Enhancing job satisfaction among dive instructors
The waters of southern Florida are famous for their stunning coral reefs and vibrant marine life. This underwater paradise is not only a playground for recreational divers but also vital to many people who depend on it for their livelihoods, including dive instructors.
Maddie Cholnoky is a lifelong diver and dive instructor who focused her master’s degree research at Johns Hopkins University on dive professionals. As she began this project, she found little research on this population, so she collaborated with social scientist Mary Allen, PhD, to conduct the first study on how conservation-oriented dive experiences affect job satisfaction and retention among dive professionals.
The research highlights dive instructors’ motivations, preferences, and the challenges they face in their work, providing insights that could improve their professional lives, enhance retention, and inform choices in the dive industry.
Diving into the Details
For this study, Cholnoky and Allen surveyed 112 dive operations and 93 scuba instructors across southern Florida, covering Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties along Florida’s Coral Reef. The anonymous online survey consisted of questions encompassing job and conservation motivations, job satisfaction, job retention, and demographics.
Instructors reported affiliations with various training agencies, predominantly the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) at 84.9%, along with the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) with 18.3%, Scuba Schools International (SSI) at 31.2%, Scuba Diving International (SDI) with 20.4%, and other agencies (such as Diveheart) at 9.7%.
Of the survey participants, 60.2% were instructors who work in the industry full time and 39.8% work part-time; 86% of instructors reported they have worked at their current dive operator in Florida for more than one year, and 14% said they have been with their current dive operator for less than one year.
Job Motivation, Satisfaction, and Retention Insights
This study considered job motivation as referring to beliefs and emotions that drive and influence dive professionals’ behavior. Dive instructors’ motivations can include a love for diving, a desire to teach, a passion for marine conservation, and more. Job satisfaction encompasses the positive or negative associations employees develop regarding their work, and job retention refers to a dive instructor’s intention to stay at their current organization.
The research revealed key insights into what makes scuba instructors in southern Florida fulfilled at work, resulting in more impactful workers who stay at operations longer. Survey results showed that instructors consider their relationships with students and coworkers highly important and are generally very satisfied with these aspects of their jobs. These positive interactions create a supportive and enjoyable work environment, which is essential for job satisfaction.
Areas that instructors conveyed as important but where they could be more satisfied include pay (both financial and nonfinancial job perks), resources (the quality of facilities and materials in the workplace), and administrative support from dive shop managers and supervisors. Issues related to compensation are not new: Jeff Wilks reported similar sentiments in a study of dive instructor job satisfaction in Australia almost 30 years ago.
Low levels of job satisfaction can lead to serious consequences for the worker and the employer. Individuals who experience low job satisfaction often encounter more physical health issues and higher stress levels. Dissatisfaction can result in less dedication and high turnover rates that managers at these dive operations must navigate. So how can we encourage opportunities for dive professionals to experience higher job satisfaction, resulting in a further commitment to their work and benefitting their dive operations and certifying agencies? The answer may exist in conservation-oriented dive experiences.
Passion for Conservation
The survey results showed marine conservation is a significant motivation for most instructors in southern Florida, regardless of whether they have previously taught specialty courses specifically focused on conservation. Instructors who felt personally fulfilled by teaching marine conservation to their recreational dive students reported higher overall job satisfaction.
Of the respondents, 86.4% anticipated higher long-term career satisfaction when they could integrate conservation-oriented dive experiences into their work as instructors. The survey also revealed that 76.2% of instructors occasionally or frequently engaged in conservation activities outside of work. This finding suggests that a significant number of instructors are personally committed to conservation efforts beyond their professional roles.
When given a choice, instructors overwhelmingly preferred teaching conservation-focused specialty courses, such as coral conservation and marine debris removal, over nonconservation courses, such as drift diving and enriched air nitrox. This preference highlights their commitment to the marine environment. The survey showed that these conservation-focused courses are more popular among instructors because they align with their personal values and job motivations. Instructors enjoy educating others about the importance of preserving marine life and are eager to play a part in these efforts. Taking care of the ocean is like taking care of their office, as the underwater world is where they spend a significant portion of their time, and 72% of instructors expressed they feel this responsibility.
Proposed Solutions
Job satisfaction among dive instructors is crucial for the industry’s overall health. Satisfied workers are more likely to be enthusiastic and dedicated, leading to better customer experiences and higher retention rates. Instructors feeling fulfilled by their work creates a positive atmosphere that benefits managers and customers alike.
Satisfied instructors are more likely to go the extra mile in their teaching, inspiring a new generation of divers who appreciate and want to protect the marine environment. This ripple effect can lead to a more informed and passionate dive community where more people learn about the beauty and importance of marine ecosystems.
The survey results suggest some key ways to improve dive professional job satisfaction.
Compensation: Studies have shown that recreational divers want more conservation-oriented dive opportunities and are willing to pay more money for those experiences than for diving not focused on conservation. Dive operations could potentially charge a higher fee for conservation-focused dive specialty courses and use the additional revenue to bolster areas of current satisfaction by having dive professionals engage in marine conservation with their students. It can also improve current areas of dissatisfaction by increasing pay for instructors or improving operation facilities and resources.
Reef World Foundation and Green Fins published a study in 2022 based on a survey with more than 2,400 responses highlighting shifting preferences in dive tourism post-COVID-19. The study showed that 83% of recreational dive tourists expressed a desire for additional sustainability education during their holidays. Similarly, 76% of dive professionals reported that their customers request further sustainability education, emphasizing a rising demand for environmental education among recreational dive tourists.
Kathryn Gazal, Ross Andrew, and Robert Burns surveyed snorkelers and recreational divers in the Florida Keys in 2019 to determine the additional amount they would be willing to spend on a single dive or snorkel trip if the funds were allocated for coral restoration and cleanup of marine debris. Results indicated residents and visitors showed a similar willingness to spend on coral restoration, with an average of $57.37 for residents and $43.80 for nonresidents; for marine debris removals, residents would spend an extra $65.96 compared with $42.15 for nonresidents.
Support from management: Dive operation managers and supervisors could continue to expand or implement supporting instructors teaching conservation-oriented dive experiences at their businesses. Involving instructors in decision-making processes and valuing their motivations can also foster a sense of ownership and further commitment to the workplace.
Conservation education: Integrating conservation education into dive courses and giving instructors opportunities to engage in conservation projects can boost job satisfaction and help instructors stay in the dive industry. Many certifying agencies offer conservation-focused specialty courses. The training agencies could expand and promote more conservation specialty course opportunities for their dive instructors, which could help increase instructor retention. There are programs in Florida for divers to participate in debris removal and reporting, including Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys and the Southeast Florida Marine Debris Reporting and Removal Program.
Conclusion
For the dive industry to thrive, it is essential to balance the aspirations of dive instructors with practical business considerations. Conservation-oriented dive experiences need to be marketable and financially viable for dive shops to prioritize them. When these courses resonate with customers, they create a positive cycle: Dive shops see increased revenue, customers gain a deeper appreciation for the marine environment, and instructors experience greater job satisfaction.
When dive shops successfully market conservation courses, guests are passionate about participating, instructors find more fulfillment in teaching, and the marine ecosystem benefits. This synergy supports the ocean’s long-term health, dive operations’ economic viability, and instructors’ professional satisfaction. As the dive industry continues to evolve, prioritizing conservation and the well-being of its professionals will be key to its long-term success and sustainability.
The human research conducted was approved by the Johns Hopkins University eHIRB.
Explore More
Learn more about conservation diving in this video.
© Alert Diver – Q3 2024