How much to become a PADI Diving instructor?

Question

I have recently obtained my PADI Open Water Divers certification in the Maldives and have completed 7 open water dives. I have booked a course to do my Dry Suit certification in the UK this week and would love to persue this as a possible career.

How much can I expect to need to save to get the PADI Instructor certification as I know I'll need to do various courses and complete alot more dives in order to qualify.

Any ideas?

I know which courses I need to do - but how much can I expect to PAY for all of them?

Answer 1

The short answer is, a lot!

You don't just need to have your Advanced OW Diver, Rescue Diver (including a first aid course - the PADI offering is called EFR) and Divemaster certificates to start the IDC, and 100 logged dives to be certified as an OWSI (not 50 as Alex said - this is for the Master Scuba Diver rating, which is something else).

You should also have a full set of diving equipment (including all required accessories, e.g. gauges, emergency signallers, cutters, slates etc.) and PADI teaching materials (i.e. all manuals up to Divemaster, Encyclopaedia of Recreational Diving + Workbook, teaching slates, RDP Table and Wheel). This in itself is a fair outlay, without putting the cost of the IDC and IE on top.

To give you some idea, I had bought all my own gear by the time I had 35 logged dives (about GBP1500, spread over a couple of years). I became a PADI Divemaster in Egypt in 1998, paying about US$1000 (about GBP650, at the time) for the Rescue and DM courses, plus gear hire (because I'd left my gear in Britain), not including living expenses for 5 weeks (probably another GBP500).

I did my IDC in 1999, in Australia (I was there on a 1 yr working holiday visa at the time), having carried all my dive gear halfway round the world (this time!). I paid about AU$1500 for the IDC itself (including the MFA and UW Naturalist Instructor courses), the materials cost about AU$500, and the IE AU$600 (including boat fees). So, a total of AU$2600, which was the equivalent of about GBP1100 at the time. This doesn't take into account the fact that the IDC+IE lasted two solid weeks (8am-6pm), when I wasn't working, and still had to feed and house myself. (The IDC has since been slimmed down somewhat, and split into two chunks, the Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor courses, which you can do separately or run together - total 7 days minimum, plus 2 for the IE).

What you'd pay now will be inflationally-adjusted, and dependent on where you do it. Every month in the back of diving magazines, you'll find adverts for Instructor Development Centres around the world (including Britain), offering you the chance to become a PADI OWSI. Also, as a PADI Divemaster (i.e. a paid-up PADI member), you'll get newsletters which detail the dates and locations of all PADI IDCs everywhere in the world.

In theory, they all offer the same thing, to the same standards - in practice, you pays your money and takes your chances. Bear in mind that while many dive centres in the third world (Thailand, Egypt, Central America, etc.) will be (a lot) cheaper, and some offer outstandingly service (Emperor Divers in Egypt is a shining example - I never worked for them, BTW, but they win awards regularly!), you will have to pay for flights (possibly including excess baggage charges!) to get there.

In the first world it will be (a lot) more expensive (for courses in Britain, you can probably just change all the AU$s above to GBPs, and adjust for inflation to figure out how much it would cost now), but you will have consumer protection, the centres have a legal obligation to follow every single PADI standard to the letter (not just the "spirit"), and you will be better equipped to be an instructor anywhere in the world, not only in the other shack just down the beach.

Your best option would be to buy yourself a couple of dive magazines closer to the time when you're intending to do your IDC. Better still, get yourself a subscription to a dive magazine right now. Most in Britain are monthly, most are good, and all the knowledge you'll pick up (or that didn't quite sink in during your OW course!) regarding equipment care, destinations, diving technique and so on will only make you a better and keener diver. My preference would be DIVER for good all-round info, Sport Diver for more focus on the PADI world. DIVE isn't bad, but tends to cater more towards the BSAC crowd (it tries to be DIVER, but just isn't as good).

Have a look through the adverts, and get in touch with the centres that sound most promising (most dive centres, no matter where they are, at least have email. And if they don't, then what else don't they have?). Ask them to give you full and accurate quotes in some standard currency (i.e. GBP, US$ or Euro) for how much the IDC (WITH the IE, AND certification on passing the IE, as these fees are separate) is likely to cost, and don't forget to take into account things like travel and accommodation when you're totting up the final cost.

I know this all sounds like quite a horrendous outlay, but what you've got to remember is, if the goal is worth the achivement, the cost is worth the payment! I wish you all the best in the pursuit of your dream.

Answer 2

Like Scubabob says, begin at home, get your first couple of certifications. If you want to be PADI instructors, I would recommend PADI courses for familiarity (it is a good idea to know the system). If you are certified already then choose a place and get the next level. It is generally cheaper in Asia. I work on Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand. It is cheap, littered with dive sites and a nice relaxed atmosphere. Many people come here for a week and find themselves still here a year later. Feel free to message me. I am a PADI Course Director, the guy who teaches instructors. I will give you some pointers. I am not trying to pitch you!

Answer 3

As mentioned by a few knowledgeable people, it varies by country, material cost, and shop. Check around your area and email. Believe it or not, I got my Instructor lic. for free!

There maybe a few shops that provide financing or contract to obtain your instructors lic. My contract was to work a year after completing the exam. I was paid full instructor pay through the year I worked. I think I was fortunate but you may want to call or email dive shops if they have a program like this.

As far as one comment about "finding a real job" and "having too many health issues" , Scuba diving is a real job. It's a huge industry. PADI is known world wide. I have been diving for over 30 years, dived over 10,000 dives, dived decompression dives, certified PADI, NAUI...blah blah blah with never having any health issues. Sure there are hazards to diving and some people are not as healthy as others but if you follow the rules, keep fit and dive smart, all is well. Becoming a Scuba instructor is one of the best decisions in life that I made. It's not the money, it's meeting people from around the world. It's seeing the beauty that the ocean hides from land creatures. It's teaching others to enjoy the underwater world and for some, change their lives forever.

Ah...life is good. It may not make you rich but if you are like me, you will not regret it.

Answer 4

This is difficult to peg a price on. The cost of courses vary from country to country and from shop to shop. Too many variables here. I am doing mine at no cost. How? I have a great relationship with my local dive shop owner and staff. They are short instructors and I have a demonstrated loyalty to the shop. I don't even really want the rate, I didn't want my DM either, but again, they were short and I'm willing to pitch in to help, I wouldn't have done it at all if I had to pay for it. I enjoy my time underwater, without having to babysit, to be blunt. I dive for a living, and am used to dealing with professionals.
Your best bet is to ask your favourite dive shop. You may be able to work something out exchanging services.

Answer 5

Get a real job, I was Master Scuba Instroctur and have over 3000 dives, worked in Maledives, Cancun, Malta, Gozo, Ibiza. Now I have too many health issues and can't do it anymore. Don't get me wrong is not the job that sucks, it is when you can not do it anymore that your become depressed.

Answer 6

Loads of information about PADI courses here http://www.londonschoolofdiving.com/html/courses.asp

Answer 7

The prices vary greatly from shop to shop . Expect 3000.00 US or more at your current level . Beware of SSI if you do not get along with the shop owner you will find youself unable to teach .

Answer 8

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Answer 9

1.do the open water certificate.
2.do the advanced op. certificate
do the rescue diver course
do the speciality diver course and 50 inmersions and you`ll have it.