Clammy
Contributor
Whoops! Well, good luck over there! Come home safe and thanks for doing what you do so we can keep doing what we do!
Why can't you make a living as an Instructor?
- Thread starter BeachJunkie
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Whoops! Well, good luck over there! Come home safe and thanks for doing what you do so we can keep doing what we do!
Back to topic. So you have heard over and over the attrition rate and the supply/demand economics equation regarding being a dive instructor. There is a small number that are able to survive (not really thrive) doing this. What I propose is that you stop and think if whether instructor is the end goal or merely a stepping stone. I think the objective of being a dive instructor as an end goal is less than desirable, but maybe there is some occupations that may be close to what you want to do.
How about going to school (GI bill), get a Masters/PhD in Kinesiology and teach PE at a college/university? One instructor I know teaches SCUBA and sailing (tough job). You know what sucks? It's in Monterey! This is one way of teaching SCUBA that is sustainable (not to mention summers off). Not great pay, but definitely but better than most instructors.
How about training in the AAUS program? Become a science diver or a dive safety officer. Both of these positions require mentoring less experienced/talented divers. Your military training will definitely be desirable attributes. Last time I saw a posting for a dive safety officer with NOAA, I think they were paying $70k/year (going from memory, so don't quote me). Science divers find jobs with a number of agencies; mix the science diving with aquatic environmental studies & you may have something marketable.
Any of these paths will take 5-7 years and a 1000 dives to achieve; so what? In 7 years, no matter what you do; you will be 32 years old.
How about going to school (GI bill), get a Masters/PhD in Kinesiology and teach PE at a college/university? One instructor I know teaches SCUBA and sailing (tough job). You know what sucks? It's in Monterey! This is one way of teaching SCUBA that is sustainable (not to mention summers off). Not great pay, but definitely but better than most instructors.
How about training in the AAUS program? Become a science diver or a dive safety officer. Both of these positions require mentoring less experienced/talented divers. Your military training will definitely be desirable attributes. Last time I saw a posting for a dive safety officer with NOAA, I think they were paying $70k/year (going from memory, so don't quote me). Science divers find jobs with a number of agencies; mix the science diving with aquatic environmental studies & you may have something marketable.
Any of these paths will take 5-7 years and a 1000 dives to achieve; so what? In 7 years, no matter what you do; you will be 32 years old.
What's a shame is how many people can't spot sarcasm when it practically bites them on the nose.
Clammy
Contributor
So how much of that time is one putting in their "dues" as the FNG while making close to nothing? I mean most other careers, you might not be making what you want YET but you know you'll get there and it's not some horribly low amount. IE there's an acceptable scale as you go up, not some huge gap IF you make it... Am I making sense?
Airleron
Contributor
BeachJunkie: You and those you serve with truly are heroes. Thank you and I hope you are successful in any field you choose after your tour is over.
OP
BeachJunkie
Contributor
I will be going to college for Diving Business and Technology. The degree encompasses all aspects of the diving industry from instruction to sales/management and even USCG licensing for charter businesses. There are additional courses that can be taken that include the scientific diving. The school is actually partnered with NOAA for this particular portion and will be something that I will certainly look into. I would like to think that this makes up a rather marketable skill set and certainly sets me up to start my own business after getting some experience. I will also be dual majoring for a "real" job in case this ends up being something that doesn't work out for me. I'm doing my best to leave as many options available for additional training and alternative carreers should it not work out. Plus since its going on uncle sam's tab I figured why not get as much free dive training as I can? It shouldn't overload me with the other coursework that I will have with the other major. And the fact that it is taught over multiple semesters instead of crammed into 4 weeks should make it a good experience. The school offers a "safety diver/ rescue diver" course but that is geared toward police divers and fire departments. (although this very well may be a possible carreer choice due to my military background). Thanks for the suggestions and insight and for getting things back on topic!
Actually, you couldn't be more wrong when it comes to dive instruction. The best, most thorough instruction usually comes from barely compensated part timers with day jobs, because they aren't beholden to the "sell more by offering instant gratification" marketing mantra. Time is money, and the only way to make dive instruction lucrative is to make it quick. Part timers typically affiliate with agencies less concerned with high volume growth and run multi-week courses that require more effort. They aren't in it for the money, and the more time they spend on a class, the happier they are, because they enjoy doing it. In line with what I said earlier about work versus leisure, one reason they enjoy it more is that they don't HAVE to do it.
Some agencies make a big deal about professionalism, but take a moment to explore the etymology of the word 'amateur.' It comes from the Latin word for love, and means someone who does something out of a love for it. A professional, on the other hand, is also known as a mercenary.
For another perspective, your wife, who bore and raised your children and stuck by you for decades through thick and thin, is an amateur. The woman on the street corner in the shiny thigh high boots and the sequined tube top is a professional.
That's why it's best to treat the dive gig as a temporary diversion, rather than a career, and that includes having a real career plan for when the party's over. You're not stuck doing it after the bloom is off the rose. Of the people I know who chose the full time dive pro route, the only ones who are still in it after more than 5-10 years are those who didn't plan an exit strategy, or because they can't afford the capital hit of unloading a dive shop.
Go for it, but plan to get out in 5 years or so, and have a plan what you'll do next. That plan my change - if you are in a high-end location, you're going to have a lot of prime networking opportunities - keep in touch with the people meet. Figure out what you can do during that 5 years to prepare for what comes next. My friend who captained liveaboards taught himself database programming on a laptop in his spare time on the boat.
Yes and it is a traditional cop-out, an excuse not to try. Some are comfortable with that decision. The OP does not appear to subscribe to that course of action.
The first safety net is an education. A degree, no matter what field, is a marketable achievement. I also know that many people have 3 or 4 different careers in a lifetime that have nothing to do with their degree (I am on my 4th career). This gives flexibility to do something else when goals/life/interests change.
So there are problems that are incumbent with the OP’s chosen goal. When the problems are getting in the way of where you want to go, you need to either give up, say the risk is too high, or you look for another route. It’s your choice. Certainty is never an option on a risky endeavor. The OP is looking at a risky occupation (fiscally, not physically) but would like to pursue it anyway. So you make a plan, try to foresee problems & mitigate risk. Sometimes you fail...but if you win, you win big. A profession that feeds your soul is a good profession to be in.
The payoff for guaranteed employment is that you often pay with your soul and dreams.
Good thinking, but it's not just a matter of it not working out. It could work out great, but, like your current job, it's a young person's job.
If you're good in math and science, consider engineering, especially mechanical or biomedical. With a strong dive background, you could get a "real" job, with benefits, 401K, etc., designing the next generation of cool dive gear. There are "real" jobs in the dive industry, just not in the front lines of hauling tanks and helping tourists learn to clear their masks. Those are the entry level, and not career material.
Actually DIVING for your livelihood isn't the same as doing it for fun. Stuffy nose? Tired? Havinga bad day? Too bad - these people paid good money and flew 1500 miles to be taken diving, and the rest of the staff is either out on other boats, or over on the mainland getting parts for the compressor.
OP
BeachJunkie
Contributor
Since I started this thread I've stepped back and truly looked at the other options outside of just the typical dive resort type jobs. Short of commercial diving I've found some interesting things. Also the additions from everyone have been very helpful as well! I agree and fully understand the "young person" aspect of the instructor/guide side of things. That is why I am also looking to get information on the business and captaining side as well. I never thought about the engineering part though. I guess that would give me a good excuse to dive and "test" gear. All excellent ideas. Keep them comming!
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