The Pros and Cons in Becoming a PADI Instructor

There are a lot of reasons to want to become a PADI Instructor. You could be enthusiastic about the sport itself, eager to educate the next generation of underwater adventurers, or simply just can’t tolerate working in an office. If you are contemplating a career as a dive instructor, you should know that you are signing up for more than just a job–you are choosing a lifestyle.

Scuba diving is similar to other outdoor recreational careers. You get to spend your days outside, promoting and enhancing the activity that you love. You also have an effective way to find work in remote locations and facilitate a travel-based lifestyle.

The job itself is difficult but extremely rewarding. You will be forced to grow as a leader and constantly be challenged by unique environmental and interpersonal problems, but with patience and perseverance, you will be able to teach people to dive and see your students’ faces light up when they get their first glimpses of your underwater world – and you will know that you are transforming lives. As a scuba instructor, you will transform lives.

The Advantages of Becoming a PADI Instructor

As a PADI instructor, you will dive more in a year than most people will in their lives. But there is more to the job than mere bottom time. Effectively, you will be joining a global network of scuba professionals with more experiences and resources than you will ever have time for.

• There is work anywhere there is diving, and the places where there is a lot of diving are usually fantastic. Outdoor careers make it easy to travel and find work.
• More than a dive certification, the PADI Instructor Course is a complete leadership program that goes beyond just dive skills. You will develop as a leader and educator during your training, while also gathering a host of other useful skills like basic emergency first responder trainer and professional sales training.
• While PADI is there for you if you are teaching according to the standard, PADI will provide you with legal protection in the event of an accident.
• There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth in both your diving expertise and leadership ability. The more time and energy you invest into furthering your education and teaching capacities, the more career options will open to you.
• You are entering an immensely supportive community. That means you will be surrounded by a group of like-minded peers and mentors to support you in your quest.

The Challenges of Becoming a PADI Instructor

As with any other job, there are aspects of being a scuba instructor that you won’t be over excited about. These aspects could include carrying heavy tanks on a regular basis, having the limits of your patience tested by students, or just the stress that comes along with being responsible for people who are new to being underwater.

• Working in the outdoor recreation industry does not mean you are guaranteed to always be in beautiful weather. You need to be there for your customers rain, hail, or shine. You are required to smile no matter what the elements throw at you.
• To become a PADI Instructor, there is a notable initial cost of both money and time.
• As with many outdoor professions, finding year-round employment can be a challenge depending on where you happen to be located. New dive instructors often have to travel to another location or be willing to do some side work to keep the lifestyle alive during the offseason.
• Beyond just the inherent risks scuba diving present to you as a diving instructor, you must stay vigilant and ready to respond to the needs of your students. If someone freaks out, or conditions are not ideal, it is your responsibility to make the best decision.

Over my twenty-five years as a PADI instructor, I have never once looked back upon my decision to make teaching diving my career. That decision did change my life and ever since that day, that decision has made an impact on the lives of countless numbers of other people. If you are at all thinking about it, then my recommendation is for you to become a PADI instructor, you will not regret that decision.

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