Should I Quit My Job and Become a Diving Instructor?
So you want be be a diving instructor? Well no kidding!
It is the chance to live in your bikini on the beach, dive with awe inspiring marine animals and socialise with amazing people whilst watching the sunset. Who wouldn’t want that?
Well me for starters and when I tell people what I do for a living they can hardly believe that we call it work!
But although being a diving instructor comes with some undeniably cool perks the realities tend to be little different to the idealistic picture most have in their minds.
This post was written with the intent to share the truth, both good and bad, into what it’s really like to dive as a living. Not to put you off choosing it as a career but to help you make the right choices and so your not completely blindsided when you finally get to the other side.
So before you trade in your tailored suit for a wetsuit make sure you have considered these 10 things.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a commission. Our aim is to help our readers through these links so everything we promote will be high quality products we personally believe in.
1) Diving Instructors Work Long Hours
Starting with the most obvious point of course, diving instructors work long hours. A Lot.
With early starts which can be as bad as 3:30am in places. To as late 8 or 9pm when you may be finishing up a night dive or helping with late walk-in guests. Diving instructors aren’t afraid of putting in the time.
Couple this with work weeks as long as 6 or even seven days and you will be laughing at those expectations of taking it easy. Especially in areas that operate seasonally as you will likely be rushed off your feet.
The hours are not incredibly surprising when you realise that the majority of the time we make our money is when everyone else has a weekend, evening or holiday off and want to go diving. For sure we will be ready and willing to hop in the water. That includes Christmas too!
Add on the fact that most dive staff spend a lot of extra time socialising with guests and you have a recipe for an amazing job but with little free time outside of work.Â
2) Being A Diving Instructor Is Physically Demanding
It’s no secret that diving is a physical sport. In fact so much so that it burns a great deal of calories. Living heavy equipment, carrying it over long distances and doing a fair amount of swimming all require a degree of fitness.
However as professionals this effort is no longer limited to dive trips, it is your life.
As an outdoor profession it is also expected that you will work in the beautiful sunshine and the rain. And yes it rains in paradise too!
On more than one occasion I have seen wetsuits have used to protect from heavy rain and even once masks against hail stones.
So if hauling tanks and doing four dives a day in whatever weather mother nature decides to throw at you sounds like something you could handle then get ready to feel tired but incredibly fulfilled.
3) Diving Instructors Take On A Lot Of Responsibility
Something that is easy to forget about diving is that every time we go under the surface we are taking a risk. Humans are not made for breathing underwater and so when something goes wrong it can literally be a matter of life or death.
Not to mention that the ocean whilst being amazing can also be incredibly fickle. Strong currents, bad visibility and dangerous marine life all add their own dangers.
Part of being a good diving instructor is by mitigating these risks. By not only watching your own back but taking responsibility for the lives of four to five others who are completely new to diving.
This is a great responsibility and although incomparable to the roles doctors or firefighters play comes with the same goal. To care for peoples lives.
If you’re not used to this then it can make the job stressful at times. However making sure to tech safe practices and drills and covering all all legal paperwork are all ways in which to make the responsibility easier to carry. At the end of the day the rewards of helping people achieve their goals will be seriously worth it.
4) Diving Instructors Meet A Lot Of People (Good & Bad)
Another perk of this position is that you get to meet people from all walks of life who you may have never had the opportunity to work with before. Theres no telling who you might meet. You never know it could even develop into a global network of good friends.
However this is the real world and cannot be the case all the time. You will likely meet people you disagree with or do not like. Whatever the situation everyone is to be treated with excellent customer service, after all that is a large part of the job.
The difference between this and other customer service jobs is that there is a limit to this. After all when dealing with other peoples safety you set your ground rules.
5) A Good Diving Instructor Never Stops Learning
A blessing and a curse of becoming a diving instructor is the accessibility of the courses and materials to almost anyone.
It makes it a career which provides responsibility and independence to younger people looking to strike out on their own. Or even an easy way to change profession later in life.
Its for this reason you will find a variety people in the industry including lawyers, plumbers, accountants and ex-military.
But don’t let that fool you into thinking it is easy. In fact diving instructors need to be well versed in a variety of subjects as diverse as marine science, physics, mechanics, physiology and psychology.
Subjects which are barely touched upon in beginner classes become ones that play an integral part in your life.
In fact the Instructor course is in reality only the first step. It will provide fundamental teaching skills but it will be your initiative which takes you from the point of fun diver to professional.
A lot of time and experience is what it takes to become a truly good instructor. In fact you will find that those who make it in this industry are constantly researching, keeping up to date and continuing to advance their skills and knowledge no matter how high on the ladder they get. But in my opinion that’s just another perk of the job!
As long as you’re passionate about it learning really doesn’t feel like work. In fact you might even get a little hooked! After all that is one of the reasons this website came about.
6) Becoming A Diving Instructor Is Not Cheap
So we have talked about investing the time in improving your knowledge, now let’s talk about money.
It’s no secret that diving is not a cheap sport. When it comes down to it the course costs, equipment and diving trips really start to add up. Don’t think it gets any cheaper when you start to do it professionally!
Although the cost to actually certify as an instructor is a one time payment to continue to teach most organisations require an annual fee. This can vary in cost depending on who you teach with but is an investment that needs to be made if it’s a career you are serious about.
If you have been diving for a while then you may already have your own equipment. If not add it to your budget! Most instructors are expected to have a full set of their own equipment. This includes all the bells and whistles like SMB, torch, compass, slates and yes actual whistles!
Some courses may include some basic equipment and some dive shops also offer package deals if you are looking to save some money. However it worth noting that your gear will probably be getting quite a bit of wear so it is worth paying a little more for something durable.
If you need help on your equipment buying journey then follow our equipment buying guide.
Depending on how long you are planning to teach for this probably won’t be a one time purchase. As you will probably find buying dive gear becomes an addiction in itself.
In general be prepared fo a lifetime of collecting the latest gadgets and taking up new specialities. The cost will be worth it in the end.
7) Diving Instructors Can Earn A Decent Living
The numerous perks of the job leads many to question if you can really earn a living teaching people to dive. It is probably the reason so many instructors are constantly being asked by friends and family when they are coming home to settle down and get a proper job.
Although it is not uncommon to hear some use diving as a means to make money when traveling or on a gap year the realities are that most people who actually make good money from it are those who treat it as a serious career.
Like any job the more experience and extra skills you have the more employable you are and the greater the opportunity to earn more money. Things like technical and staff instructor ratings will open up a world of earning potential.
How much? Check out diving salaries here.
Earnings are also dependant on where in the the world you work. Areas like south east Asia pay significantly lower than say the Caribbean.
Plus in many places if you have a full time contract your fun diving will be free! Maybe with a little extra staff discount to help with the extras.
8) Professional Diving Is A Lifestyle Choice
Becoming a professional diver is very much a lifestyle choice which is one thing that provides a lot of confusion between those in the industry and those who are not.
Pay may be less than you’re used to working in first world countries but cost of living is often times just as low. For example in some countries you can buy a meal for less than one USD.
Where things start to get expensive is in buying things that weren’t seen as luxury back home but now are. Fresh bread, cured meats, cheese etc can become treats you probably won’t splurge as much on (location dependant).
Not to mention savings now go towards visas, flights to visit family and all the extra diving pieces.
The lifestyle of a diving instructor is one that is almost as desirable as the job itself it will likely be very different to the life you lived before. With untraditional working hours and pay it is hard to compare to anything our friends and family will be doing back home, so don’t try.
Learn to roll with the changes, you will thank yourself in the long run.
9) Diving Instructors Get Paid For Their Passion
Obviously the lifestyle isn’t the only thing were in it for! One of the major appeals of becoming a diving instructor is that you get to do a job you are absolutely passionate about.
In fact this is a key component of making a good diving instructor. Their passion will be infectious!
So much so that there is an opportunity to change peoples lives for the better and create some serious ocean advocates.
But although you may always love diving you may not always love to dive. As instructors weather you feel for it or not you will need to get in the water maybe 3-4 times a day. In fact a lot of the time if you don’t dive you don’t get paid.
The dive sites you go to will also probably get a little boring over time. After all 20 dive sites is more than enough for a week or two of exploration but may get a little worn out for you after a year.
This may change your relationship diving. Instead of jumping at getting every opportunity to dive, time off will probably be spent relaxing or catching up with things on land.
But don’t worry, the thing that made you passionate about diving will still be there. Just maybe not whilst working.
10) Professional Diving Is Competitive
For many diving is something to be enjoyed on weekends or holidays. To do it and get paid to do it full time seems like a dream come true.
In many ways they are right but it probably won’t come as a shock that this idea appeals to a lot of people!
Every month thousands get qualified on a professional level. Of course it is only a small proportion of them that actually go on to make a career of it.
For many this is the intention as the courses are also a means to improve knowledge and skills. However for those who do want to make a living form it competition for jobs can be high.
Certain skills and additional languages play a huge hand in setting you apart from the crowd. Experience is also something that is highly desirable for dive shops so it is worth sticking in there until you have some under your belt.
There is a high turn around of professionals in the dive industry with many only sticking it out for a few years. This can be for a variety of reasons however false advertising definitely lends a hand.So if you have accepted all the things we have talked about then you are already in with a better chance of making it.
A sad part of the diving industry is that its highly competitive nature and abundance of instructors leads to many people offering their services for free or accepting low pay. Especially amongst people looking to work in exchange for things like courses or free fun diving. This can make it very hard to compete with for full time professionals to compete with. After all how can you try and make a living from something that others offer to do for free?
Luckily most good dive shops are looking for serious instructors as at the end of the day it’s their reputation they are putting on the line.
Ready To Become A Diving Instructor?
For many it is the best decision you will ever make. So would we recommend it, absolutely!
Unfortunately a lot of the misconceptions of working as a diving instructor come from false advertising. Not to say that the benefits aren’t real but as you hopefully know there is much more to it.
Most of the time these realities are far from deal breaking! However it makes a world of difference knowing what you are getting yourself into before making the commitment.
So let us know if you have found this article useful or if you would like to ask us more questions about professional diving in the comments below.
If you’re a diving instructor and would like to share your experiences please also write in the comments below.
Like this? Then help us grow a little and give it a share. Your voice is louder than you think!
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