Additional Information
Preparing for a career as a dive instructor starts with a love of the water,
good people skills and making a lot of dives, says Shaun Pipes. He is a marine
biologist who also moonlights as a dive instructor.
"Talk to the people already in the job," he says. "It's a very communication-oriented
career. The people you teach are putting their lives in your hands. It's absolutely
essential you understand your job, their abilities and their fears."
In order to advance to the level of scuba diving instructor, students must
complete several levels of training. These vary depending on the organization
doing the training. Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) categories
include:
- Open water diver: Certified to complete dives down to 60 feet. No night
dives.
- Advanced open water diver: Certified to complete dives down to 130 feet.
Can do night dives, navigation dives and search and rescue dives.
- Rescue diver: Requirements include first aid and CPR training.
- Divemaster: Necessary underwater work includes "buddy breathing" and handling
gear. Have to pass written tests on diving principles, physics and chemistry.
- Instructor: Must have 100 logged dives and go through an intense certification
process, including written and dive tests.
- Course director: Instructors who teach the instructors.
Most instructors take between three and five years to complete their training.
It can be done in as little as 18 months if the courses, instruction and dive
time is available.
"I've seen divers do it fairly quickly once they've been at it a year and
had at least 100 logged dives," says professional diver Richard Hartley. "But
I'd recommend taking your time through the levels. Get lots of experience
diving."
Instructors also recommend that divers learn as many specialties as possible
to enhance their career opportunities.
"The more things you can do, the more ways you can make money diving,"
Hartley says. "It also makes you more employable."
All divers must have CPR training to advance to upper levels.