Why You Should Be a Dive Instructor: Top 6 Reasons

How many people in the world can honestly say they love their jobs? Everybody has to work to make a living, be useful and feel fulfilled, but doing something you look forward to each day with excitement and enthusiasm is the best thing ever.

I’m a scuba diving instructor, and I’ve been one my entire adult life. I've tried other jobs, but I can't help coming back. Even before taking my first breath underwater, I knew I wanted to dive, and once I started I never looked back.

Every dive professional has their own reasons why they choose to teach people to scuba diving and why they continue to do so. These are mine:

1. You can help protect and preserve what you love.

I fell in love with the sea the first time I visited Boracay Island. Being near the water made me feel incredibly happy and peaceful, and I didn’t want to live anywhere else. But it was when I discovered what was beneath the waves that I really became obsessed.

The underwater world is a magical place, and scuba diving opens up that new world to us. The marine environment is fascinating and beautiful, but it's so fragile. When you spend a lot of time underwater, you want to do everything in your power to protect it.

Being a PADI dive instructor and a 100% AWARE partner can give you access to resources to initiate and sustain marine conservation activities, like Adopt A Dive Site and Project AWARE Dive Against Debris surveys. There’s nothing more satisfying than contributing to such worthy causes.

2. You get to meet amazing people from around the world.

The scuba diving community is diverse and huge, and it's growing bigger every day. We welcome all kinds of people from all corners of the globe. As a dive instructor, you'll make friends with folks you'd never get a chance to meet otherwise.

In early 2019, I attended the PADI Course Director Training Course in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and met some wonderful people. All had the same objective—to become instructor trainers—but came from various backgrounds. We became fast friends, and these relationships have unquestionably made my life richer. I’m sure our bond will last the rest of our lives.

When you're a dive pro, you never know who you're going to meet every day. You'll find that it's a privilege to share your passion and knowledge, and you'll truly receive more than you give. Learning something about people and where they came from is just one way of making the world a better place.

3. You have opportunities for self-improvement and growth.

I wanted to be an instructor as soon as I started diving, but I also set a goal for myself: to be the best instructor I could be. I studied and worked hard for many years to get to where I am now. However, I know there’s still more I can do.

Some might think that becoming a course director is like reaching the top of the scuba diving ladder, but there's always more to learn. You can keep adding to your knowledge and improving your skills, so it's never boring. Luckily, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is an organization that’s always evolving and developing new ways to challenge its members.

In my case, I can say that it was only in recent years that I've really honed my skills in sidemount diving. I love how this type of equipment configuration feels so streamlined and balanced underwater, and I want every diver to experience it, too. Teaching sidemount diving allows me to practice and perfect my own skills at the same time that I'm sharing my know-how.

And guess what? A short time ago, I decided to formalize my experience in freediving, so I became a PADI Freediver Instructor. Training for it was definitely outside my comfort zone, but I'm glad I did it because I discovered new things about myself. It just goes to show that when it comes to diving, the possibilities are endless.

4. You can influence the youth.

The most demanding courses you'll have the opportunity to conduct are the juniors, but at the same time, they're the most gratifying. Children and teenagers are fearless, curious and observant. It’s always a joy to teach them because they’re very receptive and eager to learn.

One of the most memorable experiences I've had in my career was teaching the amazing sisters, Eleonora and Elisabetta, in 2017 during their Junior Open Water Diver and Junior Advanced Open Water Diver courses. Their parents encouraged their interest in scuba diving every step of the way, and I'm grateful they gave me the chance to introduce their family to a fun new activity to do together.

Teaching kids is an enormous responsibility, and as a dive instructor, you should welcome it. After all, the youth are the future stewards of our planet, so it's an honor to help instill a love for the ocean in them.

5. You can help people achieve their goals.

When I first met Or in 2018, I was aware that he had the potential to become an instructor himself someday. In the few days we spent together while he did the Emergency First Response and Rescue Diver courses with me, I shared as much of my knowledge and experience as I could. He responded by showing me so much energy and determination that I was inspired to give even more.

As a dive instructor, you're a mentor and inspiration for those who dive with you. Whenever any of your students become dive pros or master scuba divers, it's mostly because of you. Keep in mind that people who take diving courses are spending their precious time and hard-earned money to do so, and they want to enjoy themselves while learning new things. Therefore, you owe it to them to give it your all—just like your own instructors did with you.

It wasn't a surprise to hear the news that Or successfully completed his instructor course. I can’t begin to describe how happy and proud I am of him, as well as the hundreds of divemasters, assistant instructors and instructors I've taught through the years. Congratulations to all of you!

6. You have a profession to be proud of.

The Cambridge dictionary defines a profession as “any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education”. Well, to become a dive professional doesn't require a so-called high level of formal education, but the structure of a diving agency such as PADI allows for a different kind of education—one that's just as rigorous and rewarding.

Whenever anyone asks me what my occupation is, I never hesitate to say, “I’m a scuba diving instructor. I'm an educator and environmentalist. I'm part of a group of people who want to change the world for the better.” Being able to say that is very humbling and makes me feel extremely lucky and, of course, proud.

So those are my top 6 reasons why I'm a dive instructor and why I want to keep teaching for as long I can. If you're thinking about entering this profession that's like no other, ask me about the Instructor Development Course. I can't wait to hear from you!