| As a PADI MSDT and former dive center owner, I | | | | higher the likelihood that you will get picked up by a |
| have seen many that have gone on to the pro diver | | | | dive center to work for them. Popular languages like |
| ranks and become working divemaster or instructors. I | | | | Japanese, French, German and certainly English if that |
| have also seen where divers have gone down the | | | | is not your mother tongue, are always in demand. If |
| path to become employable as a divemaster or | | | | you are fluent in more than one language, increases |
| instructor and had very little luck in finding work that | | | | even more your chances. |
| would sustain them financially for any length of time. | | | | Equipment and Compressor repair. Having a dive live |
| Do you really want to keep on subsidizing your diving | | | | aboard and having some one that can repair |
| career? | | | | equipment on staff, can be a huge relief for the boat |
| So what are the things that you can do to make it so | | | | owner. As a general rule, people who know how to fix |
| that if you do go down the pro diver path and get all | | | | equipment usually know how to prevent problems. |
| of the safety and dive certifications needed to qualify | | | | They understand the importance of maintenance, and |
| as pro diver, that you find meaningful work in the dive | | | | are not intimidated by machinery. |
| industry. | | | | Develop a relationship with a dive center. If you have |
| I would say that the number one thing is don't stop at | | | | lots of time around a dive center they have a known |
| divemaster! The reason is simple; there are more dive | | | | quantity in you, they know that you know the local dive |
| masters than there are instructors. Dive instructors can | | | | sites, they know how good of a diver you are, and |
| work as dive masters but not the other way around, | | | | that you are familiar with the dive centers operations. |
| so a dive center when given the chance to hire a | | | | Each dive center is a little bit different and having |
| divemaster or an instructor, if they have one slot, they | | | | someone that already knows the system makes you |
| will take the instructor more times than not. The | | | | easier to train. In Hawaii, before I jumped into diving full |
| exception would be dive masters that have lots of | | | | time, I use to get phone calls asking me if I could come |
| local experience, might get the nod over a brand new | | | | in and lead divers when they would be short staff. |
| instructor. There is a saying around the dive industry | | | | They knew that I had a regular job, but I let them know |
| that you can never have too much lead or too many | | | | that I was always available if they needed some |
| instructors. | | | | coverage. I was lucky in that my regular job it did not |
| Look on the scuba diving boards and see what jobs | | | | matter if I took days off as long as I gave them 24 |
| are being offered and what jobs are being sought, and | | | | hours notice. |
| then look at what are the additional qualifications that | | | | Get jobs selling dive equipment, even part time, nobody |
| are being required. | | | | really likes to do it but dive centers love people that |
| As a general rule the more languages that you speak, | | | | have sales experience, even more so if it is selling dive |
| especially if you are in big backpacker scuba | | | | gear! Guess what dive shop owners spend a lot of |
| destinations like Koh Tao, Bali or Sihanoukville, the | | | | time on? That's right, buying and selling dive equipment. |