26 replies to this topic

[shadragon]

I am in the final stages on my Divemaster course and will be finishing it up soon. I have been talking to my instructor about the future. He has invited me to attend an IDC to get my PADI Open Water Instructor qualification.

While flattered, I am wondering if I should. First the costs involved, not just the initial course costs, but follow-on insurance and professional fees plus specialist courses to go further up the ladder, are rather steep. Second there is not a lot of folks where I live who want to learn how to dive so there is no way I can make a living at it. I may not even cover the above costs on an annual basis. Last, it carries a lot of responsibility and you deal with all sorts of personality types, not all pleasant...

Now, I am sure I could make a few bucks if I went to a South Pacific resort, but 'assembly line' teaching would not thrill me for long. I decided to take the DM course for personal development and knowledge. It has been a great experience and I have no regrets.

There is no doubt in my mind that I can do the IDC course. However, I would like to know from the pros out there what they think... Are there any other DM's out there who have faced the same decision? I know it may not be the best thing to advertise negative experiences so PM me if you prefer. I would like to present the question though...

...Is it worth it... and why...?

[JohnEric]

I am in the final stages on my Divemaster course and will be finishing it up soon. I have been talking to my instructor about the future. He has invited me to attend an IDC to get my PADI Open Water Instructor qualification.

While flattered, I am wondering if I should. First the costs involved, not just the initial course costs, but follow-on insurance and professional fees plus specialist courses to go further up the ladder, are rather steep. Second there is not a lot of folks where I live who want to learn how to dive so there is no way I can make a living at it. I may not even cover the above costs on an annual basis. Last, it carries a lot of responsibility and you deal with all sorts of personality types, not all pleasant...

Now, I am sure I could make a few bucks if I went to a South Pacific resort, but 'assembly line' teaching would not thrill me for long. I decided to take the DM course for personal development and knowledge. It has been a great experience and I have no regrets.

There is no doubt in my mind that I can do the IDC course. However, I would like to know from the pros out there what they think... Are there any other DM's out there who have faced the same decision? I know it may not be the best thing to advertise negative experiences so PM me if you prefer. I would like to present the question though...

...Is it worth it... and why...?

Well to answer you question "is it worth it" if you are looking at this from a cash flow, profit and loss point of view than based on my experence it is not worth it. I just about break even on what I spend to instruct and what I make teaching. However, if you are viewing it from a personal satifaction view point then I have made a huge profit for myself. First I enjoyed the challenge, second I enjoyed the people, third I really enjoyed introducing people to the underwater world, I even had the pleasure of helping people grow and overcome fears. I certified a 10 year old girl, she wasnt even the size of the tank, what a great kid!! She was so excited and about this and worked so hard and never quit I am proud to have my name on her C-Card! So I would do it all again. But thats me. If it is about money you probably wont make alot, if it is about personal growth then it is a gold mine. I really enjoyed being an instructor.
I am in Kabul right now and have two co workers to certify and working to set up the course, get my credentials transferred over from the states to here working travel and lodging arrangements, getting course materials into Kabul for them is alot more effort than I can hope to make in $, and heck I am refunding my fee cause I dont want to make money off coworkers and friends, I teach CAUSE IT IS FUN!!!!!

[netmage]

Not too many folks can claim to get rich in the dive business.... You'd have to love teaching diving and find that fulfilling. Dive shops don't seem to want to pay DM's, at best get offered keyman pricing which isn't all that much int he grand scheme of dive gear pricing ripoffs. It takes a few hours to even make back the few hundred for insurance each year, hours which I could have spent having fun.

I'm of the opinion, why ruin a perfectly good hobby. I don't see myself becoming a professional, but I'll be happy to mentor folks who are interested in doing the types of dives I do 70-80% of which is recreational in nature.

Maybe if I can get around the "hobby law", find away to deduct my diving expenses w/o incurring major liability and changing my career - things will change. Everyone and their brother appears to have an internet store - maybe thats a way....

[PerroneFord]

I'm of the opinion, why ruin a perfectly good hobby.

My cave instructor has been hounding me for over a year to get my instructor qualification. But this is exactly my mindset. I dive for MY enjoyment. And that doesn't include teaching others to dive. Mentoring maybe. Just having some fun diving with a newer diver, sure. But teaching a class? No thanks. I did 13 years of instructing in another sport... and that was plenty.

[Walter]

Do you feel a call to teach?

[gcbryan]

If you like instructing go for it. If you don't why get a DM cert?

Not to highjack the thread but I often wonder what the motivation is when newer divers can't wait to become a DM and yet they never have time to dive because they are always helping out with a class. How helpful can you be if you're not an experienced diver in the first place?

I guess there is a segment of divers who enjoy being around diving more than diving. I know of many people here locally who volunteer as divers at the Aquarium (20' tank), volunteer as DM's to help with OW classes, work at dive store's one day a week to pick up some knowledge (?) and yet they never have time to actually dive and most of them are the least knowledgeable/skilled divers that I know.

Many in the same category join dive clubs and follow someone else around, can't plan their own dive, and mainly dive at only one local site. I understand those who enjoy teaching getting into teaching but the category of divers I'm talking about aren't interesting in becoming teachers and any that do will be in the no experience teacher category but apparently they just like being on the fringe of diving rather than in the middle of things.

I understand those who just have only a passing interest in diving and perhaps have many other interests as well. I just don't understand someone who spends so much time around diving and yet really isn't knowledgeable/skilled or experienced. It seems an odd combination to me.

Back to the orignal topic with apologies to the original poster to whom this isn't directed toward....

[Capn Jack]

Same offer when I went through DM. I had not taken the course as a path to instructor, but as a reason to stay in the water between dive trips. Also, as you now know, the DM course is pretty much geared to prepare you to help the instructors with classes, and while it builds your skill demonstration proficiency, it does not deepen your overall diving experience that much.

For me, I was also looking at shifting my lifestyle, and knew that I had to be a pro to have any hope at all of earning my keep on a boat. If I continue down that road, I'll go through the IDC, just to increase my value to my future boat operator.

I know some instructors who live for their classes, and while I certainly respect them, that would not be why I would do it. I do get a lot of joy out of helping difficult students, and making my boat clients feel more at ease, which increases their fun factor.

If you have the urge to teach, and the time to do it, go for it, but otherwise hang around as a DM for awhile and get some real students behind you.

mi dos psi

[diverdeb]

Simon, Lots of good input here. Here's my 2 cents. It all depends on what you want out of it. If you're looking to make a lot of money, don't do it. You will be sorely disappointed. But if you have other motives, you should consider it. Personally, I went on the fast track and initially experienced some of what gcbryan wrote about. My shop owner "encouraged" me to move straight into teaching. I only taught for a very short while and then stopped for almost 2 years. I didn't feel I had the experience I needed and all teaching did was make me feel inadequate. When I came back, everything was different and I love it now. I know I have something to bring to the table and that makes a huge difference.

For me, there nothing more rewarding than sharing something I'm passionate about with others. It is the coolest thing to see that look on a new diver's face when they come up from that 1st dive and you know they're hooked. It's also very rewarding to work with a student who is having a difficult time and watch them conquer a fear or master a skill.

I am also a Scuba Rangers Instructor (kids 8-10 in the pool) and that, believe it or not, is also a great experience. For me it's all about sharing what you love.

But . . . you have to know that sometimes, it's a job. And that whole thing about ruining your hobby is something you have to think about. But if it's your passion, I don't think that will happen.

Guess I haven't been much help. lol. It's just a personal decision, but I love it!

[pir8]

Fastest way to make amillion dollars teaching scuba is to start with 2 million dollars.
Only teach because you love it. Otherwise you will learn to hate it.

[shadragon]

But . . . you have to know that sometimes, it's a job. And that whole thing about ruining your hobby is something you have to think about. But if it's your passion, I don't think that will happen.

Guess I haven't been much help. lol. It's just a personal decision, but I love it!

It helps a lot actually. Good feedback from everyone actually. I knew I would never get rich from it, but you do have to make enough cash to be able to pay the rent and eat. Luckily, I have alternate sources of income, but still... Your point is valid. If you are ever forced to dive then the fun will go out of it quite quickly. One of my OW instructors forced himself to dive even though he had a sinus cold and was in pain after doing several student CESA's...

Does anyone know what the average life span of an instructor is before they get burned out?

I took the DM course to educate myself in diving theory and equipment. It seemed a natural extension of the Rescue course. Honestly, I am not disappointed. It is all good knowledge I can apply on every dive. From a personal development point of view it is well worth it. I have taken (non-diver) instructors courses before and enjoy teaching. From past performance reviews I am told I am half-decent at it as well. However, I have never had a conflict between teaching something I also enjoy doing as a hobby though.

As a few folks have said, the fun factor needs to be taken into account. Would I rather be drifting along at 60' taking pictures or in a 5' pool watching a mask clearing skill... That would be the question...

[ScubaDrew]

Does anyone know what the average life span of an instructor is before they get burned out?

I did my first diving class in 91 or 92, redid everything in 98 with a different instructor, and they are both still at it.

Good luck whatever you decide...

[diverdeb]

But . . . you have to know that sometimes, it's a job. And that whole thing about ruining your hobby is something you have to think about. But if it's your passion, I don't think that will happen.

Guess I haven't been much help. lol. It's just a personal decision, but I love it!

It helps a lot actually. Good feedback from everyone actually. I knew I would never get rich from it, but you do have to make enough cash to be able to pay the rent and eat. Luckily, I have alternate sources of income, but still... Your point is valid. If you are ever forced to dive then the fun will go out of it quite quickly. One of my OW instructors forced himself to dive even though he had a sinus cold and was in pain after doing several student CESA's...

Does anyone know what the average life span of an instructor is before they get burned out?

I took the DM course to educate myself in diving theory and equipment. It seemed a natural extension of the Rescue course. Honestly, I am not disappointed. It is all good knowledge I can apply on every dive. From a personal development point of view it is well worth it. I have taken (non-diver) instructors courses before and enjoy teaching. From past performance reviews I am told I am half-decent at it as well. However, I have never had a conflict between teaching something I also enjoy doing as a hobby though.

As a few folks have said, the fun factor needs to be taken into account. Would I rather be drifting along at 60' taking pictures or in a 5' pool watching a mask clearing skill... That would be the question...

Are you thinking about doing this full time? or just a part time thing? If you want to do it full time and make it, from what I have seen you have to fully commit. That means not just teaching, but you need a LOT of other skills as well to be really marketable. (i.e., be able to teach cpr/1st aid, O2, not to mention teaching advanced diving classes, become an equipment technician, etc., having some boating skills wouldn't hurt either, capt. license, I could go on and on).

If you're really interested, maybe you should try it on for size, on a part time basis at first. Even if it doesn't become your full time job, I don't think it's something you would regret.

As for the "burned out" question, my instructor has been doing it for about 40 years, I think he's starting to get a little tired, but he will be 70 in a few months. lol. You'd never know it though. He's out there running the boat, learning new things, keeping up with the changes in diving. Maybe it's what has kept him young.
He swears he's going to start the tech stuff soon.

[shadragon]

Are you thinking about doing this full time? or just a part time thing? If you want to do it full time and make it, from what I have seen you have to fully commit. That means not just teaching, but you need a LOT of other skills as well to be really marketable. (i.e., be able to teach cpr/1st aid, O2, not to mention teaching advanced diving classes, become an equipment technician, etc., having some boating skills wouldn't hurt either, capt. license, I could go on and on).

If you're really interested, maybe you should try it on for size, on a part time basis at first. Even if it doesn't become your full time job, I don't think it's something you would regret.

Was considering it as a semi-retirement job once I get my bills paid off. Ideally, running my own dive operation on a Caribbean island would be the perfect solution, but those darned lottery folks keep getting my numbers wrong...

Edited by shadragon, 11 July 2007 - 09:06 AM.

[finGrabber]

My original plan was to get my DM then go thru IDC to make my dream of retiring to the Caribbean easier. Then last year, I had to make a choice of continuing along the instructor path or move into the tech side of diving. I chose to go the tech path for now, but I can still move into the instructor path at a later time. This was more due to money issues than anything else as I couldn't do both at the time.

I do believe that the diving I'm working on now will make me a much better diver and therefore, a much better instructor if I decide to do that in the future

[Scubatooth]

FG your giving me deja vu from that post, are your reading my mind or something?

This is one thing that the DAN internship has given me alot insite to the industry i wasnt aware of and has planted the seed in my mind to move further up the ranks as well as progress my diving towards the goals i have set for myself (CCR)

Tooth
aka
DanDan

Edited by Scubatooth, 11 July 2007 - 09:51 AM.