Are you a Padi pro? / From the Usa? We don't really have a tipping culture in Australia but for some of those long days it would have been nice for sure!
Tipping is just an excuse for not actually paying staff proper wages. It's an unacceptable substitute and a key reason why so many service jobs in the USA are poverty jobs.
The pay is so low because of the competition - they can always find another instructor. It's like you said, people get into this because they love diving and teaching.
I've always had an interest in instructing. But when an office job pays 40% more for 1/8 of the responsibility, its hard to consider diving as a career. Luckily i get plenty of diving on the weekends.
That's very true, I found that after several years diving really hurt my back while working inside has allowed me to heal. I do not get to get paid for diving anymore though!
Would you refuse a scuba diving job because of low pay? I certainly have... Make sure to subscribe to learn more about diving ua-cam.com/users/OceanPancake And help support my videos through www.patreon.com/oceanpancake
I believe James at DiversReady showed the average pay was less than $30k/yr USD. Basically, from being in the industry long enough, you either find retired people looking for something to do, younger people with parents to subsidize them, or people who don't mind working two jobs and living in their car. The industry is in a sad state
@@OceanPancake yeah, but it's so sad that's what it has come down to. I've seen dive shop owners driving around $90-100k cars, new every other year, and claim they can only afford minimum wage.
Last year I paid $800(USD) for the OW Course that took Months to complete. Shop Scheduling Issues. This year I paid another $350 for AOW Course over a month ago. Which still hasn't started. Again, The Only shop I have within 25 Miles of where I live. He's going to make more money off me in Rental Gear for the Class. 5 Tanks and whatever else I need.
Is the rental gear on top of the course costs? Usually the open water course includes the gear, while more advanced courses do not.. sorry to hear about the difficulties with scheduling
@@OceanPancake Have seen it all. Where we find the "cheapest" courses in an area, we often find lots of hidden "extras". Want to actually get your cert? Got to pay the agency directly! No gear? Hire or buy (yes, I've seen places requiring students to buy a full set of kit before the course)!
@@OceanPancake Not listing the extras is also unethical (and ridiculously common). The whole "and now you pay the agency" is straight up false advertising for most operators that do it.
Hi kate, I was working in corporate jobs but i always wanted to be in outdoors I see ur videos from pandemic times Currently I'm a dive master Next april ill go for instructor course My question is if u earn 200$ a day on an average Does that mean in a month u earn around 5-6k $ and is it Australian dollar or USD?
Great video! Thanks for sharing your experience. Any thoughts on when is too young to progress through the ranks? My son just finished his junior advanced OW but his instructor recommended he wait another year before the rescue diver course so he’s going to do nitrox now instead.
How old is your son? 12-14 year old can get their junior rescue card, so would probably be good to wait until he is able to do his full adult one. Dive master and instructor is only possible from 18 anyway, so may as well space out the certifications. Does he want to be a professional diver?
I always wanted to teach... but now with the fees so expensive and going up every year, and i would have to travel from louisiana to Florida to teach and do check out dives, also hotel's are expensive !! I wouldn't make any profit.... so I'm going to the professional underwater photography/ and video route.😊
Ooh! What's your plan with the photography and videography route? Yeah Padi fees have gone up a lot since I first started, but it has been over 10 years!
@@OceanPancake most likely fine art... I always been into photography.. but what really got me into it was diving.. on my Open Water certification.. I had a terrible camera.. so after my trip I bought a better camera learn how to use it topside . I really fell in love with that! So I want to use scuba as at tool to take pictures a create art! I sold a few prints at art fairs so that got me motivated.. and far as video I do small promotion for the dive shops in my area. So I found my niche 😊
Short answer Not enough. Dealing with shop owners crazy whining students and their helicopter parents. Know it all "helpers"Fees and equipment costs even with the "discounts" The stress of having lives in your hands
@@OceanPancake The Linnea Mills incident. How did the Instructor not notice no Suit Inflator hose?? Then again, My Shop sold me a Custom BCD that didn't have Trim Pockets. When I mentioned it tot he Owner after using it for the first time, He was surprised. And sold me a set.
i hope that this is not a too private question, but how do you deal with your retirement arrangement? Especially also coming from Switzerland, i did also always dream about working as a dive instructor uproad. But if i think about skipping one year of AVS/AHV and not having anpension fund, i almost panick. And i can not imagine, to not have the choice to live in CH whe i am old. How do you feel about that?
Really great question! When I started teaching diving, I never thought about my retirement and until quite recently. I have been working as a teacher so that contributes to it now, but I have a lot left than many colleagues due to traveling for diving. I wouldn't exchange the experiences of teaching diving around the world. Would you lose your Swiss citizenship / residency?
Tip your dive crew peoples! They’re your doctor, police officer, fitness instructor and travel guide all in one
Are you a Padi pro? / From the Usa? We don't really have a tipping culture in Australia but for some of those long days it would have been nice for sure!
Tipping is just an excuse for not actually paying staff proper wages. It's an unacceptable substitute and a key reason why so many service jobs in the USA are poverty jobs.
The pay is so low because of the competition - they can always find another instructor. It's like you said, people get into this because they love diving and teaching.
Exactly, it's a very in high demand job and many people do it even for free!
Not just competition, lack of regulation. Compare the awards for cook vs dive instructor, it's a joke.
@@psarmstr I honestly haven't heard how much cooks make on the same boats as instructors.
I've always had an interest in instructing. But when an office job pays 40% more for 1/8 of the responsibility, its hard to consider diving as a career. Luckily i get plenty of diving on the weekends.
That's very true, I found that after several years diving really hurt my back while working inside has allowed me to heal. I do not get to get paid for diving anymore though!
Would you refuse a scuba diving job because of low pay? I certainly have... Make sure to subscribe to learn more about diving ua-cam.com/users/OceanPancake
And help support my videos through www.patreon.com/oceanpancake
Did you want to pin this?
I believe James at DiversReady showed the average pay was less than $30k/yr USD. Basically, from being in the industry long enough, you either find retired people looking for something to do, younger people with parents to subsidize them, or people who don't mind working two jobs and living in their car. The industry is in a sad state
Yes certainly, young or retired people or then part time. Thats kind of all the option
@@OceanPancake yeah, but it's so sad that's what it has come down to. I've seen dive shop owners driving around $90-100k cars, new every other year, and claim they can only afford minimum wage.
Last year I paid $800(USD) for the OW Course that took Months to complete. Shop Scheduling Issues. This year I paid another $350 for AOW Course over a month ago. Which still hasn't started. Again, The Only shop I have within 25 Miles of where I live. He's going to make more money off me in Rental Gear for the Class. 5 Tanks and whatever else I need.
Is the rental gear on top of the course costs? Usually the open water course includes the gear, while more advanced courses do not.. sorry to hear about the difficulties with scheduling
@@OceanPancake Rental Gear is Extra for the AOW Course
@@OceanPancake Have seen it all. Where we find the "cheapest" courses in an area, we often find lots of hidden "extras". Want to actually get your cert? Got to pay the agency directly! No gear? Hire or buy (yes, I've seen places requiring students to buy a full set of kit before the course)!
@@psarmstr Yeah, buying sets of gear before diving is unethical. (I understand mask snorkel and fins) but not BCD or regulator!!
@@OceanPancake Not listing the extras is also unethical (and ridiculously common). The whole "and now you pay the agency" is straight up false advertising for most operators that do it.
Hi kate,
I was working in corporate jobs but i always wanted to be in outdoors
I see ur videos from pandemic times
Currently I'm a dive master
Next april ill go for instructor course
My question is if u earn 200$ a day on an average
Does that mean in a month u earn around 5-6k $ and is it Australian dollar or USD?
It’s in Australian dollars. Depending on whether the $200 a day is before or after tax, there can be a difference too.
Yes! Thats currently 224.45 USD per day. (Before tax) and I think I get taxed at a rate of 33%
Great video! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Any thoughts on when is too young to progress through the ranks? My son just finished his junior advanced OW but his instructor recommended he wait another year before the rescue diver course so he’s going to do nitrox now instead.
How old is your son? 12-14 year old can get their junior rescue card, so would probably be good to wait until he is able to do his full adult one. Dive master and instructor is only possible from 18 anyway, so may as well space out the certifications.
Does he want to be a professional diver?
@@OceanPancake , he’s 14. Don’t know if he wants to be a professional diver but he’s really loving it right now. Thanks for the reply.
Wait you guys get paid?
Hahaha. So many free work days so far
I always wanted to teach... but now with the fees so expensive and going up every year, and i would have to travel from louisiana to Florida to teach and do check out dives, also hotel's are expensive !! I wouldn't make any profit.... so I'm going to the professional underwater photography/ and video route.😊
Ooh! What's your plan with the photography and videography route? Yeah Padi fees have gone up a lot since I first started, but it has been over 10 years!
@@OceanPancake most likely fine art... I always been into photography.. but what really got me into it was diving.. on my Open Water certification.. I had a terrible camera.. so after my trip I bought a better camera learn how to use it topside . I really fell in love with that! So I want to use scuba as at tool to take pictures a create art! I sold a few prints at art fairs so that got me motivated.. and far as video I do small promotion for the dive shops in my area. So I found my niche 😊
@@jonathanchadwickartsandadv712I'd love to see some of your art! That sounds beautiful
Cool Video :)
I hope you find it useful!
I want to learn scuba diving
You can! If you know how to swim nothing is stopping you
Short answer Not enough. Dealing with shop owners crazy whining students and their helicopter parents. Know it all "helpers"Fees and equipment costs even with the "discounts"
The stress of having lives in your hands
Certainly some instructions and shop owners do not take the job seriously enough (partially due to the low pay) and it puts people in danger!
@@OceanPancake The Linnea Mills incident. How did the Instructor not notice no Suit Inflator hose?? Then again, My Shop sold me a Custom BCD that didn't have Trim Pockets. When I mentioned it tot he Owner after using it for the first time, He was surprised. And sold me a set.
i hope that this is not a too private question, but how do you deal with your retirement arrangement? Especially also coming from Switzerland, i did also always dream about working as a dive instructor uproad. But if i think about skipping one year of AVS/AHV and not having anpension fund, i almost panick. And i can not imagine, to not have the choice to live in CH whe i am old. How do you feel about that?
Really great question! When I started teaching diving, I never thought about my retirement and until quite recently. I have been working as a teacher so that contributes to it now, but I have a lot left than many colleagues due to traveling for diving. I wouldn't exchange the experiences of teaching diving around the world. Would you lose your Swiss citizenship / residency?