How To Become A Diving Instructor?

If asked about the love for adventure, most of us would nod our heads, right?? We may crave for adventurous activities every month but certain constraints can’t make this happen. Our job and funds top the chart.

But what if you are paid for doing some adventure? Yes, you read that right. Scuba diving instructor is one such person who earns while fulfilling his lust of diving.

Who is a Diving Instructor?

A diving instructor is the one who does the job of training underwater divers, who can be technical, professional, recreational or free-diver. A diving instructor trains and gauges the proficiency of the persons who desire to become underwater divers. He is required to be qualified as a diver to at least the same level as the divers to be trained. Additional requirements may vary.

To become a scuba instructor, the person needs to be certified as an open water diver (for at least 6 months), advanced open water diver, rescue diver, divemaster, and Emergency First Response Instructor (CPR and first), have logged 100 open water dives, and complete the instructor development course (IDC), which is generally a minimum of a 10-day duration course.

Requirements in detail:

Professional Diving Instructor–
Professional diving instructors are required to be qualified as supervisors for the level of divers they want to train, and may also be required to have some qualification in adult education as facilitators, assessors or moderators, without forgetting to be registered with a governing body. The industry also demands some experience before a diver can be trained as a supervisor, and likewise before a supervisor can become an instructor. These are just the basic requirements, other ones may vary.

For getting registered as a Commercial Scuba Instructor, the person is required to pass the practical and theory assessments and other requirements for that level. Hold the Scuba Diver registration for the prescribed time, with the specified number of logged commercial dives. Go through the first aid certification course, medical fitness check, attend and pass the requirements of a Commercial Scuba Supervisor training programme, hold the registration for the prescribed number of years and do all other fulfillments. The total time required is more than 4 years, including training and work experience.

Recreational Diving Instructor-
Recreational diving instructors are subjected to not-so-rigid requirements. Such requirements are not universal and are set by the certification agencies to which they are affiliated. PADI   (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) has prescribed IDC (Instructor Development Course) the requirements of which are as follows:

• 6 months as a certified diver
• Registration as a PADI Divemaster, with 60 logged dives
• A medical statement saying that the applicant does not suffer from a disqualifying medical condition, and
• Recent participation in PADI Emergency First Response training.

Enter into and complete the pieces of training organized by the Association.

What are the cheapest places you can go to for this course?

Honduras, Vietnam, and Malaysia are the cheapest countries to become an instructor.

How much money can be made??

Diving instructors generally don’t make a lot of money, mostly relying on the location and season. Within the United States, a scuba instructor will probably make between $35,000 and $40,000 per year.

What are the benefits of this kind of job? 

This lets you earn from what you love and keeps you at bay with the boring 9 to 5 job. Apart from this, this also increases your water comfort, water skills, and situational awareness. It’s not the kind of job you do for money, rather you do this because you love diving and it accommodates your lifestyle.

Do they have any social life as well?

If you think the scuba diving instructors don’t have a social life and are just busy on waters, then you are taking it all wrong. These guys involve a lot of partying. It is not so frequent on liveaboards and at resorts but generally, they do.

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