Teaching SCUBA for a Resort

Being a resort based SCUBA diving instructor will give you the opportunity to do something that you love, and teach others to do it as well, all while living the dream on some exotic island or beautiful beachfront location. It sounds amazing doesn’t it?

Well, this is pretty much the life of a SCUBA instructor. Your job is to teach other people how to SCUBA dive, and help them to enjoy the underwater life just as much as you do.

There are various SCUBA diving packages that are normally offered at resorts, and you will have to know and offer them all, as well as have your valid SCUBA diving and instructor’s certification. Most of the SCUBA diving courses are done through PADI, SSI and NAUI and to be able to teach others you must have obtained all of the relevant certificates, including the Divemaster certificate which enables you to safely teach others how to SCUBA dive, after you have taken the 2 week instructor development course and the 2 day exam. You are not only licensed to teach others how to operate the SCUBA gear, but you are also allowed to take them through their own PADI, SSI or NAUI diving courses.

For those who already posses the necessary certifications, your job as a SCUBA instructor will be to lead tours of people off the coast alongside the resort and show them the best sights of the ocean.

Quick Fact: PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors and is the world recognized dive training association. NAUI stands for the National Association of Underwater Instructors and is the largest non-profit diver training organization in the world. SSI stands for Scuba Schools International and is the largest international organization of its kind established in 1970.

Job Responsibilities

You have a huge responsibility as a SCUBA diving instructor, as you will have to watch out for the safety of all those who you train and take out on tours. You must understand how to instruct children and adults on the correct ways to use the SCUBA equipment and be aware of all the dangers of the ocean around you including strong currents, dangerous sea creatures and more.

You will be responsible for teaching children and beginners in shallow pools, helping out with breathing techniques using snorkeling equipment at the beginning, and then slowly moving onto using the actual SCUBA gear, and eventually taking groups out into the open water.

You will also be responsible for checking all the equipment thoroughly before you let anyone use it, and make sure that all emergency and first aid kits are packed and organized appropriately as a precaution. You will be travelling out to the diving locations on boats, so part of your duties will also be to ensure that the boat is well stocked, packed correctly, has its safety and emergency kits, has extra, filled tanks and mouth pieces, and that it has some snacks and water packed for divers.

At the end of a SCUBA diving day, you will be responsible for packing everything up, checking and cleaning all the equipment again, filling the tanks, and ensuring that everything is ready for the next day.

Job Requirements

To become a SCUBA instructor at most resorts you must be licensed and certified by one of the above mentioned organizations. You need to be a SCUBA diver yourself and obtain the correct licenses to be able to teach others.

Aside from having your professional certification and instructor’s qualification, you will also be required to have a friendly and warm personality as you are in one of the major customer service orientated jobs for a resort. You will need to be patient and help beginners to advanced divers in any way they need.

You are required to work when called upon for dives and there are also set classes during each day at the resort. Dives also depends largely on the weather, but mostly 4 dives are what instructors are allowed to do in one day. The rest of the shift is spent cleaning, prepping, selling equipment and offering advice and training above water for beginners to help them master their technique and teach them all the basic skills, safety requirements, and correct diving procedures. A shift can be long normally starting at around 6:30 am and ending at 5:00 pm.

You are also required to be a good role model in and out of the water, and set an example for all your students about not littering, keeping the oceans clean, preserving and looking after the marine life, and more. You must be physically fit and the job does take a lot out of you, even though you are having a great time every day.

You must have excellent communication skills, be enthusiastic (even on those rainy, grey days), be reassuring and calm.

Salary & Benefits

Working at a resort you will gain exciting benefits such as discounted facilities, free meals and accommodation, as well as a stunning location to call home while you enjoy diving each and every day. You will get paid as well, usually around $18,000 to $22,000 per year, depending on where you work and how often you take groups out. Many SCUBA diving instructors supplement their income by selling or renting out equipment and gear for the resort, as well as providing swimming lessons or other types of water based training to children.

The average wage for SCUBA divers in the United States is $21,000 per year for an entry level instructor. If you have more experience as a resort instructor you can possibly see $2000 or $3000 more being added to that salary.

Quick Summary:

• Dive every day while you make money.
• Earn about $21,000 per year as an entry level instructor.
• You must be certified by a professional organization in order to train others.