Working as a divemaster or instructor is amazing but it’s not easy to find work or the right job. This is the story of how I landed my first scuba diving instructor job after I struck out as a divemaster.
After completing my Divemaster course, I returned to the UK to begin my University degree in Social Anthropology.
The following summer I had four months off Uni, so I decided to head to the beautiful island of Koh Tao, Thailand, famous for its all-round dive obsession! This little island has a huge amount of dive centers and most people there are either learning to dive, becoming a divemaster or freediving.
I spent a few days distributing my CV and looking around for Divemaster jobs. Unfortunately, every dive center has several divemaster trainees and most were looking for instructors. I had a look at my finances and after meeting a Course Director I enrolled in the Instructor Development Course. This was one of the most intense three weeks of my life!
The IDC
Jon Milnes
I entered a large classroom where I met my three other instructor trainees; two Canadians and a British guy, all still good friends of mine now.
It was a bit of a shock when our Course Director told us we would be starting with the divemaster exam. ‘Which one?’ I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be the physics one… ‘All of them!’ he replied.
Yes, all eight divemaster exams at once (which you have to do again during the Instructor exam). We repeated these in different forms every day until we knew what to expect from them. I knew if I was going to work in the scuba industry as an instructor I had to know everything backward and forwards.
We also went through the entire Instructor manual highlighting parts and taking notes, presenting classroom elements to each other, and my favorite part – the water skills.
Open water scuba instructor
PhotoSky 4t com
We spent time every day in the teaching pool practicing the skills from each course again and again. For each one we had to introduce it to our ‘students’ – played by our fellow instructor candidates – demonstrate the dive skill perfectly, and watch them perform the skill.
Each ‘student’ was given a problem that we had to identify and correct before debriefing the skill. This was a great chance to learn what students tend to get wrong, from dropping their mask during mask skills to holding their breath during a free-flowing regulator skill!
The instructor exam was held over two days and to my huge relief and joy, I passed my theory exams with higher marks than I had received in practice.
The day on the boat with PADI examiners was tough – there were over forty candidates. Fortunately, I stayed with my original group and we all tried to exaggerate our ‘problems’ underwater so that they could be easily identified! We all passed and celebrated after a very tough few weeks – delighted with our new status as PADI Instructors!
Working as a Dive Instructor
Gina Smith
Four the next three months I worked as a freelance instructor for several dive schools on Koh Tao. Scuba diving jobs were hard to come by, but I created some good contacts and got my foot in the door of a couple of dive shops.
This taught me a massive amount about how these businesses are run and I did a huge amount of teaching!
My very first Open Water Course was to an English couple and a Kiwi couple and I remember that the Kiwi guy was a sheep-shearer!
I was asked to teach them their confined water skills. After that, the senior instructor told me that they had enough staff the next day to continue the Open Water dives.
But my students heard this and asked for me to continue the course which I did and qualified my first Open Water Divers!
More Adventures
Jon Milnes
I was working for a lot of dive schools and found that as a female instructor I was quite good with nervous students.
The only bad experience was when I taught for a few days for one of the German dive schools on the island. Their team of all-male instructors and very rude boat-master treated me terribly and I didn’t stay there for long.
My next adventures working as an instructor would take me to Vietnam, Fiji and the slightly chilly waters of the UK!
Are you dreaming of becoming a scuba Instructor? Tell us why in a comment below!
I became OWSI last year and been working as a freelance since! It’s great way of getting experience and maybe one day I will quite my ‘day’job and go full time.
I also had problems finding divemasterjobs. I ended up as a videographer in Tao, instead. More focus on diving and less worry about guest 🙂
it’s the nice part of the industry: There’s always another path you can choose!
Hi Ash, Thanks for comenting.
Are you working in Koh Tao, Thanland? How is it there? If you are interested you can go to our facebook page and share some of your videos.
I’m doing my dm final test in a few weeks and I think I will go strait to the idc. Always wanted to be a dive instructor. Thanks for a nice dm series.
We are looking for certified dive masters to run our scuba resort in the Philippines, if you know anyone, please have them contact us. [email protected]
I like to swim and travel world while seeing beautiful seas and beautiful people.
Hey my name is Travis. Got my dm 8 years ago. Want to get back into diving. I am a professional ski instructor/guide at beaver creek ski resort in Colorado. Need to get back into the water. T
Hello. I’m open water from ssi and advance diver from CMAS and FEDAS (Spanish federation of diving). I’m looking for an job offer for the summer helping at a diving center, with the option of getting the diver master and instructor. I heard a lot of this kind of offers but I couldn’t find anything. Could you help me with info?? My email is [email protected] Thanks a lot!!
You should call this “My IDC experience,” there is only half a sentence of mention on Divemaster jobs, and 99% of the article is on your IDC. There are plenty of DM jobs, you just need to know where to look, and know what you are looking for. Just because you couldn’t find one on Koh Tao doesn’t mean they don’t exist and you have to become an instructor right way, you just need to try a different island! But please don’t tell people there are no jobs for DMs, there are!
I am currently in the same position, I want to work as a dive master before doing my IDC so that I can get more experience! I’m back in the UK now after spending a few months in Malaysia, the ideal job would be a combination of my masters in Events and Tourism (Marketing and Social media focused) contributing to marine conservation whilst developing at a DM. Best of luck everyone!
I am a CMAS Divemaster here in anilao mabini batangas working as a freelance dive guide. Im interested and willing to apply.
Hi Steve,
I’m a NAUI Instructor and PADI DM, I would like to join you if possible to gain more experience. I’m 39y from Dubai speaking Arabic and English, looking forward to hear from you.
First of all , congratulations.
I know it is really rude to ask this. I would like to know how much you earn doing this job. Iam planning to do this. I dont have much money. So before spending it i would like to know how much i can earn. I would like your honest opinion. Pls reply.
Thank you.
This really depends on your destination. Often, it’ll pay off compared to the cost of the course. That said, if you’re open water now, the price untill pro takes teim and costs money ebfore you’ll be earning any.
Still best job ever!
I am a 27 year old British male who qualified as a PADI DM back in 2011. I am looking to get my qualification back up and running and gain employment Out in the Phillippines, failing that the broader APAC region.
I am also struggling to find any DM roles, would you say taking the Instructor route was the best way forward or given your experience did you see any other paths available now that you can look back?? Be really good to get your advice given your experience.
Just finished few months as DM intern in Thailand. Working in Thailand as a divemaster or dive guide is not possible for foreigners, these jobs are reserved for locals. There are no divemaster jobs for foreigners in Thailand, you need to be a Thai national. But immigration accepts foreign instructors. Or you can be an intern, where you are not being paid.
Hi!!
my name is Leire and im spanish passionate about the sea. I would like to ask you if you know any women friendly diving center in egypt or Asia to make and internship and get my DM certification. Could you tell me little bit about your experience in malaysia and and give me some advices please?.
Thanks a lot!!
Hello Torben!
my name is Leire and im from spain. I love the sea and diving and i would like to ask you if you know some scuba centers in Asia that offer DM certificate in exchange of volunteering. Specially centers with good people, honest and friendly.
Thanks a lot for your helo
Hi Leire,
Often you’d need to pay as well. As you might imagine, it’s quite popular to go do a Divemaster in return for helping out, but a dive center still need to run around and one way is to sell courses and especially Divemaster courses. That said, you can try messaging them, adding your CV, a letter explaining why you’re a good pick, etc. and see if any are up for it, but I don’t know of any looking.
Another option is asking for a cut in price in return for hard work and what else you’ll be able to bring to the table.