For Guides
How Dive Instructors Can Earn From Group Liveaboard Trips
Most dive instructors earn between $1,000 and $1,500 a month. Organising one group liveaboard trip through a Pod can earn that in a single booking cycle — without leaving your current job.
The income problem every dive instructor knows
Dive instructors don't get into the industry for the money. They get into it for the ocean, the lifestyle, and the look on a student's face after their first open water dive.
But the economics are brutal.
Entry-level instructors in Southeast Asia earn $500–$1,000 a month on commission. In Australia or the Caribbean, base salaries sit around $1,000–$1,500 with commissions on courses and gear sales on top. Liveaboard crew roles pay better — around $200 AUD per day in places like Cairns — but the hours are long and the competition for those roles is fierce.
The result is a profession where experienced, trusted dive professionals earn less than the equipment they use costs. Most instructors supplement their income with photography, social media work, equipment repair, or seasonal jobs outside diving.
But there's a revenue stream most instructors are already creating — and not getting paid for.
You're already organising group trips. You're just not earning from them.
Think about the last time you put together a group liveaboard trip for your students or dive club. You researched the boats. You picked the dates. You coordinated the group chat. You answered the same twelve questions from twelve different people. You might have even held the booking yourself, collecting money from everyone and hoping they all came through.
That work has real value. It's trip planning, sales, and logistics combined. On a 12-person liveaboard booking averaging $2,500 per diver, that's $30,000 in booking value you just created for an operator — and your compensation was usually nothing, or a free spot if you were lucky.
The Pod model changes that equation.
What the Pod model offers dive instructors
A Dive Pod is a group liveaboard trip you create through MyDivePod. You select the boat and dates from 150+ liveaboards across the Red Sea, Maldives, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Galápagos, Cocos Island, and more. MyDivePod generates your Pod booking link. You share it with your community. Each diver books their own spot individually.
You earn commission on every confirmed booking.
There are two tiers:
Founding Guides — the first 20 guides to join — earn 10% commission on all Pod bookings, locked in for life. On that same 12-diver trip at $2,500 per person, that's $3,000 in commission from a single trip.
Ambassador Guides earn 8% commission, plus a $500 bonus for every 6 confirmed spots filled. Same trip, same 12 divers: $2,400 in commission plus a $500 bonus if you fill 6+ spots. That's $2,900 from one booking cycle.
On top of commission, you can set an optional markup if you're offering additional services — pre-trip briefings, curated dive plans, dedicated in-water guidance, or group coordination. That markup is 100% yours.
How the numbers work: a realistic example
Let's walk through a real scenario.
You're a PADI instructor in the UK with an active dive club of 40 members. You create a Pod for a 7-night Red Sea liveaboard in March — a popular trip for your group.
The liveaboard costs $1,800 per person on MyDivePod. You share your Pod link in the club WhatsApp group and on your Instagram. Over three weeks, 14 members book.
As a Founding Guide at 10% commission: 14 × $1,800 × 10% = $2,520 earned.
As an Ambassador Guide at 8% plus the $500 bonus for 6+ spots: 14 × $1,800 × 8% = $2,016 + $500 = $2,516 earned.
You didn't hold anyone's deposit. You didn't chase payments. You didn't negotiate with the operator. You shared a link with people who already trust your recommendations, and MyDivePod handled the rest.
Now imagine doing that twice a year.
What you don't have to do
This is as important as what you earn. The Pod model strips out the operational burden that makes group trip organising miserable:
You don't hold deposits. Each diver pays MyDivePod directly. You never touch the money, which means you never carry the financial risk of someone dropping out.
You don't chase payments. MyDivePod's booking system handles payment collection and reminders. Your role is recommending the trip, not project-managing twelve bank transfers.
You don't negotiate with operators. The inventory is already priced on the platform. You pick the boat and dates. No emails back and forth about group rates or cabin allocations.
You don't need a travel agency licence. You're not selling travel — you're sharing a booking link with your community. MyDivePod is the marketplace that facilitates the transaction.
You keep your current job. This isn't a career change. It's a revenue stream that runs alongside whatever you're already doing — teaching courses, working at a dive centre, running your own shop.
Who this works best for
The Pod model isn't for everyone. It works best for instructors and dive professionals who have an existing community that trusts their recommendations.
Dive instructors with active student communities. Your students already ask you "where should I go next?" — the Pod gives them an answer with a booking link attached.
Dive club organisers. You're already coordinating annual trips. The Pod formalises what you're doing and pays you for it.
Dive shop owners. Offer liveaboard trips to your customers without inventory risk. Your shop becomes the local gateway to liveaboard diving.
Underwater photography leaders. Create photo-focused Pods on boats with dedicated camera rooms and rinse stations. Your community follows you for the diving — the Pod gives them a way to book it.
Freediving and technical diving instructors. Niche communities with high loyalty and specific vessel requirements. The Pod lets you curate exactly the right boat for your group.
How this compares to existing options
Most dive professionals who earn from travel do it through one of three models:
Traditional travel agency commissions require you to become a registered travel agent, negotiate rates with each operator individually, handle booking logistics, and often carry liability. Commission rates vary but rarely exceed 10-15% before overhead.
Affiliate and referral programmes from existing platforms (like PADI Travel or some operator-direct programmes) pay a small percentage for referrals — typically 3-5%. You send traffic, someone else closes the sale, and you earn a finder's fee.
Direct operator relationships can pay well but require volume and negotiation. You need to fill boats consistently for a specific operator, which limits your destination flexibility and puts the coordination burden on you.
The Pod model sits differently. You earn 8-10% commission without travel agency overhead, without being locked to one operator, and without managing the booking process. MyDivePod handles payments, customer support, and operator coordination. You handle the part you're already good at: knowing your divers and recommending the right trip.
The fine print
MyDivePod is a marketplace. It facilitates bookings between divers and independently owned liveaboard operators. MyDivePod does not operate vessels or employ crew.
Guide commissions are paid on confirmed bookings. Cancellation policies vary by operator. Commission is calculated on the base booking value before any guide markup.
Full guide programme terms are available at mydivepod.com/guide-terms.
How to apply
The Founding Guide programme is limited to the first 20 guides. If spots remain, you'll see the option on the application page. After the Founding cohort fills, new guides join as Ambassadors at 8% commission.
Apply at mydivepod.com/ambassador.html.
MyDivePod is operated by Ithela FZ LLC, registered in Fujairah Creative City Free Zone, UAE. MyDivePod is a booking marketplace and does not operate liveaboard vessels.