Ok, no one can help huh? Only doubt. Well, I have been diving for about 5 years now somewhat regularly. I'm going to go through this program in about two months. I'm not saying I will be a great instructor as soon as I'm finished, but it is definately a start to a job I feel truly pasionate about. The reason I ask what I should get a head start on, is because I want to do the best I can and learn as much as I can in what I agree is a very short amount time.
Whats the hurry you ask? I have been working a job I hate for the last 5 years and either I can stay there for another 5 working my way up in diving, or I can quit and get started now, at a young age, and build as much experience as possible. I dont want to be a good instructor living all over the world at 50, I want it at 30.
I agree that this is a difficult program with a lot to learn. That is why I'm asking for your imput. I have already sunk a large amount of money into this, so criticism isn't going to help or make me change my mind. I have also done a lot of research on what I want to do here, so please don't think I'm clueless about what I'm getting myself into.
Thanks again to anyone who can provide some positive input on this.
Matt,
You should've have expected a bunch of naysayers on a thread like this one. Remember, many "dive professionals" are ticked because it only takes like two months and a few thousand dollars to get to their level of certification (but not their level of experience). Teaching recreational diving is kind of like a blue collar, skilled trade type of sport, and there's really only the bare minimum of requirements to do any of it. So the people who actually take it seriously get ticked when someone runs up behind them and gets as qualified as they are. This is why being a scuba instructor means very little money and in many cases, varying degrees of people taking you seriously. Do what you want, who cares what anyone says. If this were that serious of a matter, you would need to go to a special school to learn it, like say a college for example. You don't see people running off to Roatan to get their PhD for three grand. Then of course, dive agencies wouldn't be able to make millions by certifying every schlep that comes their way as a DM, instructor, etc. That's just diving.