10 reasons I love being an SDI Scuba Instructor

By Siti NurSara

This is the world I’m living in today. My name is Siti NurSara (from Malaysia) and I’m a professional diving instructor. I am also an SDI Ambassador, professional rock climber, trail runner, sailor and adventurous human with a passion for travelling and extreme sports. My entire life has been linked to nature.

Is being a Scuba Diving Instructor really your dream job? Here are 10 reasons I love being an SDI Scuba Instructor

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1. My office has the best view. Do you ever get bored of staring at your computer every day? As a diving instructor my office is the ocean and I have the huge advantage of changing change environment whenever I want too.

2. Teaching. The best reason to become an SDI Scuba Instructor is that you can realistically pursue your teaching passion for scuba diving and work with others who share the same value and love for the underwater world. Teaching also offers tremendous experience in communicating with different people in different ways. Try to explain the effects of pressure to someone or how to control their buoyancy. I have learned that every student needs a different approach. When I’m taking a group of student divers on their first dive, I want to make it fun whilst keeping them safe.

3. Flexible Working Hours. A diving instructor’s job is to make things look smooth and relaxed, while making sure the divers in the group are having fun. What people may not see are the hours of prepping the gear in the early morning, preparing the schedule for the next day, handling administrative duties like answering emails and many other duties that often befall the dive pros on duty. I use all of these responsibilities as a way to arrange my own schedule and set aside time for myself.

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4. Having An Active Life. Sometimes when we do the same thing over and over again, we get easily bored. As an SDI Scuba Instructor, I have a huge advantage in planning my own time, and as an active sports person, I need to set aside time to train. Diving pros need to stay in shape so they are able to carry tanks and gear, help lift and secure student divers equipment, help the divers get in and out of the water and many other physical demands that present themselves every day. Training helps with stamina and muscle mass.

5. Meet Fellow Marine Lovers. Diving is for every one and diving is a very social activity! As an instructor, I meet divers and students from all over the world who are passionate about marine life and the ocean. You can be sure that divers have many things in common. It may not be the first reason to become a diving instructor, but it is certainly one of the advantages!

6. Best Job For Travel. How does it feel when you can work, but at the same time travel? People always wonder which jobs allow for traveling and being a scuba diving instructor is the answer. I always think I’m living my best life as an instructor. Scuba diving allows you to explore the underwater world, which is vast and mostly unexplored. As an SDI Diving Instructor, I can say I have a dream job. Scuba diving is enjoyed all over the world and you can pick the destination you want to see. Wherever you decide to go, there will be new and exciting locations for teaching and diving. Diving offers a unique experience and perspective that an average tourist doesn’t get to see.

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7. Witness Beautiful Underwater Life. There are always positive surprises and new things to see under the water surface. In fact, over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water so imagine what’s down there that you haven’t seen with your own eyes. Personally, I crossed an item off my bucket list when I got to see a Mola mola (Ocean sunfish).

8. Dive Community. Dive communities have a broad range of people that allow for the making of close friendships since we all have a passion for the same activity. In Malaysia, the communities are very small, but yet we are so supportive in helping one another. Some of the dives site are open sea and always contain ghost fishing net, which refers to all types of fishing gear, including nets, lines, traps and fish aggregating devices that are no longer actively managed by fishers or fisheries. We have non-governmental organizations (NGO) to take care of these issues and many come from divers and the local community. This is just an example of how we help and take care of each other. We learn to care about our reefs and all life underwater. We remove rubbish from the sea and help animals in emergencies.

9. Be A Role Model. It’s in our nature as human beings to pattern our lives after people we consider a Role Model. Whether it be a family member, celebrity, person of religious faith, political leader, etc. we often mold our actions and behaviors after our Role Models. In terms of diving, we often guide people on incredible journeys and open their eyes to adventures they never knew existed. People love to ask about my life and if they can be part of it. As diving instructors, we offer a different perspective and help influence people to learn more about scuba diving.

10. Enjoyment. I love being a diving instructor and I always bring joy to others whether it is their first dive or if they have explored the water with me before. Different people have different meanings on what life is all about, but I truly follow “You Only Live Once”. We all need to enjoy life and be happy.

Thinking about doing like Sita and changing your lifestyle?
Take a dive into these links:

SDI Divemaster

SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor

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