Hi Mark, I love this content as much as reviews of kit. To learn about the person in front of the camera adds a new dimention to your videos as we clearly see the depth and bredth of your knowledge. I had a terrible instructor on my open water coarse in Mexico (I did not know that a the time of coarse) looking back its amazing I could dive at all. I learned much sinse and found some truley amazing instruction to put me back on track. I'm just about to start diving in the UK and move into tech. Keep the amazing content coming my first experiance of seeing you on Camera was of coarse Simply Scuba but your own channel is a big step up on the contect for sure. Safe Diving!!
Another interesting video. I’m pretty sure that we’re all on the same page that Garmin is making the Descent Mk2 but just out of my own curiosity I emailed Garmin and this is what I got back. Hello Jake, Thank you for contacting Garmin Support. The Descent MK2 will have air integration, yet the release date has not been solidified at this time. Thank you for choosing Garmin,
Hi Mark, Do you think it is easy to live as a Scuba Instructor? I am not talking about living in Maldives, or Asia etc etc but in Europe. Do you think one has to become a nomad in order to earn enough for a living?
It depends on where you're teaching and how much enthusiasm you bring to it. Teaching in Europe is more about the lifestyle than money, at the lower levels there's too much competition around so course prices are too low to make a great margin. If you can get to a high level and teach more advanced courses then you can earn a more sensible wage. Most Instructors teach on the weekend for some extra pocket money
I'm a fresh dm and I rarely get to dive anything with more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) of viz. I remember I almost freaked out when I dived in the ocean for the first time before I could see my fins on my feet for the first time. My question is how do you prepare a ow student fresh out of the pool for these (very) poor conditions?
I'm usually honest with them and be confident. I usually shine a torch around a lot too so that I really stand out in the water, that and wear bright colours. And swim much, much slower than you think you need to. Students swim very slowly until they get their technique down so it's easy to leave them behind. This is where a torch shining backwards helps them to see you. When they're first starting out lead them along a visual guide like a shot line or the bottom so they can focus on something instead of the open green.
Hi MARK i started scuba diving about a year ago, im now master diver, and love your reviews tips and your experiences, i would like to know your opinion about regulators, about the ZEAGLE F8, and also i asked in a previous video about the apeks Nitrox dedicated reg, if i buy them am i only allowed to use it with nitrox and if it is wrong to use normal regulators with nitrox. Regards from Mexico!
Zeagle make nice regulators, they're not a huge brand in the regulator market but they have good sister companies to share technology with so you shouldn't be disappointed. Nitrox regs will have different O-Rings and greases that can cope with O2 mixes over 40%. But, depending on where you buy them, they'll only be available with a M26 DIN thread which means that they only fit to certain tank valves without an adaptor.
Hi Mark, Hope you’re well. I’ve got a question regarding being a OWSI vs higher qualifications. Do you feel there’s any benefit from being anything higher than say an MSDT within the PADI system, as you’re paying X amount more to them as a instructor, with potentially the same amount of pay as a OSWI ( for example at a resort / shop on a set wage ) would the wage offset the cost of the payments to get to that level + renewal fees
It's all personal, but anything above OWSI for me was a waste of time. But my dive centre didn't teach many specialties... As a full time job MSDT is a good place to be, because you're useful to a dive centre, but as OWSI you can teach all of the core courses up to Dive Master. Moving up to Staff and then Course Director is a huge investment and unless you're at a dive centre that's teaching a lot of Instructor candidates, it's just easier and cheaper to hire a CD.
Love the channel… good stuff; thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Mark. More stories to come?
I Hope so 😊
i would love to see a part 3 please
Hi Mark, I love this content as much as reviews of kit. To learn about the person in front of the camera adds a new dimention to your videos as we clearly see the depth and bredth of your knowledge. I had a terrible instructor on my open water coarse in Mexico (I did not know that a the time of coarse) looking back its amazing I could dive at all. I learned much sinse and found some truley amazing instruction to put me back on track. I'm just about to start diving in the UK and move into tech. Keep the amazing content coming my first experiance of seeing you on Camera was of coarse Simply Scuba but your own channel is a big step up on the contect for sure. Safe Diving!!
Sorry to break it to you, but as long as you don't have a HSE part III, you are a sport diver
....when diving in the UK? I don’t believe this stops you working as a pro overseas
Another interesting video. I’m pretty sure that we’re all on the same page that Garmin is making the Descent Mk2 but just out of my own curiosity I emailed Garmin and this is what I got back.
Hello Jake,
Thank you for contacting Garmin Support. The Descent MK2 will have air integration, yet the release date has not been solidified at this time.
Thank you for choosing Garmin,
How about a tee spring polo?
Hi Mark,
Do you think it is easy to live as a Scuba Instructor?
I am not talking about living in Maldives, or Asia etc etc but in Europe.
Do you think one has to become a nomad in order to earn enough for a living?
It depends on where you're teaching and how much enthusiasm you bring to it.
Teaching in Europe is more about the lifestyle than money, at the lower levels there's too much competition around so course prices are too low to make a great margin.
If you can get to a high level and teach more advanced courses then you can earn a more sensible wage.
Most Instructors teach on the weekend for some extra pocket money
I'm a fresh dm and I rarely get to dive anything with more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) of viz. I remember I almost freaked out when I dived in the ocean for the first time before I could see my fins on my feet for the first time.
My question is how do you prepare a ow student fresh out of the pool for these (very) poor conditions?
I'm usually honest with them and be confident. I usually shine a torch around a lot too so that I really stand out in the water, that and wear bright colours.
And swim much, much slower than you think you need to. Students swim very slowly until they get their technique down so it's easy to leave them behind. This is where a torch shining backwards helps them to see you.
When they're first starting out lead them along a visual guide like a shot line or the bottom so they can focus on something instead of the open green.
Hi MARK i started scuba diving about a year ago, im now master diver, and love your reviews tips and your experiences, i would like to know your opinion about regulators, about the ZEAGLE F8, and also i asked in a previous video about the apeks Nitrox dedicated reg, if i buy them am i only allowed to use it with nitrox and if it is wrong to use normal regulators with nitrox. Regards from Mexico!
Zeagle make nice regulators, they're not a huge brand in the regulator market but they have good sister companies to share technology with so you shouldn't be disappointed.
Nitrox regs will have different O-Rings and greases that can cope with O2 mixes over 40%. But, depending on where you buy them, they'll only be available with a M26 DIN thread which means that they only fit to certain tank valves without an adaptor.
Hi Mark,
Hope you’re well. I’ve got a question regarding being a OWSI vs higher qualifications.
Do you feel there’s any benefit from being anything higher than say an MSDT within the PADI system, as you’re paying X amount more to them as a instructor, with potentially the same amount of pay as a OSWI ( for example at a resort / shop on a set wage ) would the wage offset the cost of the payments to get to that level + renewal fees
It's all personal, but anything above OWSI for me was a waste of time. But my dive centre didn't teach many specialties...
As a full time job MSDT is a good place to be, because you're useful to a dive centre, but as OWSI you can teach all of the core courses up to Dive Master.
Moving up to Staff and then Course Director is a huge investment and unless you're at a dive centre that's teaching a lot of Instructor candidates, it's just easier and cheaper to hire a CD.