Scuba Diving Jobs

Weve probably all heard the advice find a job you love and youll never have to work again or variations on it

. Every year hundreds of scuba diving enthusiasts make this dream a reality by training up for a job in the industry. There are a wide variety of jobs available including police divers, military divers, technical wreck diving, and professional search and rescue divers, but the following are probably the most popular and logical choices for a recreational diver wishing to make a career of their hobby.

Divemaster/guide. Divemasters assist instructors with classes, lead certified divers on guided tours and conduct scuba reviews courses for certified divers. Depending on their training level they may also teach some specialty courses such as wreck diving, or underwater photography. The route to this job varies slightly according to the organisation you train with. PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) for example requires certified divers to take an advanced course and then train to be a rescue diver. Once youve achieved these qualifications you can sign up to train as a Divemaster. At the time you start training youll need at least 20 logged dives.

Scuba diving Instructor. Once you are a qualified divemaster you can start Instructor development training. Again training requirements may vary but using PADI as an example, you can start training if you have a divemaster qualification, at least 60 logged dives and have been a certified diver for at least six moths. You will progress to become an assistant instructor and then a fully qualified open water scuba instructor. Youll need to log at least 100 dives by the end of this training. As an instructor youll be qualified to teach and certify new divers and will have the opportunity to continue your scuba education in whichever direction you choose. You can train to teach specialty courses such as wreck diving, underwater naturalism, or search and rescue, or even become an Instructor trainer.

Remember as an instructor you will be spending some time in the classroom and many of your dives will be all about teaching others rather than exploring and doing your own thing. However, its a very rewarding experience to be training up new people to enjoy this fantastic sport.

Underwater photographer/film maker. Theres a demand for good underwater images, partly because its so difficult to capture a great underwater scene, but if you have a talent for it there are opportunities in this area. People are fascinated in the underwater world so films portraying marine wildlife are always popular. If you love wreck diving, there are also opportunities in this area. Imagine making a documentary of famous shipwrecks around the world, or a feature on creating artificial reefs, by scuttling disused ships for use as wreck diving sites. If youre interested you might want to start by trying out the PADI Underwater Photographer course .

Marine Biologist/oceanographer. Jobs in this area are varied. You might find yourself tracking the habits of marine wildlife, studying breeding and migration patterns or recording fluctuations of coral growth /regeneration in a particular area. Obviously youll need a relevant degree so the route to the job is a long one, but if youre looking at college courses or majors right now and you have a science background and a love of scuba diving, this would be a great career.

Ancillary services. This involves working in the scuba diving industry in jobs that dont necessarily involve diving as part of the job description. These jobs would include working in a dive centre/equipment store, crewing on a dive boat or working in sales and marketing for a dive company. The advantages are free or subsidised diving, discounts on equipment and lots of opportunities. For example hostesses on some live aboard boats get to dive as often as the clients, although they do have to serve food and make beds in between dives!

If you are serious about a job in the industry, remember to log every dive you do number of dives completed could be relevant to training and a high number looks impressive on a resume. Get as much diving and related experience and qualifications as you can. Almost everyone working in the industry will need up to date First Aid and CPR training. The websites of the major training organisations usually have a jobs section but never be afraid to just push yourself forward. Ask at dive centres and resorts if there is work available. A lot of these jobs are advertised purely by word of mouth and filled quickly. Good luck.

by: Karen Banes

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