How Do You End Up With a Small Fortune In The Dive Industry?

Almost every week, I hear it. Or I read it on Facebook.

How do you end up with a million dollars in the dive industry? Start with two!

There are various versions of it.

How do you end up with a small fortune in scuba diving? Start with a big one!

But the basic idea is always the same: Do not expect to get rich as a dive professional in the scuba diving industry. Sometimes, the word “industry” even seems inaccurate when looking at the size of the so-called scuba diving industry.

But back to our banter…

I often hear this joke stated in a way that communicates precisely the opposite of what the joker intended to laugh at. And that is what I want to clarify, for the fun of it.

How do you make a million in the scuba diving industry? Start with two!

Well… That last version is not a joke. It’s excellent investment advice!

If I could “make” a million by investing two, it would mean a 50% return on my investment (ROI). Of course, the exact ROI would depend on the timeframe. Generating a million in profits over ten years is not as good as doing it over six months.

However, the point remains that your initial investment (2 million dollars) generated profits since you “made” a million and, therefore, ended up with three.

The definition of making money (as in “making a million”) is “to earn money, to make a profit,” as per the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

So, that is not what you meant, is it? You meant “ending up,” not “making,” right?

The definition of “ending up,” as per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “to reach or come to a place, condition, or situation that was not planned or expected.”

When repeating this joke, choose your words carefully if you want to say that the investor lost money! Otherwise, somebody could sue you for lousy investment advice!

Just saying.

Otherwise, I hope that the dive instructor career tips provided here will help you prove this joke wrong. Let’s make a good living out of our passion for scuba diving!