Scuba Diving Jobs in Recreational Diving

Going Professional

Scuba Jobs

Two of the most enjoyable of all scuba diving jobs are scuba instructor and divemaster. These diving jobs are all about diving. Instructors and divemasters spend 75% of their day in the water. It's one of those jobs where you actually look forward to going to work. Besides, can it really be considered a job if you enjoy it?

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For me working as a scuba instructor was a way to turn my love of scuba diving into a job I got paid for. In the Caribbean I found there was never a shortage of divemaster or scuba instructor jobs.

Divemaster

Becoming a certified divemaster is the first step towards a diving profession. This is normally the first requirement in most scuba diving jobs.

A professional divemaster is a diver who has mastered all levels of diving including equipment, diving physics, decompression theory, safe diving practices and the medical aspect of diving. They are the core of any good dive shop. They are responsible for logistics, taking certified divers on guided tours, assisting instructors and diving safety.

Scuba Instructor Jobs

One of the best ways to do divemaster training is to do an internship. With an internship you do your training while working at the dive center or dive shop. This work is normally done on the weekends. Internships help divemasters learn about the day to day routine of dive shop life first hand.

Every dive shop I've worked at has had at least one divemaster on the payroll and has encouraged divers looking to do they dive master course to do an internship.

A divemaster internship is demanding but rewarding. Not only do you learn to work as a divemaster, you also have classes that teach advanced dive theory and rescue skills. The length of the internship depends on the individual and the dive shop.

Scuba Instructor

You can find scuba instructor jobs at any dive center or dive shop on the planet. Qualifying as an instructor with a recognized training agency such as PADI, NAUI and SSI can open the door to a life long career.

Ready to Dive

Scuba diving instructor jobs come with a lot of responsibilities. Instructors are responsible for organizing training in the class room, pool and open water. Not only are instructors responsible for training students but also for their safety in confined water and open water.

Instructor training is as tough as the work. During an Instructor Development Course (IDC) future instructors are taught advanced diving theory, how to teach confined water and how to conduct open water skill evaluations. Also there are classes on the standards and procedures of the training agency they will be teaching for.

After all of this there is the final test. This is not your ordinary sit down and fill in the blanks kind of test. There is a book of written exams plus testing on teaching confined water skills and testing on open water skill evaluation. My instructor class was small. We had only ten students. Our test lasted three days, eight hours each day. If you ask me if it was worth it, I would have to say, absolutely.

There are certain things you need to have to apply for instructor training. These prerequisites vary between training agencies. Here are the basic prerequisites for instructor training.

Be in good physical health. (a doctor's statement is required)

Be a certified divemaster.

Short proof of 60-100 logged dives.

Demonstrate above average diving and rescue skills.

Show strong communication skills and maturity.

Life after Training

Now that you have that instructor c-card, what's next? There are several scuba diving jobs available for certified divemasters and instructors in recreational diving.

Resort Dive Boat

Resorts-Working in a dive resort is probably the mos popular choice of places to work. Resort dive shops can be found anywhere there is a warm water destination. Scuba jobs for divemasters and instructors can from training, guided tours for certified divers or working in a scuba retail shop. Most salaries in this field rangefrom about $1200.00 to $1500.00 a month.

Cruise ships-These scuba diving jobs are mainly filled by instructors. Instructors will conduct discover scuba classes for uncertified divers. The instructor will accompany these resort divers on dives at different locations that are suited to their level of training. On a cruise ship the salary for an instructor can range from$1500.00-$2000.00 a month with room and board.

Liveaboards-These diving jobs are for divemasters and instructors who like to dive. There are small groups of divers that are there only to dive. They do three, four sometimes five dives a day. The great thing about liveaboards is they are normally found where the diving is really great. You can expect about $ 1500.00-2500.00 a month plus room and board.

Private Yachts-This is the cream of the crop of scuba diving jobs. On these million dollar boats the groups are small and you don't dive everyday. This comes with some five star room and board. And the pay is not bad. Working on one of these yachts will get you about $2000.00-$3000.00 a month.

Private Yacths

The growth of recreational diving has created many jobs for the recreational diving professional. The key to landing great scuba diving jobs is to be the most qualified. If you are looking to work in the diving industry is to get as many certifications as you can. Become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, take the time to get a boat captains license and get certified to teach Medic first Aid. Learn to speak another language other than you mother tongue.

You can read about some of my experiences as a scuba diving instructor working in the Caribbean here.

The more qualified you are, the more opportunities you will find to help turn your passion into a profession.

If working as a divemaster or instructor does not appeal to you, check out our other scuba diving job opportunties.

Resort Diving Jobs