From Passion to Profession: Why you should become a Dive Professional

Most divers begin their underwater journey without intending to become an instructor. But once you get hooked on scuba, sometimes all you can imagine is sharing that passion with others! We are lucky to have an incredible group of Dive Professionals at Diventures who allow us to train thousands of divers every single year.

We gathered up our professionals (from Divemasters and Assistant Instructors to Instructor Trainers and even an Instructor Certifier!) and asked them what’s so special about teaching scuba at Diventures.

Why did you become an instructor?

Beth VanPelt
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Lexington, KY

“As soon as I started diving, I knew I wanted to be an instructor at some point. I wanted to introduce people to the underwater world and watch their eyes light up like mine did when I first experienced neutral buoyancy. I also wanted to show this sport to other people who perhaps struggled with anxiety like I did before diving. This sport truly changed my life as it became a way to overcome anxiety and depression. Since I started diving my mental health has changed for the better tremendously! I hope to share that same miracle with others.”

Dwain Desbien
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Phoenix, AZ

“I was looking for something I could do as I wound down my career as a college professor that would provide income and fun in retirement. Now I’m still teaching, it’s just very different from being a physics professor.”

Angie Fuller
Assistant Instructor Trainer, Diventures in North Liberty, IA

“When I first got certified I had no intention of taking it any further than having fun underwater. After several years and some specialty classes, I began to realize the sport was sorely lacking in females in the dive pro arena and I felt like that was perhaps preventing some women from getting into diving. I wanted to change that.”

John Zucco
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Alpharetta, GA

“An initial driver to becoming a pro was diving with my wife and daughter. I want to be prepared as best I can to take care of any situation that arises and impart additional scuba knowledge to them, even when they’re not looking. I wanted to be a source of calm for them. Now I hope to bring that calm to anyone I dive with, regardless of if we are related.”

Our dive professionals come from different backgrounds and have different reasons for going through the pro pathway. It is a significant commitment, but so rewarding. To become an SSI Professional with Diventures, you must first achieve the SSI Master Diver rating. This requires 50 dives, four specialties, plus Stress & Rescue. After earning the Master Diver certification, you transition from the recreational pathway into the professional one. This includes courses such as Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and Open Water Instructor.

Why should divers choose Diventures for SSI professional training?

John Zucco
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Alpharetta, GA

“Diventures instructors and staff stick to very high standards. We do not cut corners; we do not certify students who are not ready. Our dive professionals are a community who share information and techniques that help each of us get better.  Learning is never complete, so sharing and discussing different techniques is a strong means to improve.”

Pat Dunn
Instructor Certifier

“Diventures Dive Pro Programs are conducted by highly trained professionals who are constantly upgrading their skills and techniques to offer state-of-the-art and innovative techniques that set them apart in the dive industry.

In your Dive Pro program, you not only learn the basic SSI theory and curriculum but will teach real students under the mentorship of your Pro Trainer building confidence and additional skills after the program is over.

The bottom line is that our Dive Pro Trainers conduct programs and create confident and skilled dive professionals who are “second to none” in the dive industry.”

Beth VanPelt
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Lexington, KY

“Having such a huge network of experts to have as resources is absolutely invaluable and not really found in the dive industry anywhere else.”

Can you see yourself leading divers through the underwater world, assisting instructors, or going all the way and becoming a scuba Instructor Trainer yourself? The work can be demanding, but our professionals always say it’s the best job!

What do you enjoy most when working with divers?

Ryan Oestreich
Assistant Instructor Trainer

“Progress, I love watching someone go from thinking they are amateur to doing a whole weeklong dive trip, logging countless dives and getting the experience to become confident and safe underwater.”

Dave Dietze
Classified Instructor Trainer, Diventures in Omaha, NE

“When I train adaptive students, I see the greatest example of the healing power of water. These students often think there is no way they could do a sport like scuba. I explain SSI’s Classified Diver Program, show them exactly how we can train them to dive with assistance, and let them talk to our certified classified divers and buddies. The first time in the pool is always an exciting time because they are able to DO it! ”

Eric Kepner
Open Water Instructor, Diventures in Alpharetta, GA

“I enjoy helping students achieve their goals. Figuring out new ways to unlock the thing that they were struggling with and figuring out how to adopt my style to work for them. Seeing their smiles when they finally hit that skill that had been hard. I always hope to create passionate divers who are in for the long haul.”

Now you know more about becoming a dive professional. Ready to take the next step? Check out professional courses or stop by your local store and talk with us about working at Diventures.