Would like advice about going PRO.

[kevguthrie]

I would like any advice about going pro. I took up diving a few years ago, and it has become a passion of mine. I am almost 30, and I have been in sales all of my career. In my role as a rep, my favorite aspect was teaching.

Recently, I my wife had a baby, and 5 days later I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I have gone through treatment, and now I am healthy again.

Since, I have decided to stay at home full-time with my daughter. I made up my mind that I want to do something that I love, and that money is in no way a primary motivator.

What advice would any of you have for me knowing that I live in Dallas, and would like to be an instructor Part-time locally? My current cert. level is AOW, and I am currently signed up to do rescue cert.

Thanks for your input!!!

 

[do it easy]

I think that teaching and DMing take a certain type of personality. You might like to dive, but you might dislike teaching or the training environment. I find that they are very different animals. You might be able to control the dosage by "working" only a few times a month or by being selective. Good luck finding that happy medium!

 

[Wildcard]

I hope you dont plan on trying to support a family on Inst pay? It would be OK as a part time job but the pay off for the cost of the training is years. Only one reason to move to Inst level and that is passion. It sure aint pay.
PS he started off with he liked the teaching part of his job...

 

[pipefish]

I say if you have a passion for diving and you love to teach, you may find that going pro is the thing for you. You can do it in small steps. After your advanced cert, go on and get your divemaster cert. It's a heck of a lot of work but quite rewarding. I had a passion for diving and went pro. I discovered that teaching brought a whole new dimension to diving and I absolutely love it. Turns out I have a passion for teaching too - who knew???? <grin>

One word of advice for you: When you do go pro... spend some time assisting with classes - don't hurry through the process. The experience you gain by working with different instructors is invaluable.

Good luck to you and your diving path!

PF

 

[tech_diver]

I have been a diver for 25+ years and worked in the biz for 15. Working in the dive business can be an amazing experience. You will spend time in the water and see the sport from behind the scenes. You will develope as a diver through your leadership of other divers.

But you will never own a private jet... it is not something done for wealth. All the scuba gear sales worldwide is around only a third of a billion dollars and that's divided between a couple of dozen brands.

I started working in a dive store, became instructor, then manufacturers rep, then tech support, now I'm tech director for OMS.

I would say, look at the other business skills you can bring to the industry as well as your diving skills. Every industry needs talented managers, salespeople. Learn as much as you can and see how you can best apply your personal skill set to the business.

PS. A previous post nailed it: Don't rush through your developement, take time, become great at what you do.

 

[kevguthrie]

Thanks for your posts thus far!

Needless to say, as a stay-at-home parent, I have no income currently, and I have no intention of becoming an instructor for the money.

I just want to teach something that I love!

I don't know what I might end up doing in the long-run, but I have a business background and an MBA, so I have a lot more to offer than just my passion for the sport!

 

[boulderjohn]

I think you have a good idea. It is very similar to my thinking in terms of semi-retirement. When I finally decide to check out of the everyday working world, I am planning to do something similar to your thoughts.

I also think Pipefish gave you excellent advice.

 

[Dixie Sands]

Find a LDS you really like with Instructors who you want to be like. Then just spend as much time with them and students as you can. Hanging around the shop alot also will help you learn loads of information that most of in the industry take for granted.

 

[PriusDrIVER]

I'm not an expert, but the way to go seems to be as stated. Find an LDS you trust and staff you get along with, work with them to get your divemaster and divecon (or equivalent) certs and start assisting on classes. Depending on the agency you/they are through, there are different requirements. I'd check the requirements and guidelines for the agency you certified under, and start working up the steps. It will take a variety of classes/specialties and then a few that are more tailored to assisting in the teaching environment, I believe they all also require first-aid certs.