Why is becoming a DM considered not worth it?

[MB NZ]

Yeah but it's a lot of diving with strings attached including a lot of responsibilities to others besides your buddy (or perhaps just yourself). But I felt it was worth it because I got PAID ($300 CAD per OW course to assist). Otherwise it's not worth it and you diminish the term Dive Pro when you do it for "perks" and tips.

Unfortunately for diving professionals, market forces take over. You are in a business where people, usually young people are falling over themselves to work for free or just for perks and tips. I don't know what you do about that in a global market. If someone is keen on working in the dive industry for a sustained amount of time, I recommend that they work in a developed country with a minimum wage. This obviously excludes a lot of the places where people would actually want to go and work as a divemaster or instructor.

 

[Edward3c]

Unfortunately for diving professionals, market forces take over. You are in a business where people, usually young people are falling over themselves to work for free or just for perks and tips. I don't know what you do about that in a global market. If someone is keen on working in the dive industry for a sustained amount of time, I recommend that they work in a developed country with a minimum wage. This obviously excludes a lot of the places where people would actually want to go and work as a divemaster or instructor.

And then they’d most likely need a work permit, or get taken advantage of if working illegally on a tourist visa.

 

[MB NZ]

And then they’d most likely need a work permit, or get taken advantage of if working illegally on a tourist visa.

Yes, absolutely. I've met dive guides here who came from the UK on a work visa. Apparently, dive guides are on the skills shortage list.

 

[mrtechbench]

I then told her that I had a great sadness in my little squirrel.

In case it wasn't obvious, my "funny" reaction was to the squirrel, not that you got hurt.

 

[gamon]

I then told her that I had a great sadness in my little squirrel.

@mrtechbench

I took this to mean he had an injury to one of his nuts.

 

[lizardland]

Yeah but it's a lot of diving with strings attached including a lot of responsibilities to others besides your buddy (or perhaps just yourself). But I felt it was worth it because I got PAID ($300 CAD per OW course to assist). Otherwise it's not worth it and you diminish the term Dive Pro when you do it for "perks" and tips.

That's why when people ask "what skills do I need if I want to travel and dive?" my reply is always "learn a trade" and not "do divemaster/instructor". You'll find work anywhere, a lot of the time legally and without employers taking the piss because you're on a tourist visa, you'll pay your way rather than just slowing how quickly your money runs out. Maybe the diving you do won't be as frequent and you'll be living away from a resort but it will be better quality and on the terms you choose and you won't be washing the boat or cleaning a stack of piss-sodden wetsuits afterwards. I have a friend who is a time-served joiner and did just that, generally working in construction and but occasionally DM'ing (for free accommodation) as he goes. He is now in his 25th year of being a nomad and has a log book thicker than Mel Gibson's bible.

DM'ing is a good experience but it isn't a career. I'm glad I did it but 20 years ago it was a tough gig and I don't imagine pay and conditions went anywhere but down. For me, the reality was that dive centres' need for staff was being subsidised by the goodwill of affluent (compared to locals) westerners wanting to call themselves dive professionals. The ethics of it never sat well with me either, I'm doing a job for nothing that really a local person should be getting paid by the centre to do. Although it didn't sit badly enough that I didn't do it.

 

[TMHeimer]

Unfortunately for diving professionals, market forces take over. You are in a business where people, usually young people are falling over themselves to work for free or just for perks and tips. I don't know what you do about that in a global market. If someone is keen on working in the dive industry for a sustained amount of time, I recommend that they work in a developed country with a minimum wage. This obviously excludes a lot of the places where people would actually want to go and work as a divemaster or instructor.

I agree with what both you and lizardland say. I am talking about DMs in the U.S. (and possibly Canada), as I read about them here. I've always said that if none of them would do it without at least minimum wage type pay (like the shop where I worked here in NS), they would have to pay DMs-- or PADI and other agencies would have to restructure the whole instructor-student ratio thing.