Becoming an open water instructor?

[Jay]

The best benefit of becoming an OWSI through an Agency with a good structured program is that it teaches you how to teach scuba.

There are a lot of aspects of teaching scuba, specifically repetition, how to teach skills, control of students and how to ensure you stay within the confines of the angency's requirements for which ever course you teach. The last is very important because it can make the difference between the Agency's law firm on your side or you defending yourself with no help, if god forbid, something went bad.

There are some overhead and technical instructors who aren't very good at teaching. It is not due to a lack of technical knowledge, it is due to not knowing or not caring to teach correctly.

As far as making money teaching, TJ can tell you the ins and outs of that while he teaches you how to teach.

From the money aspect I would not set my hopes any higher than being able to pay for your equipment and a few trips if you set up a business and deduct all your costs and travel. Unless it was something you wanted to pursue full time and really enjoyed it.

[kensuf]

I enjoy teaching, but I try to limit it to one class a month. Teaching technical courses I do manage to put a little money in my pocket, but on the recreational courses I was happy if I broke even.

Here are some of the challenges / costs with teaching recreational diving:

Insurance and Renewal Costs are $1000 for a single agency instructor. Add about $175 per agency if you're a multi-agency instructor. So you will be paying $1000 a year just before you ever teach a class.

If you're teaching OW you probably need to supply basic gear (reg, bc, weights, tanks) or work out a rental arrangement with a shop. If you're doing a rental, expect to pay around $100 per student. If you use your own gear you'll need additional insurance and maintenance on that gear.

How many hours / days is your course going to be? 4 days? 5 days?

What pool are you going to use for confined water?

What classroom are you going to use?

How many students do you want in a class? More students allows you to reduce the course fee, but means you can give less personal attention to each student, and you have to fill those courses.

How many courses do you want to teach in a month? How are you planning on marketing them? Who is your target audience?

Now, how much do you think you can reasonably expect to charge for an OW course to cover your costs and make it worth your time? Personally, I try to structure my course fees so that I earn around $300 a day -- I figure my time is worth at least $30 an hour and a teaching day is a full day affair.

The industry always has room for a good instructor, but we don't need another one that is just going through the motions. One thing you need to really think hard about is that it's a business where you will be providing a service, and your students are paying customers -- you owe it to them to best instructor you can be.

[rddvet]

And remember a good percentage of the general public are sh!theads, so you are going to have to deal with that regularly. Worst part of my job is the people.

[cferrar]

I have been an instructor longer then I have been a cave diver. I can tell you this, as an instructor you will probable spend more on gear to stay in current gear and agency dues then you will ever make back. As several have said teaching for a shop can be a real pain in the ass unless of course it is your shop. On the flip side finding students to make it worth will as an independent is hard too. I have done both. So don't plan to teach for extra cash, teach because you like to teach. I like to teach or I would have given it up years ago. Also keep part of your diving as just fun diving. For example I do not teach overhead. At this point I have no plans to, for 2 reasons, one, there are a lot of really good instructors that teach in cave country that make there living teaching overhead and have more experience then I expect I will have for many years. 2nd and probably most important, to maintain my love of diving, is that cave diving is my time. I don't have to worry about students, I can just go dive.

[Glenn61]

I have been an instructor longer then I have been a cave diver. I can tell you this, as an instructor you will probable spend more on gear to stay in current gear and agency dues then you will ever make back. As several have said teaching for a shop can be a real pain in the ass unless of course it is your shop. On the flip side finding students to make it worth will as an independent is hard too. I have done both. So don't plan to teach for extra cash, teach because you like to teach. I like to teach or I would have given it up years ago. Also keep part of your diving as just fun diving. For example I do not teach overhead. At this point I have no plans to, for 2 reasons, one, there are a lot of really good instructors that teach in cave country that make there living teaching overhead and have more experience then I expect I will have for many years. 2nd and probably most important, to maintain my love of diving, is that cave diving is my time. I don't have to worry about students, I can just go dive.

True Statement! Owner of my own shop and Teach Recreational for about 7 years.Have no plans to teach overhead at all. That's MY time to have fun. When you teach OW it is no longer about your diving its about theirs!

[tursiops]

I no longer teach through a shop; too frustrating, too limited. I now teach non-OW classes (through baby tech) locally, and supply no equipment other than the occasional tank. I mostly teach while on travel with a group I've put together. Still, no OW although I will do a referral. Lots of specialties and AOW. Purely on the teaching, I do not break even, but I make a little bit on the travel/trip per person, so end up revenue neutral or slightly ahead....and get to travel to all kinds of locations and dive. I offer the training while on travel as a trip benefit; the student supplies his/her own gear and any training materials (like manuals). I offer the training, the dives, and the cert card (which is buried in the trip price). I figure I'll be diving anyway, so if I'm doing a little teaching while diving, no problem. Most trips, about a quarter to half of my dives are "professional," the rest I've got my camera and am enjoying myself a different way.

[MikeT]

Jeff, have you considered where you might take your OWSI course? You can PM me if you prefer.

[IowaCaveDiver]

Being an OWI eats into your cave diving time

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[tj]

I run a dive shop, and I am poor. Every damn time I make some money I end up buying a scuba toy or trip. So I will always be poor.

My happiest instructors are those that teach on an occasion for me, AND have a real full time job. Then teaching, diving, whatever, is an escape for them.

[rddvet]

I run a dive shop, and I am poor. Every damn time I make some money I end up buying a scuba toy or trip. So I will always be poor.

My happiest instructors are those that teach on an occasion for me, AND have a real full time job. Then teaching, diving, whatever, is an escape for them.

Good thing this site brings in millions in advertising revenue


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