, but she's a competent diver.

The final thing you may want to think about is what agency you want to have your rating under.
SSI I believe requires you be affiliated with a shop. (This can be problematic depending on your local)
PADI requires you follow strict guidelines in the materials and lesson plans you use.
NAUI allows you freedom to use your own education materials and lesson plans as long as you uphold the minimum standards.
There are others, but this is what I'm familiar with.
All agencies (as far as I know) allow you to raise the minimum standards that you would like your students to fullfill for their certification.

If you plan on working out of a dive shop you may want to join the most prevalent agency in your area.
If you plan on working as a freelance instructor, be prepared to make very nice friends with the local pools and dive shops so they can strike you a deal on equipment rentals or be prepared to supply & maintain all your own student equipment.

 

[nryder64]

To be a dive professional, you have to work for the love of the sport and have no regard to making money off it.
To be a dive instructor, you have to have a love of teaching people.
.

Thanks g1138 for the info.

I have met and befriended a lot of professional divers that have told me the same thing. I am well aware of the possibility of making little income and that's not really the reason I'm interested in diving.

I have been exposed to diving enough to consider it a reasonable option, and I have grown accustom to making money in a multitude of ways all over the World so I'm not concerned about whether or not it will produce a large influx of money. I'm more concerned about whether or not it will keep me growing as a person everyday. I prefer a challenge and a reward; something stimulating...

After my experience in the Military it's tough for me to find anything I am passionate about. I was good at what I did and had planned to stay in the Military. I was medically retired on this day 2009. The gave me a check and the boot, so now I have to pick up the mess and do something I love. After things happening the way they did for me in combat, I have done a lot of "soul searching" or whatever and have chosen happiness over everything. The first time I went diving I was passionate about it and was happy with what I experienced. The first time I sailed long distance I grew passionate about my work and responsibilities and found my whole perspective on life to be much lighter and enjoyable. So these are the things I pursue in my life. Not Money

So now that we have that sorted out, might you have any suggestions toward a program that may suit my needs? That was the original purpose of the thread and I'm still wading through the endless WWW to find some sort of information that seems either legitimate or reasonable. It's proving to be a task

 

[g1138]

Well I'm glad I didn't have to burst your bubble there.
Sorry, but I can only refer to the shops in my area. It'd be best to ask about a specific program in the regional forum if you want to see what local state choices you have in local dive shops. Here's the link to the regional forum; it looks like it's fairly active, so you should get some feedback.
Great Lakes Wrecking Crew

Best advice I can give to you is to interview the shop & instructor; explain your situation and intended plan. Let their answer help you make your choice.
It's good to hear you found something to pursue after coming back state-side.

 

[E8ArmyDiver]

Hey bro.If I were in your position I would try like hell to get into the Internship Program at Rainbow Reef Dive Center down in Key Largo/Tavernier (Fl.Keys)Excellent rep. as a training facility & awesome program.To ice the cake,get your Six Pack Captains Ticket.With all those credentials & certs.along with your sailing experience & a Six Pack Ticket you should be able to keep making $ all year long...Best of luck.Take care & thanks for your service!