Project AWARE Special Offers with your PADI Member Renewal

Project AWARE are calling for all PADI Professionals to show their support for aquatic conservation in 2010 with these exciting offers.

1. Free Project AWARE Divers Turtle Mask Strap

Receive a free Project AWARE Turtle Mask Strap with a donation of £25 or more when renewing your PADI Membership*. Donors of £25 or more become Patrons and receive a year’s subscription to the Foundation’s email bulletin and action alerts. Patrons will receive the unique Project AWARE turtle mask strap as a token of appreciation for their support. Visit the PADI Pros’ Site today to renew online or contact the PADI Member Services Department.

2. New – 2010 Turtle AWARE Certification Card.

Replace your member level card with the new 2010 Project AWARE Turtle card. Order this limited edition certification card by completing the replacement card section on your renewal application, or by contacting the Member Services Department.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VALUABLE SUPPORT!

* Whilst stocks last. Renew your PADI Membership today to avoid disappointment (contact the Member Services department on memberservices@padi.co.uk or +44 117 300 7280).

PADI Delivers Business of Diving Training Directly to Retailers

PADI Delivers Business of Diving Training Directly to Retailers

New webcasts make it easy for retailers to continue their business education.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 29 October 2009 -- PADI Americas will launch the first in a series of nine new Business of Diving program webcasts shortly after DEMA Show 2009. Available exclusively to PADI International Resort and Retailer Associations (IRRA) Members, these programs - which will continue into the first quarter of 2010 - are designed to maximize business knowledge while respecting the time and costs involved in attending a traditional business seminar.

“The membership is understandably focused on their businesses right now," says Bob Coleman, Vice President of Sales and the International Resort and Retailer Associations for PADI Americas. "They don’t have time to sit through days of seminars or the need to spend precious capital on travel, meals and accommodations to receive quality business training. Plus, in the past, this training was limited to only the owner or manager because someone had to stay home and mind the store. Now, it’s convenient and accessible for all.”

Once online, renewed IRRA Members can access the one-hour webcasts via the PADI Pros' Site free of charge. Plus, members who have viewed a webcast will be invited to attend a follow-up, PADI-moderated web conference along with other like-minded IRRA Members.

“Over the years, participant surveys following Business of Diving programs have indicated that interaction with other PADI Members is one of the most important parts of the program,” said Jeff Nadler, International Resort and Retailer Associations Manager at PADI Americas. “The follow-up programs built into the new webcast structure are fantastic because members can interact with each other to develop new ideas and ways to implement them. This is all based on the training they receive and something they can do without leaving their businesses. Even better, they can also include their instructional and sales staff, so the information isn't limited to just one person.”
 

Initial series topics includes:

• Building Your Business (Business and Marketing Plans)
• Business of Instructor Development
• PADI eLearning®
• The Internet and eCommerce
• Managing Your Business (Core Management Principles)
• Point of Sales Systems (EVE)
• Sales 101
• Sales 102
• PADI Survival Training

Others promise … PADI delivers.

New PADI Instructor Manual, Revised Divemaster Crewpak

  Streamlined and Simplified 2010 PADI Instructor Manual

- Available from PIL January 2010 -

PADI’s Instructor Manual in 1972 was under 100 pages. Over the next thirty-seven years, the manual swelled to nearly 1,000 pages.

Our 2010 Instructor Manual has been simplified, alphabetised and binder-ised to make key standard easier to find. For a more extensive explanation of each course, instructors can refer to the 2009 manual* and/or the new Guide to Teaching.

*and subsequent Training Bulletins.

 

All renewed instructors and divemasters will receive an email with a link to download the new manual in the first quarter 2010.

The produce (number 70120 comes with the binder and instructor manual pages only.  It does not come with the other items shown in the photo above.

The fourth quarter training bulletin has some information on familiarising yourself with the new manual (pages 2-3).  If additional hints and tips become available, I’ll publish them to this blog.

Translations to the new PADI's Guide to Teaching will be considered for translation in the following languages, Arabic, Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Turkish in late 2010 for production in 2011.

PADI’s Guide to Teaching replaces the IDC Candidate Workbook and can be used as a companion reference to the 2010 Instructor Manual.  It includes the teaching techniques and recommendations that were previously found in the Instructor Manual.

Translations to the new PADI’s Guide to Teaching  will be available in Arabic, Greek and Polish during the third quarter of 2010. Translations into Czech, Hungarian and Turkish are under consideration in 2010  but not confirmed.

 Changes to the PADI Divemaster Crewpak

Product number 60020

The new manual is part of the revised PADI Divemaster crewpak – which will be available from PIL late December / early January 2010.  The product number stays the same (60020).  Please see chart below with a list of what’s in the revised PADI Divemaster crewpak (available in English only, for now).

If you have Divemaster kits in stock – don’t worry.  The previous version of our Divemaster crewpak is still valid for use through 31 May 2010 (ref. Pages 4 and 6 in the 4th Quarter Training Bulletin).  After that date, Divemasters must purchase the new instructor manual if they’re buying a “2009” Divemaster kit.

What’s in the PADI Divemaster crewpak?

What’s in the NEW PADI IDC crewpak

New Materials for the 2010 IDC Evolution

The 2010 Course Director update just wrapped up at DEMA, and our new IDC crewpacks with be available from PIL in January 2010. I have made a chart of what's in the new IDC crewpak versus the old one (please see below).

The big changes are: 

• PADI's Guide to Teaching replaces the IDC Candidate workbook. The new product also include teaching techniques and recommendations previously found in the instructor manual.

• Three books are now on a CD (Best of the UJ, Children & Scuba and the Business of Diving).
• We now include the entire digital 2009 PADI Specialty Instructor Manual instead of just the Project AWARE and PPB outlines.

If you have some of the old IDC crewpaks in stock (60033 or 60034): they're valid for use up until June 30^th 2010. Course Directors have until 1^st July to complete their CD update.

After that date, or if the Course Director is teaching the new "IDC Evolution," the student will need to purchase PADI's Guide to Teaching ala carte. The student may need to purchase a 2010 Instructor manual if they didn't receive it as part of their 2010 Divemaster renewal.

What's in the PADI IDC crewpak?

(click image below to view a larger version)

 

In order to teach the new IDC and utilise the new materials, Course Directors must attend an update. Read about the Course Director and IDC Staff Updates scheduled throughout PIL's territory 2010. The key products of the new program are included as part of the update program cost.

Diver Acquisition Tip #1 - Discover Scuba Diving

Discover Scuba Diving - Bring a Friend Program

What is the Bring a Friend Program? The program encourages current PADI Open Water Diver course student divers to bring friends for a Discover Scuba Diving experience during their last confined water session.


How can you market Bring a Friend?

Build this "requirement" into your store's Open Water Diver course information sheets.  

• Have your divemasters or instructors conducting the next open water class available to conduct these Discover Scuba Diving experiences.

• Distribute customisable Bring a Friend (Divers Bring Divers) cards during open water diver courses and remind students to invite friends or family to join their last confined water session and discover scuba diving.
• Throw in some digital underwater cameras and let friends have some fun with them. Make sure to send divers the photos after the class or invite them back into the store to collect them, giving you an additional face to face contact with them to close additional sales.
• Sign up the Discover Scuba Diving participants for the next class as soon as they get out of the pool!

Why is the Bring a Friend Program beneficial?

• Friends can become dive buddies
• Motivates friends to sign up for the PADI Open Water Diver course
• It's a fun and exciting activity for the whole family.
• Promotes the PADI Adventures in Diving Program and related courses such as the Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course.
• Increases equipment sales.
  Tips to convert Discover Scuba Diving participants into PADI Open Water Divers

• Encourage PADI Open Water Diver course student divers to "Bring a Friend" for a Discover Scuba Diving experience during their last confined water session.
  
• Instructors distribute customised "Bring a Friend" (Divers Bring Divers) cards during open water diver courses.
• Friends can become dive buddies
• Throw in some digital underwater cameras and let friends have some fun with them.
• Have a staff member at the Discover Scuba Diving session whose sole purpose is to close the deal and convert participants.
• The closer approaches participants and encourages them to enrol in an open water diver course.
• The closer's goal should be to sign up new divers immediately – right after they're finished and are excited about diving.
• Consider an incentive for staff members signing up a certain number of Discover Scuba Diving participants for their open water diver courses.
• Invite previous customers to a Scuba Tune-Up session and encourage them to bring a friend for a Discover Scuba Diving experience.
• Have instructors personally call Discover Scuba Diving participants after their experience and personally invite them to join the next open water diver course.
• Host a social event after a Discover Scuba Diving experience or make the event a social day with a braai (barbeque).
• Have a fun video playing in the background during the Discover Scuba Diving session and have photos and testimonials from previous participants available or on display.
• Distribute PADI Scuba Connect™ cards to Discover Scuba Diving participants encouraging them to sign-up for eLearning right away. 

2010 Professional Instructor Renewal Benefits

New for 2010

• We’re making the 2010 digital PADI Instructor manual available to all members for download – we’ll send you a notification when your copy is ready for download.

• Digital Undersea Journal – reduce your carbon footprint by opting out of the printed version.  If you would like to do your bit for the environment, please send us an email and we’ll ensure that future editions are delivered digitally.

• Win back your renewal fee and other great prizes – don’t miss the 2010 Renewal Competition.  You can also receive a free Lanyard with online orders over £10 - Renewal Competition Prizes  Offer ends 28/02/2010.

• This year Project AWARE offers you a limited edition Turtle Mask Strap in appreciation for your support - Click here for more information.

• A special message to all PADI Professionals – Click here to view video message

• PADI Professionals have unlimited access to exclusive membership benefits and services

Tec Instructor Crossovers in the UK

Earlier in 2009 PADI rolled out the newly restructured and revised TecRec program. TecRec now includes five diver level certifications – Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50, Tec Trimix 65 and Tec Trimix Diver. The numbers in the course names correspond with the maximum depth limit in metres for that certification.

Tec Trimix 65 is a new intermediate certification between Tec 50 and Tec Trimix Diver. This course will be for tec divers who are interested getting started with trimix (depth is limited to 65 metres/210 feet). Tec Trimix Instructors may teach the Tec Trimix 65 course.

PADI is also unveiling a new instructor opportunity, bringing the number of TecRec Instructor levels to three. The newest credential is Tec Instructor, a rating that allows you to teach Tec 40.

If you’re already an instructor with another technical training organization and would like to certify TecRec divers, a free crossover is available through 2009. With this in mind, the dates for three Instructor Crossovers in the UK have been announced. These will be similar to the event being offered at the DEMA show and will take place in Bristol on the following dates:

• 16th November 2009

• 14th December 2009

Attendance at these Crossovers is free, although registration in advance is compulsory. If you meet the requirements for the crossover and would like to attend, download the registration form now, or contact Rich Somerset for a registration form at rich.somerset@padi.co.uk. Details of the requirements for attendance are provided on the registration form.