Freelance scuba instructor

Dive shops and dive centres pay you per course, per day or per dive. Their customers are beginners and certified divers who book training or guided dives.

You are paid a flat fee or a share of the course price for each course or day taught. Extra income comes from specialty courses such as drysuit and from guided dive days. Work is busiest in the warmer months and slower in winter, except for pool sessions and trips south.

• Patient, clear teaching
• Strong diving and rescue skills
• Calm decision-making around safety
• Comfortable with cold water and outdoor conditions

• Instructor certification and annual membership fees with your training agency
• Professional liability insurance, which agencies often require and which shops may ask to see
• Check whether you would count as self-employed or an employee under CRA and provincial rules, and whether you need to register for GST/HST
• Check whether provincial diving or occupational health rules apply to your type of work
• Seasonal income and cold-water conditions, so plan your cash flow
• Real safety risks in diving, so follow agency standards and never cut corners

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $9,000, depending on your certification level, gear, agency membership fees and insurance. Check what your training agency and the shops you plan to work with require.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on how many courses and dives you take on and how the diving season runs. Income is seasonal, so plan your cash flow.

Check your agency's instructor certification, annual membership and professional liability insurance requirements. Also check whether you count as self-employed or an employee under CRA and provincial rules, GST/HST registration, and any provincial diving or occupational health rules.