If you’re already a Divemaster, you’re likely already living the dream! You’re spending your days on the beach, exploring tropical reefs, and sharing your love for diving with others. Is there any reason to upgrade from Divemaster to Instructor?

Sure! You can take your lifestyle a step further. Earn more, find work more easily, and have a much greater impact on your students’ lives!

Becoming a diving instructor

Becoming a diving instructor is the next step in your dive career. It doesn’t mean giving up the freedom and adventure of Divemaster life, but adding depth to it. You will teach courses, certify new divers, and inspire people in ways that divemasters simply can’t.

In Southeast Asia, in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, upgrading from divemaster to instructor can also mean more job opportunities and higher income, making it easier to keep enjoying your diving lifestyle.

Here’s why so many divemasters decide to take the plunge and upgrade to instructors.

You’ll be in higher demand

One of the biggest differences between divemasters and instructors is job availability.

Divemaster work does exist, especially in popular dive locations, but dive centers overwhelmingly prefer to hire instructors.
Simply because instructors can teach courses and certify new divers, and also still guide certified divers when needed.

Many dive centers are relatively small operations and can only hire limited numbers of staff. So they prefer to hire people who can do many different tasks. If you have extra skills—like fixing compressors or boat engines, helping with sales and marketing, or even doing office work, you’ll have a better chance of getting hired as a divemaster. However, the most important skill that most dive centers are looking for is simply the ability to teach diving courses.

You’ll earn more money

Let’s be honest, most divemasters aren’t in it for the paycheck. Many work for a small salary, tips, or sometimes even for free dives and accommodation. It’s fun, but it’s not a ‘career’ and it’s hard to keep up that lifestyle in the long run.

Instructors usually earn much more than divemasters. In Southeast Asia, they can make a good living. Especially at busy dive resorts or on liveaboards. The more experience and responsibility you have, the better the pay.

If you’re hoping to stay in the industry long-term or save up for future travels, upgrading from divemaster to instructor gives you the financial breathing room to do it.

You can read more about diving instructor salaries in different countries in this blog post. 

You’ll change lives

One of the most satisfying parts of being a dive instructor is watching your students grow from nervous first-timers to confident, certified divers.
As a divemaster, you get to guide and support certified divers. But as an instructor, you get to teach courses and introduce people to the amazing underwater world for the very first time.

The rewards go beyond money. You’ll experience the joy of helping others overcome their fears, teach them totally new skills, and build confidence that helps them in all parts of life, not just diving. Many instructors say that teaching is what keeps them excited and motivated, even after years on the job.

I have heard some instructors say: “If you like fish, become a divemaster. If you like people, become an instructor”

Read more about ‘Why diving instructor is the best job in the world’.

Diving lifestyle, just with more options

Upgrading to instructor doesn’t mean giving up the lifestyle you love. In fact, it improves it. You still get to live in a tropical paradise, dive nearly every day, and be surrounded by ocean-loving people. You may even stay connected to the same dive center you’re working now.

But if you ever want to relocate or explore new regions, your instructor certification gives you access to year-round job opportunities around the world. There are places, like Maldives for instance, where divemasters simply don’t get hired.

You can specialize and build your career

Becoming an Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) is just the beginning. From here, you can add specialty instructor ratings like Deep, Wreck, Night, Sidemount, or Shark Conservation.
Teaching specialty courses lets you spend more time doing the diving you love most. For example, if you are into underwater photography, it’s a great idea to become a photography instructor and share your knowledge and passion with others.

If you’re interested in marine conservation, there are many AWARE courses you can teach, such as Coral Conservation, Shark AWARE, and Dive Against Debris. As a dive instructor, you have a bigger influence on your students and you can teach them to care for the oceans right from their very first dive.

You can become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) to teach more types of courses and attract more students. If you’re aiming for a bigger role, you can continue to become an IDC Staff Instructor, which is a great step if you want to manage a dive center or even start your own dive shop one day.

Becoming an instructor is the first step to grow your career in diving. Whether you want to teach specialty courses, manage a dive center, or work in marine conservation, it will create many new opportunities.

You’ll gain skills that go beyond diving

Becoming a scuba instructor isn’t only about improving your diving skills. It’s also about growing as a person and developing skills that are useful in many other parts of life.

These are transferable skills that can benefit you long after your diving days, whether you go into business, tourism, or education later in life.

Your experience as a PADI diving instructor can show future employers that you have skills that are in high demand and that look great on your resume. Things like communnication skills, teamwork, and leadership skills. These skills are highly valued by employers, making you a strong candidate for a variety of roles.

Read here why ‘Experience as a PADI instructor looks great on your CV!’

Is It Worth the Investment?

Becoming a PADI Instructor is a big investment. It’s not only about the money. It also takes time and commitment to learn new skills.
For some, the idea of taking the instructor exam (IE) causes stress and insecurity.

However, you’ll have more job opportunities and earn a higher salary than a divemaster. In many Asian countries, you can earn back the cost of your IDC within just a few months of working as an instructor.

At Asia Scuba Instructors, we will support you every step of the way. Before, during, and after your IDC and instructor exam. Our goal is to give you a smooth, stress-free experience during your PADI IDC and IE. We are also committed to your success and will actively help you find a job as soon as you’re certified.

As an instructor, you’ll enjoy the diving lifestyle even more. It’s an amazing feeling to introduce people to the underwater world and help them build confidence, both in diving and in life.

There are also many ways to grow your career. You can become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer and teach specialty courses, or an IDC Staff Instructor, which is the stepping stone to managing a dive center.

Even if you decide to leave the diving industry later, your instructor experience looks great on your resume. It shows you have leadership, communication, and teaching skills that employers in many other fields will appreciate.

More about ‘Doing your PADI IDC – is it worth the investment?’

Ready to Upgrade from divemaster to instructor?

At Asia Scuba Instructors, we’ve helped hundreds of divemasters become confident, successful instructors across Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
We run PADI IDC courses monthly in several great locations around Southeast Asia.

Want to know what it’s really like? Read the stories of past candidates and hear how the IDC helped them start exciting new careers around the world in our ‘PADI IDC Candidate Spotlight’ series.