What to expect from a typical day

Making the choice to become a professional diver can be a difficult one. If you are serious about it then you have probably done some research already and have realised that none of us are in this profession to become millionaires!

Becoming a professional diver is a lifestyle choice. Maybe you are looking to spend some time travelling the world before or after college/university and want to supplement your income somehow? Maybe you have had enough of working in an office and staring at a computer screen all day and are looking for a better work/life balance? Either way, a career in diving has a lot to offer.

What follows is a description of a typical day’s work as a divemaster on Roatan. We hope it hits a nerve and you want to find out more....

7:30 (ish) am
The dive center opens at 8am so we all meet for coffee and breakfast before opening “officially”. Half an hour or so of relaxing over a much needed caffine hit and a local breakfast is enough to get us all ready for another day working in paradise.

8:00am
OK, enough chatting and pigging our faces – its time to get the dive center ready for another day. Sweep the floors (why is there always so much sand?), feed Molly the shop cat, turn on the computers, t.v.’s etc. and put on some music.

Now we check the daily schedule to see what’s going on today. One boat is off to Spooky Channel at 9am with a group of qualified divers and the other is being used for classes this morning. One of the instuctors will spend an hour with students in the classroom watching videos and is then off to Half Moon Bay for Open Water confined sessions 1 to 3.

So everyone starts getting equipment ready for their respective boats and classes. Some of the divers have their own gear stored in the equipment room and some of them are renting gear from the dive center. Tanks are checked to make sure they have 3000 PSI and weight belts are assembled (does that tiny lady really need 18lb to get down?). Check to see whether we have any customers diving with us for the first time – if so, get the paperwork ready for them when they arrive.

8:30am
Customers and students start to arrive at the dive center. Greet them all by name (yes it can be hard remembering them all when its busy and why does everyone always seem to be called Richard – even the women!!) and point them in the direction of their equipment. Keep an eye on them whilst they are assembling their gear in case they need any help.

8:55am
Its time to get everyone on the boat so help the boat captain load the gear whilst making sure eveyone signs the boat roster for the 9am dive.

9:00am
We’re off! Spooky Channel is about 15 minutes away so enjoy the ride and have a laugh with the customers on the way.

9:15am
Just arrived at the site so its time to get everyone in the water. Make sure everyone has the right equipment and is putting it on correctly. Pay special attention to novice divers and look for signals that someone may be feeling a bit apprehensive about the dive.

9:25am
In the water, just completed the buddy checks and its time to go down! Enjoy the spectacular rock and coral formations for about 45 minutes to 1 hour whilst monitoring your divers. Is anyone having difficulty with their bouyancy? If so, lend a hand! Maybe they are underweighted or maybe they aren’t releasing enough air out of their BCD.

10:15am
Just completed the 3 minute safety stop at 15ft/5m and its time to ascend from another great dive. On the surface ensure that everyone is ok and make sure they inflate their BCD’s. Help them take off their equipment and get them all safely on the boat.

10:30am
Like clockwork we’re back at the dive center and everyone can grab a rest, a snack and a soda. Whilst the customers are chilling out for a while we swap the tanks of those who are going out on the next dive and help the new customers get geared up.

11:00am
We’re off to the next dive site. West End Wall this time – another of the top dive sites on this side of the island.

12:30pm
Back to the dive center again after an amazing drift dive where we saw an eagle ray, a moray eel, two turtles and thousands of fish. Everyone has had a great morning and has worked up a big appetite. So time to relax and have some lunch. Maybe hang out in the hammock for a while.

2:00pm
The last dive of the day. A nice shallow dive at Blue Channel. An experienced group of divers this time so there’s plenty of time to look for “small stuff” on this dive.

3:15pm
Back to the dive center for the final time. Everyone is helping dismantle equipment and rinse the saltwater off. Who’s turn is it to fill tanks today? Not mine!

3:45pm
Well, its been a great day and its time to relax whilst the equipment is drying. So, who wants a Port Royal and who wants a Salva Vida? And who’s turn is it to pay? Not mine!

5:30(ish) pm
Most of the customers have left for a nap before they go out for the evening. We’re sitting on the deck over the ocean watching the beginning of what is going to be another beautiful sunset and drinking a cold beer!

Doesn’t life suck being a divemaster?

Hell no!