How much money does "why not" our hobbies burn in reality?, "The Disappearing She" Becomes Popular | Scuba Diving | Reality
"How much does a diving coach earn?" "Do you want to be a diving coach?" With the popularity of the movie "The Disappearing She", the role of Zhu Yilong as a diving coach has attracted attention, and the discussion of the diving coach profession has also rapidly increased. Zhu Yilong himself also stated in an interview that if he didn't become an actor, he might become a diving coach.
How is a diving coach refined in real life? The China Singapore Economic and Social Network had a conversation with two practitioners.
Starting from 50000 yuan for certification, most people do not want to earn money
Mura Liang, 33, started diving 12 years ago and started working full-time as a diving coach in 2016. "When I was a child, I practiced swimming and enjoyed staying in the water very much. As I grew up, I first started with scuba diving, then started free diving, and then became a personal coach and opened a club diving shop, which turned my hobby into a job."
Mura introduced that currently popular diving projects include scuba diving, free diving, and mermaid diving. "The scuba diving is the kind that Zhu Yilong did in the movie, which requires a gas bottle; the mermaid is performed within 5 meters underwater, which is more visually appealing and popular among women; the threshold for free diving is higher, which belongs to extreme sports. If you want to experience diving when traveling to an island, then scuba diving is a more popular choice."
Liu Yanchao, who also turns his hobbies into work, works as a scuba coach in Qingdao. At the age of 35, he used to be a financial practitioner and started working as a personal diving coach across different industries two years ago. "I used to dive frequently in Qingdao and overseas. Once, when I encountered a drowning tourist, I went to rescue with my friends. Then, I had the idea of learning professional knowledge, hoping to help others. Later, I gradually obtained the qualification of a coach."
It is understood that taking scuba as an example, obtaining coaching qualifications requires gradually passing multiple levels of exams. At present, the most authoritative diving system internationally is PADI, which issues diving related certificates including OW, AOW, EFR, RD, DM, OWSI, course director, etc.
Liu Yanchao introduced that before becoming an open water scuba coach, one must apply for certificates at all stages from easy to difficult, and the training and examination fees alone require at least 50000 yuan. "When I was studying OW, I spent 3600 yuan, but now it has risen to over 4000 yuan. Adding AOW, EFR, and RD costs around 10000 yuan; DM costs 6000 to 8000 yuan, and OWSI costs over 20000 yuan. Even if I pass the exam at once, it starts at 50000 yuan, not including expenses for multiple applications, equipment, transportation, and other projects."
Not only that, becoming a scuba coach also requires a time cost. "Although some people have obtained a coaching certificate in at least three to six months, diving still requires a long period of practice and practice," said Liu Yanchao.
"I was able to obtain the coaching certificate smoothly at the time, but I also felt that I lacked the time to accumulate experience. If the coach himself was not in good condition underwater, he would not be able to handle various situations of the students," Mura also said.
Liu Yanchao said, "As far as I know, there are actually quite a few people who take the diving coach certification exam every year, but only a small number of them become full-time coaches. More people take the exam out of their love for diving, or only work part-time as coaches, not for the purpose of making a profit or making a profit."
Obtaining the certificate is just the first step
"There is a saying that buying a pet is only a small amount of money, and the subsequent expenses such as food, drink, supplies, and medical care are truly spent. This also applies to diving. In addition to the cost of learning and qualification exams, equipment, transportation, and alcohol are the real big expenses." Liu Yanchao said of the expenses required for diving.
Mura stated that her club is positioned as mid to high end, and the equipment used by the students is also relatively high-end. "Some students' free diving equipment costs more than 10000 yuan, but they will prepare several fins, mirrors, and other equipment, which will increase in price. There are also relatively cheap equipment, and everyone has a lot of room to choose, ranging from 2000 to 20000 yuan. However, I do not advocate that students buy too much equipment. When they first start, they can also choose to rent it for about 100 to 500 yuan per trip. My own diving equipment also costs tens of thousands of yuan, plus an underwater camera for 100000 yuan."
Liu Yanchao introduced that the equipment for scuba diving includes BCD, regulator, diving suit, diving boots, fins, flashlight, etc. Among them, the combined price of BCD and regulator usually exceeds 10000 yuan. "I have five or six sets of diving equipment myself, suitable for different seasons and diving methods, totaling around 200000 yuan. If I go diving in Southeast Asia in summer, the cost of one set of equipment is about 12000 to 15000 yuan; the rental cost varies greatly depending on the country, ranging from a few tens of yuan per day to over a thousand yuan."
Zhongxin Jingwei found on e-commerce platforms that the price of diving BCD ranges from about 1000 to 4000 yuan; The price of the regulator ranges from 100 yuan to thousands of yuan. The price of underwater respirators sold in Decathlon's online flagship store is between 600 and 2400 yuan, and the BCD is between 1400 and 1700 yuan. Some brands also sell complete sets of diving equipment, with prices mostly around ten thousand yuan.
In 2016, listed on the A-share market and known as the "number one diving company", Zhongqian Group also made a lot of money from diving equipment. According to the company's financial report, in 2019, Zhongqian Group's revenue was 528 million yuan, of which diving suits and diving supporting services contributed 157 million yuan and 123 million yuan in revenue, respectively. However, due to the impact of the epidemic, the diving equipment orders of China National Offshore Oil Corporation decreased after 2020, and subsequently stopped the production of most of the equipment.
In addition to equipment, enthusiasts also need to bear additional expenses such as diving guides, airfare, and hotels. "If you are not in company with others or are not familiar with the local situation, it is necessary to hire a hidden guide for safety reasons. The price fluctuation of this part is also very large, and it is related to prices, hidden guide functions, etc. It costs several hundred to several thousand yuan at a time. In addition, machine wine also requires at least several thousand yuan." Mura admitted.
Liu Yanchao stated that the average fee for taking his students abroad for diving is around 13000 to 26000 yuan per trip, lasting for 7-10 days. Popular destinations include Maldives, the Philippines, Hawaii, Indonesia, Egypt, and more. "In recent years, such as the popular" Four Kings Islands "in Indonesia, we usually stay on a luxury yacht for 10 days, including dining. The individual fee is over 25000 yuan, and with the addition of airfare, it is nearly 30000 yuan."
"General enthusiasts will go diving overseas two or three times a year, with three or four times having ample time. Calculated based on three times a year, the total cost of diving per year may be between 30000 to 60000 yuan, excluding equipment costs." Liu Yanchao added.
Some hidden store coaches earn less than 10000 yuan per month
"It wasn't until I became a coach in a hidden shop that my life became a bit more stable. But after I paid my monthly rent, I really didn't have much left." In "The Disappearing She," Zhu Yilong played He Fei, who only earns 5000 yuan per month. Under the cost of tens of thousands of yuan for certification, how long can one "recoup" after becoming a diving coach?
"Due to the lack of enrollment channels, some coaches are unable to open their own hidden stores, so they will work in hidden stores or institutions to earn a basic salary and commission. This general basic salary ranges from 4000 to 6000 yuan, and the commission ratio varies from store to store. The commission rate for some stores is less than one tenth of the course fee. Zhu Yilong's role in the movie also belongs to this type of coach. When his abilities and experience are relatively high, he can act as a personal coach to recruit students and open courses on his own, and his income will be higher." Mura said, "Our club's business has been good in recent years, but we can also see some colleagues saying that they can't make money, can't attract students, and sometimes they can't even earn 2000 yuan a month."
"Some coaches who do a good job in promotion may be able to bring over a hundred students a year, which can result in a higher income. However, some coaches who work in hidden stores earn relatively fixed salaries, and their monthly income is usually very low," said Liu Yanchao.
Liu Yanchao said that he has brought nearly 70 students this year, far exceeding the total number of the past two years. "This year, due to the opening up of outbound tourism, diving has been welcomed by many middle-class people, and many young people are curious about it. While exploring underwater scenery, they can also learn a skill. Now, I arrange an overseas diving trip every month, with a maximum of more than ten students." Currently, it is the peak summer season, and he expressed great anticipation for the upcoming market.
