Working as a divemaster/instructor in semi-retirement in a tropical dive destination.

[wildernessdave]

I am in my late 40s and I am thinking of becoming a divemaster/padi instructor as a semi retirement job in a couple years. Basically I would be looking to cover all of my equipment costs and earn a little money, but I would not need to rely on it cover all my living expenses.

My wife and I live on a sailboat and looking into divemaster programs in this region, Belize, mexico, honduras, leaning towards Honduras. I am currently a rescue diver.

What I have going for me I think:
Many years experience working as a wilderness guide leading canoe trip, dogsledding, camping, etc. I think many of the interpersonal skills, risk assessment, helping people through uncomfortable or stressful situations, teaching people new skills, etc would cross over well.

Not currently a captain, but could get my captains license pretty easily.

Experience designing and maintaining websites

Interesting life history, written several books about wilderness expeditions, lead more than a dozen multi month expeditions all over the world by canoe, kaysk, and dogsled, etc.

Minuses:

Would entering the scuba job market around 50.

Speak basic Spanish, but only fluent in English and not good at languages, so becoming fluent in another language is not likely.

I love teaching and guiding, is doing this in semi-retirenent in a place we can live on our boat a realistic option?

Would getting my DM and diving a lot over the next few years, but waiting to do Instructor cert make sense since I would most likely not have time/ opportunities teach scuba for a few more years?

Do you think there are opportunities to move around and work as a DM/instructor for 3 to 6 months in one place during peak season or is it necessary to base in one place long term?

Suggestions for DM training programs in this region to check out or avoid?

Thanks!

 

[NothingClever]

I love teaching and guiding, is doing this in semi-retirenent in a place we can live on our boat a realistic option?

Would getting my DM and diving a lot over the next few years, but waiting to do Instructor cert make sense since I would most likely not have time/ opportunities teach scuba for a few more years?

Do you think there are opportunities to move around and work as a DM/instructor for 3 to 6 months in one place during peak season or is it necessary to base in one place long term?

Suggestions for DM training programs in this region to check out or avoid?

I think your overall concept has merit.

I think your achievement experiences in the past are going to be at odds with your expectations from PADI. I'd research your "home" organization more throughly. Although PADI may have some expedition-minded divers, they're known for setting a really low bar to bring divers into their instructor training programs, for producing scores of sloppy instructors and legions of mediocre to careless divers. Surveys from the www.businessofdiving.com back up the general assertion that there are some serious ills in the dive industry. With PADI being the largest and most well-known certifying organization it's hard to not correlate a lot of the industry's malaise with them.

However, the Business of Diving Institute also has exceptionally good references to help one make informed choices so I don't want to paint the entire dive industry as rotten and devoid of legitimate opportunities for a respectable income.

If you want to be mobile, I think you'll need to work hard with your marketing and scheduling to align timing, port calls and customers. I don't mean in an effort to fill your calendar but simply to have a modest customer load per month. You're "competing" against fixed locations that provide traveling customers a focal point with less variables in their trip planning.

Unless we grew up with the resources to ski an entire mountain range month after month to where we know it better than 90% of the backcountry skiers, the chances of being able to heli-guide for a few months here and then a few months there are really slim, right? Same for diving. You'll want to focus on a location for a while to get to know the sites, the flow of customers, the businesses, local culture, etc in order to maximize the opportunities.

If you instruct, I think you’ll probably want to figure out how to filter vacation dabblers from serious customers (those who are ready to commit to an activity with mastery in mind). It seems to me serious customers are a lot less numerous than in decades past and that new divers these days are looking for impactful vacation photos. I would tire of the Instagrammers very quickly but that's me.

As you indicated, you might consider focusing first on what your most experienced at - guiding - but aim high for a well-organized, professional outfit (major liveaboard vessel or professionally-run charter business). You'll get good exposure, develop a good baseline of knowledge through customer interaction and be able to make an informed decision about whether you want to instruct and where. It could be you end up enjoying guiding and that becomes the main gig. Several guides on the charters I dive with (Florida) spent several years overseas doing just that. Gudiing day and day out may get old quickly. You may want to think about how you can market yourself as offering a premium guide experience (but you'll have to grow into authentically offering that, IMO).

I spent a lot of years training and operating in team-centric, high risk activities but when I learned to dive, I was totally turned off by the chasm between the poor quality of instruction I was receiving and the incessant marketing to become an instructor. Long way of saying I didn't give in to the model that instruction is the pathway to proficiency and instead chose to simply be the best diver I can be.

I wouldn't worry about your age. You have broader customer service and problem-solving experience than the 20-something year olds.

As a language geek, I've always endeavored for fluency in the languages I formally learned but have found that learning some key phrases still opens a lot of doors and hearts.

Good luck with your journey.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Not currently a captain, but could get my captains license pretty easily.

Get a 50 ton minimum. Go for it -- be a captain, be a DM, be an instructor for some dive op somewhere. I did it for 10-15 years. No regrets. Of course, I too did not have to rely on that income to survive.

 

[wildernessdave]

I think your overall concept has merit.

I think your achievement experiences in the past are going to be at odds with your expectations from PADI. I'd research your "home" organization more throughly. Although PADI may have some expedition-minded divers, they're known for setting a really low bar to bring divers into their instructor training programs, for producing scores of sloppy instructors and legions of mediocre to careless divers. Surveys from the www.businessofdiving.com back up the general assertion that there are some serious ills in the dive industry. With PADI being the largest and most well-known certifying organization it's hard to not correlate a lot of the industry's malaise with them.

However, the Business of Diving Institute also has exceptionally good references to help one make informed choices so I don't want to paint the entire dive industry as rotten and devoid of legitimate opportunities for a respectable income.

If you want to be mobile, I think you'll need to work hard with your marketing and scheduling to align timing, port calls and customers. I don't mean in an effort to fill your calendar but simply to have a modest customer load per month. You're "competing" against fixed locations that provide traveling customers a focal point with less variables in their trip planning.

Unless we grew up with the resources to ski an entire mountain range month after month to where we know it better than 90% of the backcountry skiers, the chances of being able to heli-guide for a few months here and then a few months there are really slim, right? Same for diving. You'll want to focus on a location for a while to get to know the sites, the flow of customers, the businesses, local culture, etc in order to maximize the opportunities.

If you instruct, I think you’ll probably want to figure out how to filter vacation dabblers from serious customers (those who are ready to commit to an activity with mastery in mind). It seems to me serious customers are a lot less numerous than in decades past and that new divers these days are looking for impactful vacation photos. I would tire of the Instagrammers very quickly but that's me.

As you indicated, you might consider focusing first on what your most experienced at - guiding - but aim high for a well-organized, professional outfit (major liveaboard vessel or professionally-run charter business). You'll get good exposure, develop a good baseline of knowledge through customer interaction and be able to make an informed decision about whether you want to instruct and where. It could be you end up enjoying guiding and that becomes the main gig. Several guides on the charters I dive with (Florida) spent several years overseas doing just that. Gudiing day and day out may get old quickly. You may want to think about how you can market yourself as offering a premium guide experience (but you'll have to grow into authentically offering that, IMO).

I spent a lot of years training and operating in team-centric, high risk activities but when I learned to dive, I was totally turned off by the chasm between the poor quality of instruction I was receiving and the incessant marketing to become an instructor. Long way of saying I didn't give in to the model that instruction is the pathway to proficiency and instead chose to simply be the best diver I can be.

I wouldn't worry about your age. You have broader customer service and problem-solving experience than the 20-something year olds.

As a language geek, I've always endeavored for fluency in the languages I formally learned but have found that learning some key phrases still opens a lot of doors and hearts.

Good luck with your journey.

Thank you for your detailed response, lots of good food for thought. I will certainly check out the business of diving institute.

 

[wildernessdave]

Get a 50 ton minimum. Go for it -- be a captain, be a DM, be an instructor for some dive op somewhere. I did it for 10-15 years. No regrets. Of course, I too did not have to rely on that income to survive.

I was thinking of starting with a 6pack license as a first step, does that make sense or you really need 50 ton to be marketable in the dive industry. Working for a local dive resort or dive shop.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I was thinking of starting with a 6pack license as a first step

For most dive ops a 6-pack license is useless as tits on a bull.

 

[Pearlman]

Asking out of curiosity - why isn’t your past experience as a wilderness expedition leader something you want to continue? Why start with something totally new?

I know many Westerners have the habit of going solo or with their friends if not on organised trips with strangers, but not so for Asians especially in foreign lands. Most Asians who are first or second generation affluent need somebody to organise their trips and lead them through the experience. And the general levels of affluence in Asia is only growing since the last decade, with people showing an increasing appetite to spend their disposable incomes on travel experiences beyond sight-seeing shopping and dining … with your background I think there might be opportunities for you to tie up with adventure travel companies in Asia including in my country and fully utilise your experience while earning some bucks rather than enter an already saturated industry and job market that is notorious for being underpaid …

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

I am in my late 40s and I am thinking of becoming a divemaster/padi instructor as a semi retirement job in a couple years. Basically I would be looking to cover all of my equipment costs and earn a little money, but I would not need to rely on it cover all my living expenses.

My wife and I live on a sailboat and looking into divemaster programs in this region, Belize, mexico, honduras, leaning towards Honduras. I am currently a rescue diver.

What I have going for me I think:
Many years experience working as a wilderness guide leading canoe trip, dogsledding, camping, etc. I think many of the interpersonal skills, risk assessment, helping people through uncomfortable or stressful situations, teaching people new skills, etc would cross over well.

Not currently a captain, but could get my captains license pretty easily.

Experience designing and maintaining websites

Interesting life history, written several books about wilderness expeditions, lead more than a dozen multi month expeditions all over the world by canoe, kaysk, and dogsled, etc.

Minuses:

Would entering the scuba job market around 50.

Speak basic Spanish, but only fluent in English and not good at languages, so becoming fluent in another language is not likely.

I love teaching and guiding, is doing this in semi-retirenent in a place we can live on our boat a realistic option?

Would getting my DM and diving a lot over the next few years, but waiting to do Instructor cert make sense since I would most likely not have time/ opportunities teach scuba for a few more years?

Do you think there are opportunities to move around and work as a DM/instructor for 3 to 6 months in one place during peak season or is it necessary to base in one place long term?

Suggestions for DM training programs in this region to check out or avoid?

Thanks!

It appears as If you have an epic plan, my friend. I won’t trouble you with my exploits and challenges when I was in my late teens & 20s getting into a PADI DM program & offering my services prior to and after certification functioning as, first, a club Divemaster in the dive club I belonged to. The positive part was DMing with my friends as I was in training and having an instructor along as well as a sponsoring Dive Shop. The next opportunity was establishing a close working relationship with other DM students and the two instructors we were working with. Trips to tropical destinations as well as offshore of mouth of Chesapeake Bay and NC Outer Banks, then the training dives and OW checkouts at a flooded borrow pit in Hampton, Virginia made it all worthwhile. You WILL be successful in your endeavors by choosing where and whom you associate with in your training as well as offering your service as a DM in training, assistant instructor and later teaming up with other instructor(s) as you progress through your pursuit of your dreams. My progress was cut short by responsibility and I had a family to support. Now I am far past that. My abilities are limited , however the experience in my pursuit made the ‘journey’ most enjoyable with new experiences happening all along the way. Lifesaving, First Aid and CPR should be a part of this plus exploring all of the legal obligations and getting yourself properly insured. Keep in shape. Make sure that you are aware of what you can ‘legally’ be able to so before and after certification. PADI will guide you through all of this. My very best wishes to you my friend and the experience will enrich you indeed, Touche’

BTW…. Find a ‘Duolingo’ app for the Espanol. Habla mas Espanol, luego usted.

Scott

 

[wildernessdave]

It appears as If you have an epic plan, my friend. I won’t trouble you with my exploits and challenges when I was in my late teens & 20s getting into a PADI DM program & offering my services prior to and after certification functioning as, first, a club Divemaster in the dive club I belonged to. The positive part was DMing with my friends as I was in training and having an instructor along as well as a sponsoring Dive Shop. The next opportunity was establishing a close working relationship with other DM students and the two instructors we were working with. Trips to tropical destinations as well as offshore of mouth of Chesapeake Bay and NC Outer Banks, then the training dives and OW checkouts at a flooded borrow pit in Hampton, Virginia made it all worthwhile. You WILL be successful in your endeavors by choosing where and whom you associate with in your training as well as offering your service as a DM in training, assistant instructor and later teaming up with other instructor(s) as you progress through your pursuit of your dreams. My progress was cut short by responsibility and I had a family to support. Now I am far past that. My abilities are limited , however the experience in my pursuit made the ‘journey’ most enjoyable with new experiences happening all along the way. Lifesaving, First Aid and CPR should be a part of this plus exploring all of the legal obligations and getting yourself properly insured. Keep in shape. Make sure that you are aware of what you can ‘legally’ be able to so before and after certification. PADI will guide you through all of this. My very best wishes to you my friend and the experience will enrich you indeed, Touche’

BTW…. Find a ‘Duolingo’ app for the Espanol. Habla mas Espanol, luego usted.

Scott

Thank you for your words of encouragement Scott. It seems like most get into DM and scuba instructing early in life, but later can also work. Good point about the legal aspects. I will certainly keep that in mind and will strive to find good instructors and mentors if I persue this.

 

[wildernessdave]

Asking out of curiosity - why isn’t your past experience as a wilderness expedition leader something you want to continue? Why start with something totally new?

I know many Westerners have the habit of going solo or with their friends if not on organised trips with strangers, but not so for Asians especially in foreign lands. Most Asians who are first or second generation affluent need somebody to organise their trips and lead them through the experience. And the general levels of affluence in Asia is only growing since the last decade, with people showing an increasing appetite to spend their disposable incomes on travel experiences beyond sight-seeing shopping and dining … with your background I think there might be opportunities for you to tie up with adventure travel companies in Asia including in my country and fully utilise your experience while earning some bucks rather than enter an already saturated industry and job market that is notorious for being underpaid …

That is an interesting idea and I am not apposed to organizing and leading tours, but I really enjoy being underwater and at this point finding a way to do a lot of diving and help others experience the ocean is most attractive. I am getting to the point financially where my wife and I can consider retiring early and do something like teaching scuba or working as a DM would not need to bring in much money. I would be doing it because I enjoy it and enjoy watching other experience the underwater world . That is what I enjoy most about wilderness guiding. I love watching people experience the pristine lakes, rivers, and forests we explore together. Seeing there excitement, wonder and joy. I think good DMs and instructors are often motivated by the same thing, which makes me think I would enjoy it and it would enrich my experience compared to just diving on my own with my wife.