"Working" Divemaster?

[Whale Whisperer]

I've been a DM for about 3 months now. I don't have any insurance yet but plan on picking it up as soon as the dive season picks up. There isn't alot of opportunities for me to work as a "Tank Ape" right now because of the location I just moved to and the season Very few people ice dive here and I don't have a dry suit. I can't wait to start diving again!

 

[RiverRat]

If you're a good candidate or DM, you're worth the time, patience, and discount(s) that might be presented. There can be a lot of perks, so I'm not afraid to donate my time once in a while as long as it's not abused and my overhead is covered.

Yep that's true for me. I just got informed I got back on the shop insurance so I assume the LDS wants my help again this season. He's gotta be making some $ off me to warrant paying the insurance (bulk rate), giving discounts and getting me in a hotel for the OW weekends. It's fun "work" and has it's percs.

 

[Karibelle]

Understood, but my annual dues will come no where near what I will be paying in insurance. There is a little more club politics involved in this issue as well, but I don't really care to get into that issue. Long story short, if I want to work off my insurance and PADI Pro dues, I'll have to do it on my own. For me, not a huge deal, but I would rather find a way for going pro to at least pay for itself...

If I were you, I'd consider my insurance and training costs up to and including the IE an investment rather than an expense. DMs working in classes will make barely enough to cover gas money to get to and from the pool, where I'm from. Instructors make enough to cover their gas and then some beers afterwards. My husband became a DM in 2004, me in 2005, and we're both instructors now. We lead a trip in February, where we had our expenses paid for by our LDS, and did some training on that trip where we received all training money. This will be our fourth year of doing "scuba work" and it is *possible* that this year we may show a small profit on that work. Note that everything up until now (all insurance, equipment related to instruction and training costs) are not factored in. As a DM, your activities are rather limited - doing actual training courses as an instructor, and better yet, training beyond OW, is where the tiny bit of money can actually be made. Become an instructor, get good at it, and create OW students who want to continue working with you as they progress through their own diving career.

You have an MBA. You *know* you're not into diving for the money.

 

[Joe-Diver]

You *know* you're not into diving for the money.

Is that even possible?

 

[Karibelle]

Is that even possible?

One day on a dive in Cozumel, one of my group found a money clip with a couple hundred dollars in it... that counts, doesn't it?

 

[gangrel441]

If I were you, I'd consider my insurance and training costs up to and including the IE an investment rather than an expense. DMs working in classes will make barely enough to cover gas money to get to and from the pool, where I'm from. Instructors make enough to cover their gas and then some beers afterwards. My husband became a DM in 2004, me in 2005, and we're both instructors now. We lead a trip in February, where we had our expenses paid for by our LDS, and did some training on that trip where we received all training money. This will be our fourth year of doing "scuba work" and it is *possible* that this year we may show a small profit on that work. Note that everything up until now (all insurance, equipment related to instruction and training costs) are not factored in. As a DM, your activities are rather limited - doing actual training courses as an instructor, and better yet, training beyond OW, is where the tiny bit of money can actually be made. Become an instructor, get good at it, and create OW students who want to continue working with you as they progress through their own diving career.

That has been my observation as well, and I am willing to accept that. Of course, a comped trip here and there is what I would consider a form of economic income, as I would be traveling whether comped or not. That is part of what I would offset against insurance and dues.

You have an MBA. You *know* you're not into diving for the money.

Yeppers. Knowing this, a while back I posted a question out here that it seemed no one seemed to comprehend. I asked what it takes to break into the business side of diving. By this, I meant doing executive work with a manufacturer, trade group, travel industry, cert agency, etc. The only answers I got back was that I was living a pipedream if I thought I could make any substantial money as a DM or instructor. :429:

 

[Karibelle]

Yeppers. Knowing this, a while back I posted a question out here that it seemed no one seemed to comprehend. I asked what it takes to break into the business side of diving. By this, I meant doing executive work with a manufacturer, trade group, travel industry, cert agency, etc. The only answers I got back was that I was living a pipedream if I thought I could make any substantial money as a DM or instructor. :429:

Well, I don't necessarily agree. Had I read that post, I may have replied along the lines of "educate yourself." Find out what specifically it is you want to do, of the choices you've listed above, and then figure out what interim steps you'll need take to make that happen. Dive, a lot. Gain experience. Interact with divers, manufacturers, trade groups, etc. An example: I took the Aqualung Technical Seminar to become qualified to service my Aqualung regs. The guy teaching that course was a wealth of information, about Aqualung, manufacturers, PADI, diving and on and on. He'll be a resource forever, should I choose to leverage him. Ask people who are already involved in the business side of diving. I do think that instructor level diving knowledge would be a pre-requisite to the "business side"; if you agree, follow that path. Be prepared to quit your day job - maybe you won't do that, but being prepared to do so opens up a whole other world of possibilities.

Above all, do not pay mind to people who say a thing is impossible. Who was it who said "whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right"? Also remember that "if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

kari

 

[RJP]

One day on a dive in Cozumel, one of my group found a money clip with a couple hundred dollars in it... that counts, doesn't it?

As long as you didn't find it in someone's bag while the owner was hanging deco!

 

[gangrel441]

Well, I don't necessarily agree. Had I read that post, I may have replied along the lines of "educate yourself." Find out what specifically it is you want to do, of the choices you've listed above, and then figure out what interim steps you'll need take to make that happen. Dive, a lot. Gain experience. Interact with divers, manufacturers, trade groups, etc. An example: I took the Aqualung Technical Seminar to become qualified to service my Aqualung regs. The guy teaching that course was a wealth of information, about Aqualung, manufacturers, PADI, diving and on and on. He'll be a resource forever, should I choose to leverage him. Ask people who are already involved in the business side of diving. I do think that instructor level diving knowledge would be a pre-requisite to the "business side"; if you agree, follow that path. Be prepared to quit your day job - maybe you won't do that, but being prepared to do so opens up a whole other world of possibilities.

Above all, do not pay mind to people who say a thing is impossible. Who was it who said "whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right"? Also remember that "if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

kari

My point wasn't that everyone that replied felt it couldn't be done. My point was that no one understood the question I was asking, even after I rephrased it twice. By your answer, you most certainly did understand the question. Thank you.

I have actually made some good contacts already, through my involvement in the club. I have already brought in as guest speakers the CEO of one manufacturing company (primarily drysuits) and one of the founders of a well-known trade show. I plan to continue to and through instructor regardless of whether or not I go anywhere significant in the industry.

I'm pretty happy with where I am and where I am going professionally right now, but the opportunity to break into the executive ranks within the dive industry is definately intriguing, thus my original question.

 

[Meister481]

If I were you, I'd consider my insurance and training costs up to and including the IE an investment rather than an expense. DMs working in classes will make barely enough to cover gas money to get to and from the pool, where I'm from. Instructors make enough to cover their gas and then some beers afterwards. My husband became a DM in 2004, me in 2005, and we're both instructors now. We lead a trip in February, where we had our expenses paid for by our LDS, and did some training on that trip where we received all training money. This will be our fourth year of doing "scuba work" and it is *possible* that this year we may show a small profit on that work. Note that everything up until now (all insurance, equipment related to instruction and training costs) are not factored in. As a DM, your activities are rather limited - doing actual training courses as an instructor, and better yet, training beyond OW, is where the tiny bit of money can actually be made. Become an instructor, get good at it, and create OW students who want to continue working with you as they progress through their own diving career.

You have an MBA. You *know* you're not into diving for the money.

It seems most DM's are thinking the same as this post, I sure am. The lifestyle is what is appealing, so my suggestion is to marry rich if you want to enjoy a career in diving instruction and still eat well.

The money's being made by the operators, shop owners, cert. agencies and manufactrers.