Mark Derail
Contributor
Just came back after nine days, and have asked around. My 19yr old son is a DM.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd say: (2)
The DM's are working for tips only. Rent is going to be in the 800 CI$ range (or 1000 USD per month) for a dorm-style out East.
There are 35 dive ops. All take interns at some point, for DM, call them all.
Expert no pay whatsoever.
I tipped 100$ for three boat trips of 2-tanks each, and the manager, Chris of CTD, said it was very generous. To me, I was just, 290$ x 2 + 85$ for the dives. 100$ tip.
If you're at the instructor level with experience, things will start to look up. Even so, the pay is not high, and cost of living is high. You don't go pro to become rich, that's for sure. 17,000-21,000 CI per year is a very low salary.
You'd make more money working the call centre for Verizon.
First week of March, I expected the place to be packed. On a Tuesday night at Calico Joe's, at around 8-9pm, we had the entire place to ourselves. I expected to see much more dive boats operating, busiest days I say perhaps 8 along 7MB. Tourism is down, it shows.
FWIW:
The political climate is going downhill, the lower class want more jobs, many have struggled to get their kids though high school and above, and they are stuck as cashiers or selling tshirts to tourists.
Lots & lots of places for sale, many "halted" construction projects or abandoned. Apparently they are 600M CI$ in debt, no decent port facilities yet, and few jobs.
Listened to 89.9 (or 90FM) quite a bit to get the "feel" of things. Talked to some DM's, many work in bars, like Calico Joe's, for a better pay.
Even on 106.1 KISS FM, at least twice per hour, a message from the "people" and the Premier, asking for companies to invest.
IOW, GC is feeling the "pinch" of the recession just like everywhere else in the world. The "rich" have less disposable income, travel less, have stopped buying 2nd or 3rd homes.
The only industry I saw that was working all week, was construction for homes for rich retirees, that want their retirement income to go "further" by paying no more taxes.
I think it's just a matter of a decade or less, and GC will impose a sales tax, like Puerto Rico have done recently. The usual tax-the-rich to feed-the-poor.
There was a rally Thursday night in Boddentown, for a politician running for election against the current Premier. Listening to what he said, 95% of his two-hour speech was on how bad a job the current administration was doing. Not too much on how he change things for the better.
He kept on ranting on the 20,000 work permits, and how there are too many non-Cayman born using up those permits.
My advice - stay away - or make diving a "sport", not a career choice.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd say: (2)
The DM's are working for tips only. Rent is going to be in the 800 CI$ range (or 1000 USD per month) for a dorm-style out East.
There are 35 dive ops. All take interns at some point, for DM, call them all.
Expert no pay whatsoever.
I tipped 100$ for three boat trips of 2-tanks each, and the manager, Chris of CTD, said it was very generous. To me, I was just, 290$ x 2 + 85$ for the dives. 100$ tip.
If you're at the instructor level with experience, things will start to look up. Even so, the pay is not high, and cost of living is high. You don't go pro to become rich, that's for sure. 17,000-21,000 CI per year is a very low salary.
You'd make more money working the call centre for Verizon.
First week of March, I expected the place to be packed. On a Tuesday night at Calico Joe's, at around 8-9pm, we had the entire place to ourselves. I expected to see much more dive boats operating, busiest days I say perhaps 8 along 7MB. Tourism is down, it shows.
FWIW:
The political climate is going downhill, the lower class want more jobs, many have struggled to get their kids though high school and above, and they are stuck as cashiers or selling tshirts to tourists.
Lots & lots of places for sale, many "halted" construction projects or abandoned. Apparently they are 600M CI$ in debt, no decent port facilities yet, and few jobs.
Listened to 89.9 (or 90FM) quite a bit to get the "feel" of things. Talked to some DM's, many work in bars, like Calico Joe's, for a better pay.
Even on 106.1 KISS FM, at least twice per hour, a message from the "people" and the Premier, asking for companies to invest.
IOW, GC is feeling the "pinch" of the recession just like everywhere else in the world. The "rich" have less disposable income, travel less, have stopped buying 2nd or 3rd homes.
The only industry I saw that was working all week, was construction for homes for rich retirees, that want their retirement income to go "further" by paying no more taxes.
I think it's just a matter of a decade or less, and GC will impose a sales tax, like Puerto Rico have done recently. The usual tax-the-rich to feed-the-poor.
There was a rally Thursday night in Boddentown, for a politician running for election against the current Premier. Listening to what he said, 95% of his two-hour speech was on how bad a job the current administration was doing. Not too much on how he change things for the better.
He kept on ranting on the 20,000 work permits, and how there are too many non-Cayman born using up those permits.
My advice - stay away - or make diving a "sport", not a career choice.
.
