How much money do scuba divers make
There is no telling what kind of amazing sea life you by becoming a Scuba Diving Instructor. Want to travel the world by as scuba diving instructor? I wanted to give you a real perspective on what being a dive instructor is really like, since my ADD would surely lead whoever I was guiding to a shark den or something, I will not be doing this job.
I had traveled a lot before I adopted a son and did some after. I wanted to raise my child in different countries and to get more living into my life. After looking at things, I decided I could work online, and we could lead a life as indefinite nomads. I figured I could maybe teach English, and do some online language instruction to supplement our income as well.
In preparation for our journey, I became scuba certified and realized that being a scuba instructor could also help us fund our travels. I have wanted to do scuba since I was a little kid. I finally got certified as an open water diver right before we left for our nomadic lifestyle. I loved it so much I knew I wanted to be an instructor, so when we were in Mexico I worked out a good discount to get my advanced open water and rescue diver certifications.
After checking out locations, we decided to head to Utila, Honduras, where the divemaster and scuba diving instructor programs were much more financially reasonable, so we headed there.
We ended up staying on the island for 8 months. Utila, Honduras , is one of the cheapest places to become an instructor, and since I was familiar with diving there because of doing my divemaster training , it seemed like a good idea to stay put.
Utila is the 2 certifying location in the world for PADI, and they offer the instructor evaluation monthly, whereas other places may have it every few months.
Having such a strong regular presence from PADI also means that the instructor preparation courses are high quality. To become a scuba instructor, you have to be certified as an open water diver for at least 6 months , advanced open water diver, rescue diver, divemaster, and Emergency First Response instructor CPR and first , have logged open water dives, and successfully complete the instructor development course IDC , which is usually a minimum of a day course.
After you have all the requirements, you can sit for the instructor evaluation IE , which is a 2-day affair including presentations, mock instruction situations, multiple written exams, etc. PADI is a bit unique among diving organizations in that an instructor evaluator comes from headquarters to actually assess and certify instructors.
Working at resorts and on live-aboards tends to pay better, especially since you can earn a lot in tips, and often they also provide lodging for staff and occasionally some board as well. There are some travelers that work in a high-end dive operations for a few months during the high season and are able to save up enough money to be able to travel without working for the rest of the year.
How much money does a commercial diver earn
Many people really enjoy having photos or video from their dives, and it can be a good money maker. However, it is more true for resort destinations vs Utila, Koh Tao etc which are full of cheapass backpackers]. It is extremely rare to have any benefits such as vacation time, insurance, etc. Some of the high-end resorts in places like the Maldives do include one-way airfare after you finish your contract.
Some places that sell equipment will also give you a commission for items and classes you sell. The typical dive center lifestyle for instructors seems to involve a lot of partying. It is likely a bit less on live-aboards and at resorts, but it is a common sight. Working in diving means you get to dive for free as long as there is room on the boat , which is definitely an extra bonus.
The work hours can be LONG. An 8-hour day is practically unheard of during the busy season. Your day starts at around 6 AM to get the boat loaded and gear ready. Then you have to travel to the dive sites. Most locations end up doing a surface interval at a dive site and a 2 nd dive before returning to the dive center. An instructor will usually teach more than 1 group at a time, so you dive with one group in the morning, come back, take a brief break for a meal, get with students to go over knowledge reviews, tests, etc.
Often, after you get back you have to unload the boat, get gear put away, etc. If the dive center has a bar or an activity going on for clients, you may be expecting to hang around and socialize with the clients, help staff the event, etc. Some dive centers also require you to spend some time working in the office on top of your instructor responsibilities, or you may be asked to lead a group of certified divers. In addition to working long hours, you often work 7 days a week during high seaon.
Some dive centers will work in one day off into your schedule. Some people consider becoming an instructor because they think it will earn them a lot of money. The least expensive places to get your instructor certification are Honduras and Ko Tao, Thailand which is the 1 certifying area for PADI.
You can find some comparably priced areas, but keep in mind that if you want to be able to get a job teaching right away, you may do better doing the IDC in an area like Utila or Ko Tao where the sheer volume of students gives you better opportunities to get certifications.
There are different levels of instructor certification. Open water scuba instructor OWSI is the entry level.
Many dive centers are going to want you to be able to teach specialities and to have the master scuba diver trainer MSDT level of certification. In order to do that, you need to be certified to teach at least 5 specialties and have at least 25 student certifications. If the career development center where you do your IDC offers an MSDT program, I really encourage you to do it.
It will enable you to be able to teach specialties faster and to get the MSDT rating sooner, which enhances your abilities to get a job. Looking for more information on jobs and activities in Utila? Check out these other water sports reviews.
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Hi, my name is Turner. I travel the world, hustle to find interesting jobs, and write about what happens when you read too many self-help books. It is so true! I would have thought to get certified before leaving the home country but that sounds so expensive….
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