For some, being a dive guide might seem the ultimate job. Being paid to dive every day! Here are some facts about the job:
- The pay is usually poor, but you’ll get discount on kit, discounted or free courses and sometimes accommodation thrown in.
- You’ll be an immeasurably better diver after a spell as a guide
- You’ll learn to swim backwards, upside down and sideways and develop eyes in the back of your head keeping an eye on people!
- You’ll meet lots of new and interesting people – divers are a diverse bunch
- You’ll do lots of partying, as you’re likely to be working with people who are on holiday
- Your skills at “Spotting” interesting sea life will greatly improve
- Your kit will wear out very fast
- Your computer, and therefore your body, will never totally de-saturate!
Do you have any experience as a dive guide or instructor? What would you add to this list?
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Guiding
It does not seem possible but its now over two years since I became a Divemaster and within days of getting qualified a couple of the local dive schools that I knew were asking if I could fill in when required. Well one thing Scuba Mike got 100% right the money is crap and in fact I did a good number of weeks as a guide and never received a penny, but I gained something much better than that, I met so many great people, some even though I have moved to Oz are still in touch and a couple who did not speak a word of English sent me a Christmas card. Also Mike is spot on when he says your diving skills become second nature, I can always remember when watching people like Medical Mick and Crisis Chris and they looked so natural in the water, it was something I wanted to able to copy so for me working my way through the courses was the natural progression.
I worked hard to achieve my goal but it was worth every hour I spent reading the books, and when you take your first paying clients on a dive and you show them the area knowledge you have built up the money does not come into it. The most gratifying thing about being a guide is that you have made a group of divers happy, showing them the sites and hopefully loads of interesting sea life. And after while changing and getting ready for the trip back to the dive school you hear people chatting about what a good dive and when can we do it again.
It can be hard work, you are always on your guard looking for possible problems, but when you climb out the water at the end of a cracking dive and see smiling faces thats what the job is all about.
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