Watch "Careers in Diving - Interview with Scuba Instructor Karen Praxel" on YouTube
LOL. You can make as money as you want if you're willing to do the work! Dive shops say that there is not a lot of money in it because in order for a dive shop to survive today, they need to sell equipment.
There is nothing wrong with selling a product, but scuba diving education is a service. The industry set itself up to fail by lowering the cost of education. Look at traditional educational institutions -- the prices have only gone up! There is a huge push in today's society to go to school or you won't be successful.
Why hasn't scuba gone with this premise? While education alone can't guarantee success, it can be a tool for growth. I am an independent scuba diving instructor and I purposefully have higher rates. I don't sell equipment nor own a dive shop. I value the student as a person (not as a customer) and build relationships with them. I charge more because I teach them what they should be learning as scuba students. I also teach them what they need to know about the dive industry which means good education should never come at the expense of saftey, competency, or common sense.
When dive shop owners can't get better margins out of the products they sell, they pay their instructors less. This in turn creates apathy. If the instructor doesn't feel valued, they will do as little work as possible.
Why do other merchants survive in a Wal-Mart and McDonald's culture of cheaper and faster? There are lots of places that charge more for the same type of products. Here's a quote for everyone to think about. Look it up and when you find out who said it, you'll find out why you don't have to be cheap or fast to be a success.
"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."
#karenpraxel #scubadiving #scuba #divingcareers #PADI #careersindiving #diveeducation @hollywood.mermaid
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