The simple clear answer to this is because it simply doesn't pay enough. I work as an instructor in Holland and if I were to charge even the legally determined minimum wage for the work I do as instructor then (a) I would be the best paid instructor in the country and (b) I *still* wouldn't make as much as someone bagging groceries at the supermarket.So, chime in. Let me know why you think that being a dive pro should be more of a hobby than an actual career.
The simple fact is that there are too many young single instructors who are willing to live like hobo's for the chance to make their dream come true. Employers don't give a rat's a$$ how good you are so instructors like me who have a familiy are basically sqeezed out of the game and are forced to do it as a hobby.
So why do I do it? To give back. I love the work but I essentially see myself as a volunteer. I don't mind that either. My day job pays well enough and my work as instructor covers my fees, maintenance on my gear and provides me with some perks like free air and generous discounts. It reduces the cost of my hobby to zero, which is all I need and all I want to get out of it financially.
facts.What do you base these statements on?
The only instructors I know who can live like this are (a) single and (b) working for subsistence (beach bumb) wages in tropical utopias.And then alternately, post up what would be the ideal candidate for making a career as a dive instructor/dm/guide/captain whatever the case may be.
R..