15 pieces of advice for a new dive instructor

Are you a new instructor or hoping to become one? Here is the advice I wish I had received at the start of my journey.

1. Be realistic in your expectations and lack of experience

To become a dive instructor, you need to have a minimum of (only) 100 dives, which might sound a lot if you just start diving, but it actually is not for teaching. In comparison: To receive your driver’s license in Germany, the minimum number of driving lessons is 12; the average student has 30-35. Now imagine your driving instructor has done a total of 100 hours behind the wheel. Would you feel safe?

You can be a decent diver with 20-30 dives, but even with 100, most underwater situations may still overwhelm you. Now, you are also responsible for first-time divers – teaching is much different from diving for yourself.

Reflect on why the 100-dive standard exists for instructor courses. Is it truly enough to be ready to teach? It is important to recognise that this minimum exists more for convenience than as a true measure of readiness. Courses focus on delivering organisational teaching standards, not on evaluating your effectiveness as an instructor. The responsibility to set personal teaching standards lies with you.

Be humble about your knowledge. Strive for high standards and continually practice improving your skills and approach. It takes years and many dives to feel comfortable as a teacher. Even after years, unexpected situations will arise, and learning never stops. I am 9 years and around 4.000 dives in, and I am still learning.

2. Let students make mistakes

I am not talking about the positive reinforcement strategy you have learned during your instructor course. If you want your students to really learn and understand, let them figure things out for themselves.

When instructors recite the Buddy Check before every dive, students rarely remember the steps because they never think them through on their own. After the course, students will be on their own. Ensure they memorise key safety procedures, as failing to do so can have serious consequences.

I let students make and correct mistakes on their own, as long as safety is guaranteed. For example, after showing the equipment setup, I let them do it several times to help them memorise the process and observe their learning. They might put a regulator first or forget the weight belt, but they’re unlikely to repeat mistakes after experiencing the consequences under supervision.

Yes, it takes a bit more time, but as long as safety is maintained, allow students to make mistakes. They’ll learn and memorise better, becoming safer divers as a result.

3. Prevent panic and deal with it in the right way

At first, I used to chase after students who started ascending too quickly. Many instructors do. But this habit isn’t healthy for us, and it doesn’t help the student learn effectively.

Having DSDs in the water is, of course, one thing. They come for an enjoyable glimpse of diving, not a complete training session. When possible, I encourage independence because it improves their experience and makes my job easier. But if that’s not possible, I dive with them holding my hand.

Recognise early signs of distress, such as frequent mask adjustments. Stay close, offer help proactively, and intervene early. If it’s safe, let your Open Water students try to establish buoyancy independently. Even if they float to the surface, let them; remind them to inflate their BCDs and bring everyone up slowly and safely. Debrief afterwards, and I’m sure this will not happen to them again. Open Water students need to learn buoyancy on their own. Explaining helps only up to a point – practical experience, even from mistakes, is key. You can’t teach good buoyancy by controlling them during the dive.

It may sound odd, but I actually believe it benefits students to face situations that push them to the brink of panic during their training – not a full panic, of course. If panic occurs, it means I reacted too late. But if they experience intense stress just before a panic attack, I can guide them through it, showing them they can handle challenges if they stay calm. It prepares them to be safer in the future.

4. You are not the right instructor for everyone

It was hard for me to accept that I’m not the right instructor for everyone. My perfectionism and people-pleasing made me take student drop-outs personally, but I’ve learned it’s not always my mistake.

Once, I had a student who struggled with switching between mouth and nose breathing. I tried every approach I knew, but nothing worked, and the panic only intensified until she cried. There was nothing wrong; she sadly just built up the panic in her head. I suggested she stop multiple times and offered to switch instructors, but she declined. Eventually, we had to stop; there was no other option.

When she completed her certification with another instructor weeks later, she told me this one was stricter – she just needed clear direction: “Go down and do it.” That approach isn’t my style. My intuition about the switch of instructor proved right.

It’s never pleasant when this happens, and you might lose money. But which matters more: pushing someone through a course to boost your ego and get a commission, or stepping aside so the student gets the best possible experience? Be humble enough to let another instructor step in. Don’t question your ability; it simply means you aren’t the perfect match for every student.

5. You won’t travel as much as you think

One of the reasons many people become dive instructors is the dream of travelling the world while getting paid to dive. It was certainly one of my motivations, and while you will travel, it probably won’t be as much as you imagine.

Moving between countries is not as easy as we wish it were. You need flights, the right visa, and ideally a dive centre with fair working conditions. Because of the dive instructors’ salaries, relocating without knowing what awaits you isn’t a risk most people want to take.

Over time, another factor becomes even more important: familiarity. Once you find a place where you enjoy working, where the team knows you, and where you have built friendships, you’ll often realise that reliable work and a place that feels like home are worth more than constantly chasing the next destination.

Visas, contracts, and language barriers can also limit your flexibility. Some countries only issue work permits through a specific employer, while others expect you to commit for a year because of the investment they make in training and onboarding new instructors. The longer you stay in one place, the less often you move on to somewhere new.

Don’t get me wrong: you will travel. It just won’t look like social media often suggests. Instead of constantly moving on, you’ll probably stay longer in the places that feel right and explore the surrounding region from there.

Looking back, I still achieved exactly what I wanted. I travelled, I taught, and I built a career around diving. It just looked different from the picture I had in my head when I first became an instructor.

6. Learn more about decompression theory

It’s surprising how little some instructors know about decompression theory, even after many years in the job. For a long time, I believed I knew very little myself. My medical background made me curious, and while working in the Maldives I spent a lot of time talking to our resort doctor about diving medicine (thank you, Dr Ebru). I also took every opportunity to visit decompression chambers and learn more about how they operate. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.

Understanding decompression theory won’t just make you a better instructor. It will also change the way you dive yourself. You’ll stop pushing your no-decompression limits to the maximum, think differently about repetitive dives and long shallow dives, and become more aware of the factors that increase risk.

If you ever get the chance to visit a decompression chamber or attend a talk on diving medicine, do it. Read articles from Divers Alert Network, ask questions, and stay curious. The better you understand what’s happening inside the body, the better decisions you’ll make for yourself and your students.

7. Learn from the right people

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that not every experienced instructor is someone you should learn from.

Some of the most valuable knowledge I gained came sometimes from people outside my immediate teaching environment. I learned from our resort doctor in the Maldives, from technical instructors, and from colleagues who had been teaching for decades. Especially instructors who started their careers through CMAS often had a remarkably deep understanding of diving physiology and decompression theory.

At the same time, experience has taught me to be selective about whose advice to follow. In my experience, the louder, the more arrogant, and the more someone claims to know everything, the less they usually do in the end. The quiet, humble ones who openly admit when they don’t know enough about a topic are often the people you can learn the most from.

Don’t just look for people with thousands of dives or impressive certifications. Look for people who stay curious, keep learning, and aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Those are usually the instructors who will help you become a better diver and a better teacher.

8. Be firm in saying no

One of the hardest things to learn as a new instructor is that paying for a course does not automatically earn someone a certification.

Students don’t pay for a certification. They pay for your time, your knowledge, and your assessment. Your job is to decide whether they meet the standards to be a safe diver. If they need more than the usual two or three days to complete an Open Water course, then they need more time. That’s perfectly okay.

Some students won’t like hearing that. They may argue that they paid for the course or that they’re leaving tomorrow. But your responsibility isn’t to meet their travel schedule. It’s to make sure they leave as safe divers.

I’ve had quite a few students I wasn’t able to certify. Looking back, I don’t regret a single one of those decisions. If someone needs more training, there are always alternatives, whether that’s extra sessions, a referral to another instructor, or a certification level that better matches their current abilities.

Learning to say no is uncomfortable at first. But sometimes it’s the most professional thing you can do.

9. Protect your standards, even when a dive centre disagrees

At some point in your career, you may find yourself under pressure from a dive centre to certify someone who isn’t ready. Maybe the student has already paid. Maybe they’re leaving tomorrow. Maybe the shop doesn’t want to lose the sale.

Stand your ground. If they want to issue the certification, they can use a different name.

Your name remains attached to every certification you issue. Long after the course is over, you should be able to look back and feel confident that you made the right decision. Your certifications become part of YOUR reputation; not the dive centres, and over time, your name is one of the most valuable things you have as an instructor.

As a freelancer, I was sometimes afraid that refusing a certification would mean I wouldn’t be hired again. But sacrificing your standards isn’t worth it. A reputable dive centre should respect a well-reasoned professional judgement.

Ironically, I don’t regret refusing to certify the students. I regret some of the certifications I felt pressured into signing off. If your instincts tell you someone isn’t ready, trust them. Your responsibility is to the diver in front of you, not to the booking sheet.

10. Make decisions based on your dive, not someone else’s

Do you know the phrase “no child grew up in the same household with the same parents”? In diving, it’s pretty similar.

You will be in the water at the same dive site with other, more experienced instructors. Perhaps they will handle the current, the visibility, the buoy line, or whatever it is, along with their students, more easily in your eyes. Don’t compare yourself to them, regardless of how long they have been teaching or how many courses they have taught.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to end the dive because the conditions are too bad to continue, and your colleague is coming out of the water as if nothing happened, just remember, no one is in the water in the same situation. The current can be different, 3 meters further. The students are different, not as nervous as yours, better swimmers, or or or. Also, your mental state isn’t the same every day. Honestly, I realise that when I get annoyed more quickly than usual while teaching, it’s close to the start of my period (sorry, you guys, but not sorry).

You are the only one in the water with these students in this situation. No one else. So, you are the only one who can judge the situation.

11. Find your own teaching style

At the beginning of your teaching career, you’ll use the tools you learned during your instructor course. But you’ll also see that the more experienced instructors don’t need their slates any more and explain with a few anecdotes or other examples you have learned. Most likely, you will also witness some instructors or situations you really don’t relate to. You can learn from all of these.

Teaching diving is a lot of “stealing”, and everyone is okay with that. If we see or hear something we like, we will take it over into our teaching. And the one we “stole” it from will be happy about that. “Steal” as much as possible and remember the “bad” situations (like an instructor yelling at students), so as not to include them in your teaching style.

Experiment with different stuff and find your own way. For example, I am a very patient instructor and love teaching in a fun way. My approach is that someone who laughs will remember this situation way better. That’s me and me alone. If you try to use someone else’s teaching style, you won’t feel good, and your students won’t either.

Be authentic, be yourself. There is only one way for you – your own.

12. Focus on the mask skills

I really hope this is common advice you have already heard before. Focus on the mask skills during the Open Water courses. The mask is the main problem for most students. No wonder. Cause the little Neanderthal in our brain knows, as a life instinct, to hold the breath as soon as our face is in the water. Now, the problem with the mask skills is that this part of the brain gets confused. Water in the nose triggers our instinct to hold our breath, while we can and do breathe through our mouths.

There are other skills in the course you can let slip a bit more, because they can perfect them later. Please don’t do that with the mask skills. A student who can’t master the mask will sadly not be a safe diver. This fear will always dog them, distracting them and might lead to other problems.

My personal approach is to let them breathe without a mask, using a regulator, with only their face in the water. Like this, they can take their time getting comfortable without the psychological pressure of being underwater. Since I started my confined session with this (which the instructor course hadn’t taught me), I barely have any problems with the mask skills underwater anymore.

Give it time and try different techniques to make them comfortable with it. You will get better and better, but brace yourself: you will have to fail some students who can’t master the mask. This is the main reason people fail the course.

13. Don’t compare yourself to other instructors

I know this is a hard one, and I still fall into this trap sometimes. You will find yourself in situations where you see other instructors being faster, handling their time better, or teaching more easily. It doesn’t matter. They have their style of teaching, and you have yours. They have their own teaching standards; you have yours.

And yes, sometimes it’ll feel like the ones who are fast with the confined sessions are “better” or getting more jobs. The main question is, what do you want? Do you want to be fast, or do you want to be good? A good course needs time. Some students need more time. Not everyone can be a mermaid who wants to learn diving.

You have your way and your students. That’s it. You do your best. They do as well. Everyone, every situation, and every student is different. You do you. Don’t compare yourself to other instructors. Especially not the ones that look super fast. Either they are super, super experienced, like 30 years in this job already (you can learn from them), or they are not as good as it might look.

14. You won’t spot as much marine life as you used to

Did you have eagle eyes guiding divers and were able to find the smallest critters? This will sadly change. Once you start teaching, your focus is on your students, not on spotting something. Of course that’s kind of part of the job, but it’s not the main objective any more. The main objective is, from now on, to look after your students, their buoyancy, and make sure they don’t pop to the surface.

You will not be able to show DSDs or Open Water Students a tiny nudibranch or the tiny, transparent bubble coral shrimp. They will not understand, and they will not be able to establish their buoyancy to see them. As well, you can’t shift your focus long enough away from your 4-pack group to search for these tiny critters. From now on it’ll be sea cucumbers, sea stars and moray eels. And the longer you teach, the more you will lose your trained eye for spotting small stuff.

Prepare yourself for this; get used to it. It happened to all of us. But you will even more embrace the dives you can guide with experienced divers, or do yourself, where you can use these skills again.

15. Experience will teach you what really matters

One of the biggest changes you’ll notice over the years is that your priorities will shift. Early in your career, you often don’t know what you don’t know. From needing the money to wanting to prove yourself, or simply thinking your body will handle it.

With experience, that mindset slowly changes. You realise that there is no prize for finishing a dive in difficult conditions, squeezing in the full 60 minutes underwater, or certifying someone who isn’t quite ready. In fact, some of the decisions you’re proudest of will be the ones where you turned around, called the dive, or simply said no.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received during my Divemaster training was: “It’s your game underwater, not theirs.” You’re the one responsible for bringing everyone back safely – including yourself btw. Whether it’s ending a dive early, staying shallower than planned, or refusing to continue a course, those decisions are yours to make.

The same applies outside the water. Don’t ask, “Can I have a day off?” Say, “I need a day off.” Your body needs time to recover and off-gas, especially when every single day. It’s your responsibility to recognise when you need a break and to set those boundaries. Taking a day off isn’t a sign of laziness or a lack of commitment. It’s part of being a professional and of making sure you can continue doing what you’re doing safely.

Looking back, I don’t think experience made me a better instructor because I took more risks or worked harder. It made me a better instructor because I learned what really matters.