Diving Instructor Job Description

Diverse Activities in the Marine Environment

Instructors may teach certification diving for people who want to become certified, or resort course diving for people who want to go on vacation. Instructors have a number of other responsibilities. A dive center instructor can also take bookings, clean and maintain equipment, pilot and maintain a boat, provide guide services to customers, and teach customers about reefs and marine life.

A dive instructor can teach in a pool or open water. A diving instructor on a cruise ship can give initial instruction in the pool then do an open water dive when they reach port. Pressure changes can cause health issues, including health risks.

The Pay of Private Driving Instructors

The instructor is responsible for teaching students how to drive safely. There are driving instructor jobs available. Some schools offer driver's training to high school students who are about to get a driver's license.

Commercial driver training is offered by some driving instructors. Each state has its own requirements for driving teachers. Potential instructors must have a criminal background check, a valid driver's license and a clean driving record.

A valid teaching certificate is required for an instructor in a public school. Instructors for commercial driving courses must pass advanced training classes. Police recruits must take courses from the Vehicle Ambush Countermeasures Training Program before they can learn how to drive.

Private driving instructors are classified as self-enrichment teachers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median pay was $36,340 in 2010. Some driving instructor jobs may be part-time, as the median annual salary of driver's education teachers with teaching credentials for high school is over $50,000.

A Diver's Guide: The Role of Instructors in Scuba Diving

Most of the day, diving instructors demonstrate safe scuba diving techniques outdoors. The main goal of the dive instructors is to teach students how to dive safely so they can do it. The job pays an average of $27,000 per year, but it is possible to make a career out of diving in the tropics.

A diving instructor teaches scuba diving techniques in a swimming pool and later in open water to people who want to dive recreationally or get their scuba certification. The instructor's main objectives are to demonstrate basic scuba skills, accompany divers underwater and adapt to emergency situations so the student is confident and prepared for the activity. The instructor interacts with students during the dive and must continually monitor their performance to provide suggestions and additional training.

Responsibilities include maintaining and transporting equipment, driving students to dive sites, stocking the boat appropriately with supplies and adhering to environmental protection procedures. The National Association of Underwater Instructors and the Professional Association of Dive Instructors offer extensive training programs for diving enthusiasts who want to become certified to teach. In addition to the certification requirements of most positions, diving instructors should also hold valid first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification from an approved licensing agency and be comfortable instructing in front of an audience.

A love of marine life is also important. Diving instructors work in a variety of locations, including beach stands, cruise ships, vacation resorts and dive shops. They are often responsible for driving the dive team to the site and piloting the boat in open water, as well as giving lectures and demonstrations in a classroom or on a boat.

Diving instructors stay active most of the day, leading accompanied dives, beginner dives and certification courses, with the possibility of some phone or retail work around the dive shop. Diving instructors work in dive shops, cruise ships, resorts and other beach locations around the world. scuba diving enthusiasts can advance into a career as a scuba diving instructor with the help of certification agencies.

Teaching Underwater Divers

Diving has been a popular sport since the late 1960's and it continues to grow in popularity, particularly in developing tourism destinations such as in South-east Asia. A level of rudimentary knowledge is needed to stay safe under water, due to the complex and potentially hazardous situations leisure divers may encounter. The role of the diving instructor is to give theoretical knowledge to new divers so they can experience the wonders of open water diving. The next step for a diving instructor teaching at an established school is to move to the role of senior instructor, where the candidate will be handling the assignment of roles to other teachers and also dealing with marketing and planning activities on a more strategic level.

How to Make Money Scuba Diving

Have you completed your first few scuba dives and are wondering how to make money scuba diving? There is a guide for new and experienced divers. PADI and SSI are the top international dive agencies, which can certify you as a dive instructor.

All agencies have the same progression in their beginner to instructor courses. To see which is more prevalent in your area, visit the PADI and SSI websites. Getting your first dive job is hard and it is a competitive field.

Diving with a company as a customer first is a good way to meet dive professionals in your area. They will be more likely to connect you with new jobs after diving with you. You should keep growing your skills after you have found a job.

Many dive shops pay partially based on commission, so sales skills are important. Changing industry standards and new specialty courses are things to stay up to date on. You will need at least six months to complete the five scuba courses that will take you at least 100 dives.

Why to become a PADI Pro

One of the best ways to say adios to office life and aloha is to become a PADI Divemaster or Instructor. You will make lifelong friends and have experiences you will remember for the rest of your life if you work on a liveaboard, travel the world, or in your local waters to home. Even if you don't want to pursue a full-time career in diving, becoming a PADI Pro offers many benefits.

Learning how to break down complicated information and give constructive feedback is part of the learning process. You can earn college credit. Some of the reasons to become a PADI pro may surprise you.

The Cost of a Dive Instructor Certification

As much as becoming a dive instructor is about the experience, you still need to be able to pay the bills. The amount of variables that can determine your rates are not as straightforward as with other careers, and the question of how much money a dive instructor can expect to make isn't as straightforward as it would be with other careers. If you continue to invest in yourself as an instructor, you can get certified to teach more advanced and specialty recreational courses.

If you are certified to teach, you will have more work and the bigger asset you will have to the dive shop. You can make commission from selling gear and additional courses if you work in a resort or dive shop. If you are independent, you can pocket the full amount of your earnings, but have to pay a lot of overhead costs.

New dive instructors often do some work on the side. As a divemaster, you will learn the best underwater leadership and guiding principles while assisting with classes and preparing for the responsibilities of an instructor. You don't need to work as a divemaster before you enroll in an IDC, you just need the certification which requires at least 60 dives.

You need at least 100 dives to pass the instructor examination. Being a dive instructor is more than just technical qualifications, it's also about customer service skills and confidence. You should be able to assist students in need if you are comfortable in the water.

A sense of humor is definitely helpful. Obtaining your dive instructor certification can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years depending on your resources and experience level. The fastest you could possibly go from a brand new diver to OWSA is 6 months.