What made you go pro?

[Trace Malinowski]

I grew up at PDIC HQ. They talked me out of commercial diving school into being a scuba instructor. Bloody buggers! That led to a 25+ year career of being broke, but having the time of my life. Now, I'm trying to fix what scuba broke. Last week, I earned $545.30 in an hour to clamp a pipe playing commercial diver in 34°F water.

 

[TMHeimer]

I grew up at PDIC HQ. They talked me out of commercial diving school into being a scuba instructor. Bloody buggers! That led to a 25+ year career of being broke, but having the time of my life. Now, I'm trying to fix what scuba broke. Last week, I earned $545.30 in an hour to clamp a pipe playing commercial diver in 34°F water.

How many hours? Where was the 34F water-- inland? Ocean here in NS was still 42 a few days ago.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

We got paid for an 8 hour day in the Delaware River for a job that took about an hour once our equipment arrived.

 

[Heruhur]

For me it was just the logical next step to become a divemaster.
I already assisted with some dive intro's in the swimming pool (getting them the gear, getting them in the gear, getting them out of the gear, etc.)
Then when I started the DM course and started assisting in the OW course the real fun began.
The people who are scared to do the excercises give the most fulfilment when you practice the excercises with them and help them overcome their fears.
(next to beingdivemaster you're often a mental coach as well )
It's just nice to see other people become diving enthousiasts.
So after I completed the DM course I immediatly started the AI course and probably gonna do OWSI at the end of the year, or the beginning of next year.

 

[tomcatbubba]

After paying for a PhD with my GI Bill I needed to bleed the rest of my $$. So.....I used it for every pro rating I could find. That I enjoy teaching was certainly another reason; and the discounts on gear and services is nice too.

Looking back I probably wouldn’t have done it though. What was a hobby my wife could tolerate became another job, taking time away from my family. And the legal and criminal liabilities aren’t really conducive with my real job. And, after a few medical issues last year, directly related to diving; I’m probably done for a while. I always thought I would retire and teach down in South Florida. That probably won’t happen now.

 

[stuartv]

I am part of a club that requires trip leaders to be at least a divemaster. We needed more people to step up and lead trips. My tech instructor is the head of the club and offered to do my DM training at no charge if I would lead trips for the club and also help him with tech classes. I wanted the club to have more trips (so that i could go on them), so I agreed.

While being a DM for classes, I found I enjoyed the teaching, and the shop offered me a staff position and encouraged me to become an instructor, so I did.

 

[MPW50]

Just finished my DM course last week and my reasons were primarily for my daughter whom we plan to get certified next year. Beyond my belief in continuing education in everything that you do, I wanted to be the best that I could be for her and felt that getting my DM would help. I can say that it was a wonderful course that was both challenging and very insightful. The DM not only honed skills that I already had but also expanded my understanding/proficiency in many other areas. I certainly feel I am a better diver because of it! I do plan to move on to IDC next year more to bolster my early retirement plan and instruct on the side. I unfortunately could not quit my day job to either DM or instruct at this point so it would only be on the side.

As stated by previous posts, reasons for "Going Pro" vary. Regardless if I ever make a dime as a DM, the time/money spent was well worth it.

Matt

 

[aquacat8]

I got halfway through a DM class. I was already an art teacher so I thought it would be a natural. My instructor had like 3 DM’s in the pool and for each one she was allowed more OW students, so we had 14 OW students in a pool with plans to head to Monterey (cold, low viz, beach entry) to finish. This woman I was trying to help was CLINGING to the side of the pool in terror. I looked into her panicky face (in the pool!) and I thought: I don’t want to be anywhere NEAR you underwater in frickin Monterey, much less RESPONSIBLE for you! Then I knew I did not want to go pro, and I gained a certain awe of those that do it well!

 

[mallbritton]

It was kind of an accident for me.

I went to Koh Tao, Thailand for a 3 month vacation of diving and additional training after I got out of the Peace Corps. Found a dive shop with a great staff of instructors and mentors and signed up for the DM course with the intention of really doing nothing more than diving a lot and getting better.

The shop started throwing me in the water with fun divers, and as I assisted OW courses and conducted Scuba Reviews I found I really loved it and eventually got my DSD leader cert and wound up the Lead DM for the shop. I really learned a lot about running a dive shop.

I was encouraged to do the IDC, but at the time I didn't want to and I should have. I've since regretted not doing the IDC when I had the chance and the money and now I'm trying to figure out how to afford it so I can get back to teaching/helping people become better divers.

 

[tech_diver]

I'd been scuba diving since I was 15 and in my mid-twenties I decided I wanted to make diving a career. I got brochures from commercial dive schools and brochures for sport instructor courses. I was deciding whether to be a commercial diver or sport instructor. At the time, commercial divers were making really good money but the brochures had pictures of rugged, deep, dark environments. The sport diving instructor brochures had beaches and girls in bikinis. Given the life priorities of a 20-something male, I became a sport instructor.