Islands In The Sea - PADI UK, Ireland, Malta & Cyprus

Project AWARE 100% PIC Online - Thank You

2010-03-02T10:52:00.010Z

A big thank you to the following PADI International Ltd Dive Centres who are signed up to the 100% Project AWARE PIC Online Shceme.

By joining this new programme you ensure that all your students whose cards are processed online receive the Project AWARE version of their PADI certification card. You also show your commitment to the protection of aquatic resources by raising vital funds to help Project AWARE complete its mission.

Aqua Divers, Anavissos Greece S32289 http://www.aquadiversclub.com/

Capenwray Diving, Carnforth Lancashire S3632 http://www.dive-site.co.uk/

Marine Divers, Paphos Cyprus S32431 http://www.pwmarinedivers.com/

Waterhoppers, Rhodes Greece S3431 http://www.waterhoppers.com/

Ocean Turtle Diving, Basingstoke Hampshire S32106 http://www.oceanturtlediving.com/

If you'd like to sign up to the 100% Project AWARE PIC Online scheme, simply download the registration form located here, and fax to Project AWARE Foundation (International) : +44 (0)117 300 7270

Digital Option for The Undersea Journal and Sport Diver

2010-03-02T10:06:00.001Z

While you're on the PADI Pros site downloading the 2010 PADI Instructor Manual you can sign up to receive Sport Diver and / or The Undersea Journal electronically. This is a free service for PADI Members.

Switch to the electronic versions and you'll receive an email when the latest issue is available online. What you'll get is an electronic version of the magazine provided through a system called Zinio - it's not a .pdf.

Not sure if you'll like an electronic magazine?

I found a link on Zinio's site where you can download a magazine for free to try it out. FYI you have to create an account to get the free magazine. Looks like there's also an iPhone app.

If it were me - I'd continue getting the paper copy of Sport Diver and go digital with the UJ.

Sport Diver magazine is a great marketing piece. Leave it at the dentist, the gym, anywhere it might find a curious reader. Attach a business card or two to the inside cover and on the back cover. You never know, right?

This is just my personal opinion, I'm as crunchy granola as they come and of course the more we can do to reduce our paper consumption the better.

If you're ready to go digital with Sport Diver or The Undersea Journal, here's how to do it:

Log on to padimembers.com
Click on Members Toolbox
Scroll down to Member Services
Click on the first link:
Go Digital! Manage Your PADI Subscriptions here
Click next to the picture of each magazine to opt in for a digital copy.

Once you choose the electronic option we will no longer send you a paper copy of the magazine. Address labels are run approximately six weeks before the magazines get mailed, so there's a chance you'll get one more paper copy after opting in for the electronic option. Currently it's not possible to receive both an electronic and a paper copy - just one or the other.

2010 Instructor Manual Available Online

2010-03-02T09:58:00.002Z

2010 Instructor Manual Available as a Free Download
for Renewed PADI Members

Renewed PADI Members (Instructors, DMs, AIs, etc.) can now download the 2010 PADI Instructor Manual from padimembers.com. The 1.25 MB .pdf is the first link in the right hand column.

If you are not renewed, please call us at +44 (0) 117 300 ext. 7281 (Monday - Friday) to get renewed.

2010-03-02T09:44:00.003Z

Dive Theory Online is the newest PADI eLearning course

Dive Theory Online is now live at padi.com/elearning.

Student cost: $100.

What is Dive Theory Online?

For Divemaster, AI, and OWSI Candidates - an exam study tool
For Instructors -
Offer students the opportunity to try Dive Theory online in lieu of attending the dive theory lectures.

Or - use Dive Theory Online to brush up on Boyle's Law (and other dive theory topics) before teaching a DM course.

Dive Theory Online gives a comprehensive overview of dive physics, dive physiology, dive skills, environmental considerations,* dive equipment specifics and decompression theory & the RDP. Each section consists of multi-media instructional sections followed by study questions. End-of-section assessments verify eLearner mastery of each section.

* What was once a single topic - dive skills and environment – has been broken down into two separate presentations – dive skills and environmental considerations.

What isn't Dive Theory Online?
Dive Theory Online is not a substitute for any required materials. All PADI Divemaster candidates are still required to own a personal copy of the DM manual, DM slates, Instructor Manual,* Diving Knowledge Workbook, and Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving (included in the Divemaster crewpak - product no. 60020). Dive Theory online is supplemental study material.

* Instructor manual required for all DM candidates beginning 1 June 2010

Dive Theory Online is not a prerequisite for professional-level PADI courses. It is optional study material.

Dive Theory Online is not a substitute for Divemaster exams, or any other candidate exam.

Want to take a peek?
PADI stores and Instructors who've previously purchased an Access Pass can preview Dive Theory online (or any of our other eLearning courses):

Visit elearning.padi.com
Click on User Maintanence
Next - click on Preview Course Sections
Choose Dive Theory online from the drop down menu

Registration and Website Info

When signing up for Dive Theory online through padi.com, the student will select a PADI member to affiliate with; however, the Dive Theory Online program does not have an in-person component. It is online training only. The student should affiliate with the PADI Member that is completing their DM, AI or IDC training.

PADI stores who already have an eLearning link on their website are automatically set up to offer Dive Theory online. As with the other eLearning programs, the student will click through to padi.com and select the course from a drop-down menu.

If you do not wish to offer Dive Theory online, use the eLearning course selector tool found on the PADI Pros homepage (about halfway down).

For assistance modifying your eLearning course offerings, or to get your eLearning.padi.com login information, contact Training Department at: +44 (0) 117 300 7234 ext. 7339

PADI eLearning

2010-02-22T07:59:00.003Z

By James Stockdale - UK and Ireland Regional Go Pro Challenge Winner 2008

I was extremely sceptical of 'eLearning' at first! I felt terrible about the idea of losing the personal interaction with a student. I was very closed-minded. I felt robbed of "MY" students. But, as things have progressed, so too has my attitude to the course.

First I found that increasingly the idea of sitting in a classroom for 2 hours at a time doesn't appeal to every potential student. I’ve seen a huge increase in the number of younger divers - most of them computer savvy – and, for many of them, sitting at home doing theory in their own time with a cup of tea in their hand is far more alluring than the alternative.

There's also the advantage of them spending as much time as they want on an area that they are having difficulties with. There is nothing worse than when you have a student in a classroom, who finds it hard to grasp the idea of something - you are restricted by giving fair and equal attention to everyone as well as making sure everyone progresses at a similar pace. This is a perfect example of how eLearning removes time constraints. And if the student is still unable to understand through eLearning, they are more than welcome to contact me for some 1-to1 help in person.

I've started looking at the eLearning as an opportunity on my part to focus on the practical side of things more. We have a great time utilising every shred of time in the water, and we can talk to our hearts’ content afterwards. It's more than enough time for me to find out the students’ interests and diving ambitions. They also see how easy it is to get certified as a diver.

I expect to see eLearning become more and more popular and it'll be a positive step forward for the dive industry.

SHOW OFF YOUR SUPPORT

2010-02-09T21:27:00.000Z

NEW Project AWARE Card

The new limited edition AWARE certification card is now available.

Your student divers can now choose the new 2010 AWARE version of their PADI certification card or replace their card and support underwater conservation. For a minimum donation of £5, any diver can sport the new sea turtle card and know 100 percent of their gift supports protection for the environment they love most.

Download a copy of the Project AWARE Limited Edition Card options poster for 2010

To find out more about Project AWARE Foundation’s ongoing conservation efforts and to become directly involved visit www.projectaware.org.

15 Minute Marketing Idea - QR Codes

2010-01-22T20:35:00.002Z

15 Minute Marketing Idea

What is this thing?

It's a QR code.... and in 2010, you'll start seeing a lot more of them. Google really likes QR codes, so you can pretty much guarentee that they'll become mainstream (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/explore-whole-new-way-to-window-shop.html).

A QR code is a special barcode that acts like an internet hyperlink. When scanned by a smart phone (such as an iPhone) it will display a webpage, business card, or message.

QR codes are an easy, cheap and fun way to promote your business.

Read on! By the end you'll know how to create these codes and use them for nefarious guerilla marketing purposes.

That funny-looking box above represents a link to padiinstructorinfo.com. Scan it with a smartphone, and PADI Desert Chronicles will appear on the screen.

The code isn't doing much sitting on this webpage - but imagine if I printed out 300 of these codes on sticker paper and put them in every bathroom stall at DEMA? Besides a possible misdemeanor for me, it would be a sly marketing move: capturing the attention of smartphones users - anyone with an iPhone, Android phone, Palm Pre, etc.

This is pretty powerful marketing - that costs next to nothing. Additionally, you reaching customers who don't mind spending money on cool gizmos. According to ComScore - over 38 million Americans own smartphones already and 64% plan to purchase a smart phone in the near future.

Creating a QR code is extremely easy. Pasted below is a screengrab from qrstuff.com - one of many free QR code generators.

As you can see it's three short steps.
#1 Decide where you want the user to be directed to: (website, telephone number, etc).

#2 Type in the web address (or phone number) into the box

#3 Print!

How to utilize QR Codes

Step 1: What is Your Goal?

Increase membership in your dive club?
Book more divers into an upcoming dive trip or charter?
Promote a new product?
Spread the word about your internship opportunity?

Step 2: What do you want people to see?
When the QR code is scanned, it will bring up a webpage link, virtual business card, phone number, or a few lines of text - your choice. Whatever you choose will display on the phone's screen.

Let's say your goal is to bring new people into your dive club.

The QR code should point at a webpage (or text) describing your next dive club meeting date, time, location and topics. Be sure to say why your dive club meeting will be the most exciting night of the year. Maybe you're having an interesting guest speaker. Maybe there will be manufacturer-sponsored prizes. You've got a new customer's attention, make it as exciting as possible.

Additionally, you may wish to hide the link that you want the visitor to click, thereby getting them to your web page through curiosity. For example, if a customer scans the QR codes and it displays the link 'http://www.learntoscubadive.com' the customer will immediately make a conscious decision as to whether they will click the link, as the URL is quite descriptive of the content.

Try shortening the URL through TinyURL to hide the ultimate destination, thereby ensuring the end user has to click through to your site. Try this example:

Step 3: Go Nuts!
Create your QR code (see recommended websites below) and distribute!

If promoting your business or dive club: place the QR codes (responsibly) in and around places where divers hang out. Is there a breakfast spot near a training site that attracts divers? Print out the codes and put them on index cards - under car windshield wipers, stashed in the menus, around the dive centre, or on your website etc.
To promote a new product such as a safety whistle or underwater camera in your store, post a QR code next to the product and link to a video of the product in action (on the manufacturer's website, or something you've made).
Need to fill up an upcoming dive trip? Put a QR code on your trip flyers and have it point to a youtube video of the destination.
Print off a sheet of QR codes and use them as a calling card. Leave one with your restaurant bill or in the waiting room of the dentist's office. Maybe write an intriguing message on the back,
"Are you Curious?"

Print them onto stickers and plaster them over your dive kit / friends dive kit / interesting and unusual place.
Some of the websites below will print your QR code on a t-shirt. Walk around town, a convention center, or your favorite outdoor concert and invite people you see using their smartphones to scan your shirt.* )

Hide QR codes amongst your shop merchandise, and offer discounts or added extras for those customers that can decipher them.

The QR code is still new to many folks which makes it a great conversation piece. Esquire magazine and Fast Company recently did issues spotlighting this new technology.

Also, take my word on this one: people who own smartphones love to show off what they can do.

Are you QRious? Ready to Get Started?

Try out the QR code experience (see below)

Using a smartphone with a QR barcode reader, scan the QR code below. If it doesn't work for you right off the screen, try printing the image out on a piece of paper.

No barcode reader?

Here's CNet's list of the best barcode readers for the iPhone.
For Android I use the app called Barcode Scanner (it's free).
NeoReader is a QR reader app for Blackberry, Palm and other phones - though I haven't personally tested it.

Ready to Make Your Own?

Useful websites:
Print out one or several QR codes at qrstuff.com. You can print the codes on regular paper or make stickers on Avery labels). You can also create fabric QR patches at p8tch.com (attach to a dive bag, jacket, etc).

15 minute QR code project

Go to qrstuff.com
Choose "text" as the data type
Update the sample text below.
Paste the text into the website's text box.
Print.
Distribute.

To: The Curious One!

From: [your dive business name here]

Fate is telling you to become a scuba diver. Email us at [your email here] or call us at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Mention you found our QR code and you and a friend can try scuba for free in our pool. Already a diver? Come to our next dive club meeting. We'd love to meet you. Email us for details.

One last really important thing:
You've got the customer's attention. Make the payoff compelling. Rather than simply linking to your homepage, consider a short message of simple text that references your website. For example:

Hi there, we like your style. We're scuba divers, and like you, we're curious. We like to explore and try new things. Here's our website: xyzdivecenter.com - we hope you'll stop by.

Alternately, you could have the QR code point to a special page on your website inviting the customer to leave their contact info to receive a special offer. Or, if you have a short promotional video already produced, you could link to the video's URL. Be sure and watch your video on someone's phone first to make sure it looks okay.

Competition:

This year, I expect to start seeing more and more of these weird little hyroglyphics all over the place. Send me a photograph of your QR Code advertisement via email, and a winner will be selected at the end of the year to receive a special prize. The more interesting, innovative and unusual the QR code and its placement, the higher your chance of winning.

One final QR Link for you to try:

Beating the big chill - Above and Below go Ice Diving

2010-01-15T11:46:00.000Z

Unless you've been hibernating over the past month (or you're fortunate enough to reside outside of the UK), you'll have noticed that we've been experiencing a little snow and ice around our island in the Atlantic.

Most of us (me included) decided that this would be a good oppourtunity to stock up the kitchen shelves with hot soup and bread rolls, wrap ourselves in a duvet for a few more minutes each morning, and generally try to get through the snow storms as best we could.

The team at Above and Below Dive Centre, Pontefract decided differently however. Martin and Sharon Ainsworth saw this as an oppourtunity to provide training to their customers that wasn't usually available in the UK, and often cost quite considerable amounts of money to complete elsewhere...PADI Ice Diver.

I'll not try to explain the psychology behind their decision to jump into freezing water in January (I'd be there myself if I didn't have a dislocated shoulder...honest!). Therefore I'll let Sharon Ainsworth explain in her own words how they went about this endeavour:

"As you know, Martin, not backwards in coming forwards, decided to take advantage of the sub zero temperatures, (and the fact that Blue Lagoon has completely iced over) and promote the ice diver speciality – a first for us here in the UK!!!! - here’s how it went:

We started at 8am, preparing the site prior to divers arriving – what a surprise this was – you can see by the photo, the chunk of ice we took out was several inches thick, remarkable considering the lake is over 16 acres, and all frozen! It was so heavy that one of our team had to get in and smash it up into smaller pieces!!

After refreshing everyone on knot tying, we began to assign roles as divers, rope tenders and safety divers working as a team. This was a challenge in itself, as EVERYONE wanted to be first in! Anyway, after the biggest, most senior, superior, etc, etc won, they got kitted up, roped up and descended through the hole into the crystal clear water. AWESOME was the response from the first diver on surfacing!

We had so many divers wanting to go in, by mid afternoon, we had cut 3 separate entry/exit holes through the ice, with 3 separate dive teams around the lake.

Anyhow, 6 ice diving instructors and 15 new ice divers later, and lots of excited and smiley faces – the day was a ‘titanic’ success, (excuse the pun), so much so, we can’t wait to do it again later this week (weather permitting)

The air temperature was 2 degs C, water temp 0 degs C."

I think you'll agree that this looks like great fun, and is a great example of PADI Members taking advantage of the change in weather to get divers learning some new skills, completing further training and having a great time whilst doing it.

If any other PADI Members have been doing anything interesting over the previous months (BCD Sledging?!!!) please send your article and photographs through to me at richard.howes@padi.co.uk and I'll get the posted on this blog.

Happy New Year

2010-01-13T16:32:00.000Z

Happy New Year to all PADI Dive Centres and PADI Instructors. I trust that you all had a great break over the winter period, and not too many of you are suffering due to the chilling winter snow in the UK.

2010 has now officially started, and we're into a new season. For those of you wanting to know how your centre performed during 2010, we'll be sending your centre ranking via email shortly.

For those members wanting to know what is in store for the coming year with regards to PADI, Standards Updates and ideas for increasing customer uptake and retention, the member forums will be running in the next few months. Check back here for updates on dates.

In the meantime, as a new years present grab a coffee and check out some of the Scuba Related Advertisements from yesteryear:

http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/search?q=scuba

See you all soon!

Eve – Practical advice on e-mail marketing

2009-12-16T13:48:00.001Z

By Ian Sykes, ISSYS

As time goes on, spam and junk filters run by ISPs – Internet Service Providers – get tighter and tighter.

Avoiding being marked as a spammer depends on as many variables as there are grains in a handful of dust but the following should help:

Make the e-mails you send out a mixture of plain text and HTML. By that I mean that some of the e-mails you send out should be plain text and some HTML.
The easiest way is to keep those e-mails that say, for example, "yes, Friday's good for me" should be sent as plain text.
Avoid using "Dear" as the salutation. Similar to the physical junk mail we all receive which starts with "Dear", spam filters look for this greeting and score it highly. Hi, hello, etc. are better options.
Keep sentences relatively short. 76 characters is one cut off point that spam filters look for.
Avoid using the bcc field as much as possible.
Ideally, send e-mails individually rather than using the multiple recipients option, as much as possible. This means that the receiver's ISP sees that the e-mail is addressed to the recipient only and so marks the e-mail as being much warranted.
Sending out bulk – i.e. bcc or multiple recipients – e-mails day after day will eventually result in an increasing number of ISPs marking your address as being a spammer.
Attachments also gain a few more points on most spam tables, particularly in conjunction with multiple recipient e-mails.
Logo files not properly embedded into your Outlook stationery can also flag up on junk filters, particularly if the original file size is large.
If the vast majority of your "send-outs" are to groups or using bcc address fields this will also count against you.
A balance of individual e-mails versus group e-mails is preferable.

Practically:

I'd suggest using tighter search criteria in the Customer Search Wizard as one step forward.

I'd send the e-mails individually. Depending on the version of Outlook you're using, you may need to download and install a small piece of software that eliminates all the annoying "allow permission" messages from Outlook.

You can download, install and run a small piece of software called Express Click Yes that runs in the background simulating any of the "Click Yes" commands that Outlook expects.

There are many places to download this from – one such site is http://www.contextmagic.com/express-clickyes/ . Click Yes contains no adware or spyware and only simulates those "Click Yes" for Outlook, not for any other applications. On my own PC I have Click Yes running in the background constantly for just such a purpose

Use all of the above in conjunction with the EVE Auto E-mail Agent and the EVE Customer Search Wizard to mine your database and target-market your clients.

PADI and National Geographic Renew PADI National Geographic Diver Program

2009-12-16T13:41:00.000Z

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA – 16 December 2009 -- Extending their commitment to the popular PADI National Geographic Diver program and support for PADI National Geographic Dive Centers, PADI and National Geographic have renewed the program agreement through 31 December 2011. The PADI National Geographic Diver program combines the PADI Open Water Diver course with National Geographic specific content in special PADI National Geographic Diver course materials. Since 2003, PADI is the only international training organization to work closely with National Geographic to provide such training, as well as a network of PADI and National Geographic Dive Centers around the globe.

“We’re committed to continuing this relationship with National Geographic,” said PADI President and COO Drew Richardson, “because the PADI National Geographic Diver program establishes an explorer-scientist mindset. It’s a great way to start out in diving, it gives people reasons to keep diving, and it brings new faces into PADI National Geographic Dive Centers.”

Besides renewing PADI National Geographic Diver, National Geographic also recently invited PADI, DAN and other dive industry entities to participate in their National Geographic Live Speaker series. The series features key photographers, naturalists and speakers in high profile venues throughout the US, with participants helping publicize the events.

“It’s gratifying that National Geographic thinks enough of diving to call on our industry to participate,” said Richardson, “This speaker series will definitely get the attention of divers and potential divers, so it’s to everyone’s benefit to participate.” Richardson also noted that PADI National Geographic Dive Centers will particularly benefit because those attracted to diving by the speaker series will be attuned to the “National Geographic” of their PADI National Geographic Dive Center status.

For more information about the PADI National Geographic Diver program, contact your local PADI office.

Others promise … PADI delivers.

PADI Dive Center and Resort Members earn $2 million in shared revenue with PADI eLearning®

2009-12-16T09:29:00.002Z

PADI Dive Centers and Resorts have earned shared revenue for every diver associating with their store since the launch of PADI eLearning.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA –16 December 2009 – PADI Dive Centers and Resorts worldwide are reaping the rewards – and the earnings – from PADI eLearning. To date, more than 33,000 consumers have enrolled in PADI eLearning and this has generated more than $2 million US in revenue for PADI Members.

Since adding PADI eLearning as a delivery method, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts are seeing more student divers coming through their doors. This means more repeat customers and equipment sales along with a check for every student who affiliates via PADI eLearning with their store. Many members have also leveraged the Get your Link, Get Your Money campaign by placing the PADI eLearning web banner – available from the PADI Pros’ site - on their websites.

Here is how PADI eLearning has helped these PADI Members trim costs and increase profits:

“[PADI] eLearning does not require me to spend money first on open water student materials and then sell to my students. In financially challenging times this has helped my cash flow considerably, allowing me to manage costs more effectively. Plus I never run out of stock now!”

- Phil O'Shea, Manager of Pavilion Dive Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

“Because we use [PADI] eLearning, it has given us the ability to do the open water course in a weekend which has the add-on savings to wages, equipment and staff flexibility. A large proportion of our customers choose Feet First Dive because of the time limitations, so this reflects in our bottom line with increased numbers of students. We are teaching more students and we are selling more gear, it is as simple as that.”

- Shane Murtagh, PADI Master Instructor, Feet First Dive Centre, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia

With the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online now available in English, Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Italian and Dutch, PADI eLearning provides PADI Dive Centers and Resorts more ways - in more languages - to reach potential customers online. PADI Dive Centers and Resorts can also use PADI eLearning for continuing education with the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Online and the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online now available, and the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Course Online available in second quarter 2010.

Earn your share of PADI eLearning revenue. For more information on taking advantage of PADI eLearning - along with all of the other benefits of PADI membership - contact your PADI office today.

Others promise … PADI delivers.

PADI Executive Appointed President of EUF

2009-12-15T15:58:00.002Z

During the European Underwater Federation’s recent General Assembly in Amsterdam, Mark Caney was elected President. He will serve in this position until the end of 2012.

The European Underwater Federation (EUF) is a body representing the interests of over three million divers in the European region and has a membership consisting of a broad range of European training agencies, including both for-profit and non-profit organisations. CMAS Europe and RSTC Europe are represented in the EUF, as well as other diving related organisations such as DAN Europe, and the Egyptian CDWS. The EUF serves as a forum allowing such organisations to meet, exchange ideas and speak with a common voice on important issues like diver safety, and is truly representative of the European scuba diving market place.

The EUF has become a highly influential body within world of diving, in part through its involvement in EUF Certification International; a separate body that audits training systems and, where appropriate, certifies them as being compliant with European and ISO Standards for Recreational Diving. Such certification has become a legal requirement for dive operations in several countries such as Egypt and Greece.

Mark, who is Vice President, Training, Education and Memberships at PADI International Limited in England, is now serving for the second time as President of the EUF.

For more information about the EUF visit www.euf.eu .

Now available – Tec Diver Course Instructor Guide in digital format

2009-12-15T10:52:00.001Z

The Tec Diver Course Instructor Guide (CDROM 70911, Paper 70605) is now available as a digital product, ready to be loaded directly onto your laptop, enabling travelling instructors to offer the courses wherever they are. Besides the course guides, the CD ROM also includes a PDF of the Appendix, with course forms, applications answer keys, answer sheets, handouts and other support materials used during the course. TecRec Instructors can now simply contact their Product Consultant for details on how to purchase this item.

Using website video to enhance the customer experience

2009-12-11T12:08:00.007Z

Let's face it, by the time you get halfway through reading one of my blog posts you'll get bored or distracted. The phone will ring, a customer will walk in or you'll realise that some of my rants are just not worth reading...

Stick with it...and I'll try to help you change the way you pass your company message to your customers.

Is you website visual. By that, I mean does it contain far more pictures than text? No? Why not? Most people respond more to visual representations of what you provide than to textual descriptions. If you've read this far, you're doing better than your average customer, they'll have given up a paragraph ago (around about where I asked you to 'Stick with it').

How do you solve this problem? Easy; you start using video and imagery to compel your existing and potential customers to delve further into your offerings. If we take an example of a high street product, and in this case I'll choose a very popular one, the Apple iPod.

Essentially it's a consumer product with a cult following; everyone knows what it is, what it does, and roughly how it works. Now take a look at the web page for the iPod Classic http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/

It's not until I start to scroll down the page that I get any 'real' chunks of text. The first thing I see is a massive picture of the product, I can then dig deeper if I wish to find out a little more about the product (tech spec, features & benefits).

Now head across to your web page and look at your Open Water Diver Course details...lots of pictures and a little bit about key features, or vice versa? Time to review that webpage and update it if it doesn't contain more pictures than words!

Second example: Head across to play.com and look at the most popular computer game of the year; 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' (http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/8771809/Call-Of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-2/Product.html).

Scroll down the page and you'll find a video box that you can use to watch the actual game footage, and expereince what it's like to play the game yourself. Why is this placed there? The customer wants to know what it looks and feels like to be part of this product, what do they see? what do they feel? how amazing is it?

Video on web pages provides a great oppourtunity to provide 'a million words' in a 2 minute clip, and you can use these on your web pages to help your customers understand what diving feels like and how it changes your life.

Things that customers don't really want to know about a PADI Course:

How many confined water sessions are there?
Is it cheaper than the centre down the road?
How much will the equipment cost?

Things that your customers would like to know:

Is it fun?
What am I going to see?
Is it social?
Who am I going to meet?
Can I go diving anywhere in the world?
Can I keep learning and become a better diver?

My apologies, I understand that this reads like question 9 of Open Water Diver Knowledge Review 5, but our customers aren't interested in the details (when did you last book a holiday based on the colour of the bathroom suite in the hotel?). Our customers are interested in the experience and how their life will change after becoming a diver.

Take a look at PADI.com for an example. How many clicks does it take you to get to the real 'nuts and bolts' of the Open Water Course (the text about what's involved)? I've counted two clicks, that's two pages into the site before I get the real information about what is involved. The main page at PADI.com is media rich to give consumers and idea of what diving feels like.

Video will relay this feeling better than any words or pictures, and gives a real feeling of what diving is like as an activity. PADI has produced a library of video available for you to use on your website (make sure you try some on the homepage). The video is available through normal channels such as YouTube, and via the PADI.com website.

For video stored on YouTube of PADI courses and training:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PADIProducer

For video and photographs stored at PADI.com community pages:

http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-community/media/default.aspx

This type of media does not just extend to the courses you sell. Manufacturers will also have promotional video available for their equipment, explaining the features and benefits (far easier to absorb than a list of spec sheets).

By using this media rich method of delivering the messages of your dive centre, you'll attract customers to the lifestyle of diving, instead of baffling them with pages of text. Get the video camera out, get your staff talking about diving, and get it online!

Business Tips – Indirect Marketing, Using the PADI Certificates Effectively

2009-12-10T10:04:00.006Z

Many successful PADI dive centres hold a certification evening on their premises or in a local restaurant where they award their new divers with a PADI certificate of the various courses they have completed - holding the event directly after pay day (approximately 25th f each month here in the UK), also pay dividends towards further equipment purchases and signups.

We know that this has always been positive as students from various courses get to mingle and promote the course that they have just completed to other attendees; we also know that invited non diving family members and friends are often turned onto the idea of scuba diving.

With all this said, have you ever given any consideration to the certificate presentation?

During many of these evenings dive centres give out both framed and non-framed certificates. This got me thinking, how you can build a framed certificate that a diver would be proud to hang on the wall of their office or within their home. My solution was to include the certificate, course title, for example, Open Water Class of 2009 and a photograph with all the names of the recently qualified divers (ensure the shot is pre-dive in order that hair looks beautiful and mascara hasn't run - check that the women look OK also!).

Having a certificate like this will immediately add the professionalism to your course that our products and materials already portray.

In my opinion the most important factor in the presentation is that, you can be sure that the receiving diver will hang their certificate thereby creating interest for all that look at it. I would even recommend that you insert a few business cards, on the rear of the certificate, as discussed in the article: Divers Bring Divers.

Take a browse here for internet suppliers of cheap picture frames to add a little more value and sparkle to your award ceremonies.

http://www.fastframes.co.uk/acatalog/A4_Picture_Frames.html
http://www.picturesframe.co.uk/
http://www.4x90.com/

http://www.cheapframes2u.com/

PADI Achieves Global Certification as ISO Recreational Diving Services Standards Compliant

2009-12-10T09:59:00.000Z

As of 1 December 2009, PADI Offices globally are certified as compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for Recreational Diving Services by an independent auditor, EUF Certification International. The ISO standards relate to five levels of diver, two levels of instructor and a service provider or dive centre. Each of these standards equate to a PADI certification or member level, which means that in effect, a diver or member holding one of these qualifications can also be said to have met the requirements of the relevant ISO standard – as though they had gained two credentials at once.

The eight standards are listed here with their PADI equivalencies:

ISO Title	ISO Reference	PADI Equivalent
Introductory training programs to scuba diving	ISO 11121	Discover Scuba Diving (In open water)
Diver Level 1 - Supervised Diver	ISO 24801-1	PADI Scuba Diver
Diver Level 2 - Autonomous Diver	ISO 24801-2	Open Water Diver
Diver Level 3 - Dive Leader	ISO 24801-3	Divemaster
Training programs on enriched air nitrox diving	ISO 11107	Enriched Air Diver
Instructor Level 1	ISO 24802-1	Assistant Instructor
Instructor Level 2	ISO 24802-2	Open Water Scuba Instructor
Recreational scuba diving service providers	ISO 24803	Dive Center or Resort

Because PADI, on a worldwide level, is certified as ISO-compliant, it means more international recognition of PADI certifications. PADI credentials are already the most recognised in the diving industry, but this will make it even easier for them to be understood internationally. The ISO standards will become an international benchmark that can be used to compare divers' qualifications. This means it will be easier for divers to travel and easier for PADI professionals to work internationally.

The value of PADI becoming certified as being compliant with the new international standards is hard to overestimate. For example, governmental bodies may not be familiar with PADI credentials, but they will certainly be familiar with ISO standards. They are used as measures of quality for a huge range of things in most of the world. In many countries where it had been traditionally difficult for PADI instructors to work, local regulations have changed as a result of the introduction of the standards. This is particularly important in certain market areas such as Greece, South America and Asia.

PADI underwent a rigorous audit of its training programmes, standards and procedures in 2004 and gained certification at that time for several offices (Europe, Nordic and PADI International, Ltd.). The audits were conducted by the leading global certification body for the recreational diving ISO standards, EUF Certification International, which is jointly operated by the European Underwater Federation and the Austrian Standards Institute.

In December 2009, PADI underwent a re-audit of its programmes relating to existing ISO standards, as well as a new audit of the two latest ISO standards (Introductory Dive and Nitrox) on a global level. This means that now every PADI Office is certified as ISO compliant.

Starbucks and the pricing conundrum

2009-12-09T11:36:00.002Z

There's a great article stored here by Tim Harford regarding the economics behind the pricing structure at Starbucks. I know many of the centres I have visited during the latter months of this year have already reviewed their pricing level for courses, and some have even seen a a price increase as an effective method of relaying the value of the PADI Open Water Diver Course to their potential students.

You may also wish to take onboard the tactics that are used by stores such as Starbucks when pricing equipment. Many of you already understand the ideas between packaging equipment into 'Beginners Packs' and 'Professional Packs'. Hint: No customer wants a beginners pack, when a pro pack is on offer.

You can also hit the mark with customers on a more regular basis by structuring your course prices to attract differing demographics to each course level. For example, a young professional with regular income, but little spare time will be more willing to pay premium price for a course. However, a family of 4 with their weekends free may be more price conscious. Therefore you'll need to ask yourself the question: How many differing course options can I offer for open water diver, and what price do I place them at?

I'd recommend that you start simple, and offer 3 options; Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Bronze: This lower price point package appeals to price conscious customers who have flexibilty in their scheduling. It includes the base materials, but nothing extra. Customers who want a little more flexibility or additional value can upgrade to the silver package.

Silver: Ideally aimed at couples, who want an easy way to get started in diving. This package will usually include more enhanced materials (eRDPml instead of RDP), and can include vouchers to provide discount on equipment. You may offer the eLearning option for customers to start at home straight away.

Gold: The ultimate package. Flexible to meet the customers scheduling requirements, it will generally include the eLearning access pass. Includes all required materials and all recommended materials (enhancement packs). You may wish to include free mask, fins and snorkel with this package or additional equipment that is taken into account when pricing this package.

By creating a tiered structure to your course pricing options, you enable you business to capture customers from each price point. You also capture additional revenue from customers who would generally be prepared to pay more for additional value, yet drop their expenditure to meet your course price.

2009 Christmas Promotional Ideas

2009-12-08T13:30:00.047Z

As the holiday season approaches, you're probably looking for ideas to fill the dive centre with customers and increase sales over this busy period. Traditionally the Christmas period is a 'start-stop' affair for most of the retail sector; Plenty of trade during the early parts of December. It then all stops on 24th December, and doesn't restart until the January sales kick in. Over one quarter of the December retail period see stores closed or not busy due to Xmas. Therefore it's of great importance that PADI Dive Centres utilise the time available to maximise their customers and return on those customers.

During the previous months, your PADI Regional Managers Graham Owen and Richard Howes have made visits to your centres, and will continue these visits during 2010. Apologies in advance if you've not met us yet, and we will endeavor to visit you during 2010 to spend time discussing the opportunities for growth in your business. In the meantime, and in the lead up to Christmas, we've compiled a 'best of' list for promotional ideas this Xmas. You can make use of theses suggestions in order to maximise your potential customer base during the remainder of 2009, and to increase both course and equipment sales during 2010.

5. Rescue Diver Course

Invite your recently certified PADI Open Water Divers to enroll straight into the PADI Rescue Diver Course. They can start straight away with knowledge development and confined water sessions during the winter months in a pool or confined water, before continuing their education during the early months of next year. Students will welcome the opportunity for advancement of their skills and it will be especially welcoming if its conducted in confined water during the cooler winter months.

Stocking fillers for the student:
Rescue Diver Crew with Pocket Mask (60327),
Rescue Diver DVD (70853MUL)

Stocking fillers for the instructor:
Rescue Diver Instructor Cue Cards (60205)
Rescue Diver Professional Edition DVD (70854)
Rescue Prescriptive Lesson Guides (70877)

4. Emergency Oxygen Provider and Enriched Air Package

Around this period of the year time is premium for most people. Deadlines at work, Christmas shopping, visiting relatives, they all eat into our time during December. You can therefore package courses in such a way that time will no longer becomes a problem. Both the PADI Enriched Air and PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider courses can be classroom based and therefore scheduled at the dive centre around the students time commitments. Try running a Saturday as 'exotic gas day'; students complete the practical application and final exams for Enriched Air in the morning, and then the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Course in the afternoon. Class scheduling can be rotated on consecutive weeks in order that students who can only attend during the morning will be able to complete the other specialty during the second Saturday.

Stocking fillers for the student:
Enriched Air Diver Crewpak Metric (61044)
Enriched Air Diver DVD (70870MUL)
Emergency Oxygen Provider Crewpak (60032)
Pocket Mask with 02 Port in Hardshell case (50080)

Stocking fillers for the instructor:
Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty Outline (79118)
EAN Prescriptive Lesson Guides CD-ROM (70873)

3. Bubblemaker and Seal Team as Xmas presents

The Bubblemaker and Seal Team programmes provide an opportunity to get young people into the water from as early as 8 years old.

They also provide a perfect Christmas present at this time of year when the weather is less than comfortable for younger children to be outside. What better way than to help them get started in the world of diving with a experience or programme conducted in a swimming pool. Children will be looking for activities over the Christmas period, and parents will be looking for a break from the festive excitement.

Your customers will be seeking presents for their sons, daughters, nephew's and niece's, so why not get them started with an experience programme or crewpak for Christmas.

Stocking fillers for the student:
PADI Seal Team Crewpak with DVD (60310UK)
PADI Seal Team Hat (50266)
PADI Master Seal Team Recognition Kit with Application (50272UK)
Bubblemaker Crewpak (50258)

2. Digital Underwater Photographer

We all know that the PADI Digital Underwater Photography Dive 1 can be conducted in a swimming pool. Just like the PADI Rescue Diver Course, this course allows you to get started over the winter months in a confined water environment with buoyancy and camera skills, before progressing to the open water at a later date to complete the specialty. The Digital Underwater Crewpak makes a perfect compliment to a divers new underwater camera, and allows the student to start studying right after Christmas lunch (usually when grandad has fallen asleep in front of the Queen's speech...again).

Those divers who are ready to get in the water straight after Christmas will find some superb visibility in the UK inland sites, and some stunning shallow water locations around the coast. Perfect for Digital Underwater Photography practise.

Stocking fillers for the student:

Digital Underwater Photographer Pack (70092)
Digital Underwater Photographer Manual (70015)
White Balance Slate (69231)

Stocking fillers for the instructor:
Digital Photographer Specialty Outline (70215)

1. DVD Box Sets

The Discover Scuba Diving programme provides an accessible and easy option for those interested in diving as a hobby or career. The programme can be conducted in confined water (ideal for the colder winter months), and generally takes no more than a few hours.

By turning the Discover Scuba Diving Programme into a tangible product, you make it a perfect stocking filler for any member of the family. Priced at the correct level, this product should not only cover your costs, but also return a healthy profit for your centre, both in cash flow, and increased entry level certifications in the coming months.

Here's how it works:

Take one DVD Box (http://www.dvdshoponline.co.uk/Black_DVD_Cases.html)
Create a dive centre cover to insert into the outside of the box. This should detail the experience, the limits of the programme and provide a little detail regarding your centre and the product.
Create a colourful insert for the inside of the box. This can be your dive centre flyer, a leaflet of your latest promotions, or even the Scuba Connect Card for your dive centre.
Include the PADI Discover Scuba Diving booklet (70254UK) for the student to read and complete prior to attending.
Include the PADI Go Dive DVD (82069UK) in the box set to ensure that your customers have something interesting to watch on Christmas Day.

Packaging all these items together and placing adverts on your website and displaying the item in your shop will ensure that you have a steady stream of revenue for the winter period from this product, alongsie a steady stream of interested divers wishing to sign up for the full Open Water Diver Course once they've tried this programme.

Free EVE Email Templates

2009-12-03T12:50:00.036Z

We all know that in everyday business life it can be difficult to find time to communicate effectively with our customers. Ironically, these are the people that we should be focussing most of our business hours on. Providing to their needs, staying in regular contact with them and find out what they want form your business.

EVE is one tool that will take the strain out of staying in touch, and tracking the requirements of your customers (alongside many other task that you carry out on a daily basis). Many EVE users take great advantage of the Customer Search Wizard to contact their students and store visitors with regfular emails promoting their courses and equipment, but many struggle to find the words to convey what is available.

To help you make a start, and to hopefully save you a little time, we have grouped together the most common email templates relating to PADI Courses that a propsective or current student may be interested in. These can be downloaded as Microsoft Word documents and pasted into your EVE template emails. The templates contain the required field to link with EVE data, and also point the students to the relevant page of PADI.com for further course information.

Of course you'll want to customise these to fit your business (dive centre logo, links to your contact information, emaili address), but hopefully they should take some of the strain out of sitting infront of your email programme with a blank page, and wondering where to start. Should you have any suggestions on how to make these templates better, don't forget to provide feedback on this blog.

Promote the PADI Open Water Diver Course

Promote the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

Promote the PADI Rescue Diver Course

Promote the PADI MSD and Divemaster Programmes

Promote the PADI Scuba Review Programme

Promote the PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI Dry Suit Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI Deep Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI Digital Underwater Photography Specialty

Promote the PADI Boat Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty

Promote the PADI Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty

Promote the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty

Promote the PADI Night Diver Specialty

Promote the PADI National Geographic Diver Specialty

All of these templates contain high quality PADI branded banners to give you email a little extra impact, and wording conducive with the message provide to millions of PADI Divers worldwide through regular channels.

Should you require any assistance in customising or implementing these templates please contact your PADI Regional Manager Richard Howes (richard.howes@padi.co.uk) or Graham Owen (graham.owen@padi.co.uk).

Joe Perry, Aerosmith Rock Icon, supports Project AWARE

2009-12-03T10:48:00.000Z

Project AWARE Foundation is thrilled that rock icon, multi-platinum, multi- award-winning recording artist, and keen PADI diver, Joe Perry, has chosen Project AWARE as the beneficiary of an eBay auction.

Toshiba teamed up with GQ Magazine and four men of innovative talent to create a series of customized, limited-edition laptops that reflect their lifestyles and personalities. To support the four men’s chosen charities, these unique collector’s items will be auctioned off on eBay.

Let the bidding begin! With only six custom Joe Perry laptops in existence – four to be auctioned – it’s the perfect holiday gift for you or any Admiral Perry fan. Joe’s “street art” Toshiba Qosmio X505, features custom art of the multi-platinum, multi-award-winning recording artist – and all proceeds benefit Project AWARE.

Bidding concludes on December 21st – just in time for the holidays. Click Here to follow the current auctions and bids.

The Joe Perry Project will be performing a select number of dates in the UK as special guest to Bad Company. Click Here for more information!

Qosmio X505 Details: With unmatched sound, this laptop is loaded with 4 harman/kardon® speakers, a 1-bit digital amp and an 18” diagonal 1080p screen for an eye-popping, heart-thumping experience. Joe’s street art laptop design is worthy of holding your lighter up for. Toshiba Laptops along with GQ Magazine teamed up with Joe Perry to create this custom Qosmio® X505 18.4″ laptop. The same laptop featured in GQ’s December issue.

Joe Perry Toshiba Limited Edition Laptop

Place a bid and win Joe Perry’s limited-edition laptop!

All proceeds to go to Project AWARE
4 laptops are available to the public

Happy bidding!

and THANK YOU JOE

PADI eLearning Welcome Email Idea

2009-12-01T17:03:00.000Z

15 Minute Marketing Idea
PADI eLearning welcome email

It's common knowledge in the dive industry that word-of-mouth is our most powerful marketing tool. Start building a relationship with your eLearners from day one by drafting a welcome email.

The next time you receive an email from webmaster@padi.com alerting you to a new eLearner, send your new customer a welcome email. Everyone appreciates a friendly greeting saying "thanks for doing business with us."

Here's a sample PADI eLearning welcome email to get you started.

You could also create a "congratulations" email that will be automatically sent by our eLearning system. Some key points to mention:

Invite student to visit the store / we look forward to seeing you soon.
Request a testimonial for use on your website
Offer an incentive for the student to refer a friend to diving
Add a link or promotion for Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air (now offered online).

(right click and "save as" to grab these images)

Once you've composed your email, log on to elearning.padi.com

Click on: User maintenance
Click on: Student course completion email
Then choose which course (Open Water, AOW or Enriched Air)

Your message will automatically be sent out whenever a student completes eLearning.

Project AWARE Special Offers with your PADI Member Renewal

2009-11-25T20:16:00.000Z

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

2009-11-13T09:54:00.000Z

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

2009-11-13T09:52:00.003Z

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

2009-11-13T09:43:00.003Z

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

2009-11-13T09:29:00.002Z

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

2009-11-11T19:09:00.001Z

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

2009-11-04T07:34:00.000Z

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.

PADI Branded Clothing from Team Purple

2009-10-27T12:15:00.000Z

Customised PADI Team Clothing

Your company image and brand is what allows customers to associate the service and quality they receive with the name of your business. Regardless of the size of your company, customer focused branding provide a strong sense of quality and identity to those people seeking your services.

Therefore PADI International Ltd has aligned with Team Purple to bring bespoke PADI branded clothing to PADI Professionals.

Team Purple, the official exclusive manufacturer of PADI Clothing, offers a customised one stop clothing solution for all PADI Professionals seeking a smart and recognisable team image.

Team Purple specialise in supplying your team clothing and adding your logo or branding using different techniques including embroidery, vinyl printing and screen printing. They have more than 35 years experience of applying these methods to technical clothing.

Staff names, certification levels and even membership numbers can be added to branded clothing alongside the PADI logo and your store name / logo.

For further information and to view the PADI Branded range of clothing please click here or contact Emma Fuller at emma@teampurple.co.uk.

Your very own (and powerful) marketing department

2009-10-15T19:34:00.001+01:00

"A good customer base is the best marketing department there is."

I need to make a confession, I've become part of the 'big machine' know as 'Marketing'. Now let me give a little detail on my confession...

As I've matured from my acne ridden teen years, I've come to appreciate such musical greats as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Queen. In my younger days, music wasn't music to me unless it involved an electric guitar, men with long hair, and lots of teenage angst.

How did I come to find such great songs as 'Paint It Black' or 'Let It Be'? They were recommended to me by people I trusted and respected, those people that most of us refer to as friends.

Just as with the music industry, there are many aspiring artists (dive centres) who want members of the public to sample their latest tracks (equipment, education and travel), but may struggle to get word out about the latest groove.

Take a leaf out of the music industry marketing book and get people talking about your dive centre, your customer service and your offers by having customers give you testimonials, link to your Facebook/Myspace/Bebo group and share their experiences by word of mouth.

Once your customers know the great experience they've received by visiting your store, sampling your courses and service, they'll not be able to resist telling their friends. Let's face it, we all probably remember the first time someone played Bohemian Rhapsody, and we probably asked 'who is this?' and 'where did you get the album?'.

Divers Bring Divers

2009-10-14T12:33:00.002+01:00

Customising a student business card – Divers bring Divers initiative.

A sheet of business cards (10 cards per sheet) with the dive centres details on them are printed out by the centre with the Students name on them.
At the end of each OW course, each student receives 10 cards with his or her name on them.
They are then told that for every card that is returned to the centre by a friend or family member who in turn signs up and completes an OW course at the centre. They are entitled to receive 10 pounds in credit to be used at the centre.
This Gives them the opportunity with 10 cards to earn 100 pounds that can be spent on equipment or courses.
Nothing is written on the cards to indicate that they will benefit, the reason being, it was found that people are less likely to hand out cards in case it is percieved as a marketing campaign in which they profit.
So the cards are kept as simple as possible, and all benefits are explained by the centre to the student at the end of the course when the cards are issued.

Here is an example of the customised cards, there is a place for your dive centre logo, and contact details.

Click the picture above to download the template and get started with your customised cards.

Are you aware of the changes to DSD?

2009-10-14T12:29:00.000+01:00

Read here to see how close your intro dive is to an ISO approved programme and find out how to become a leader in your market

Follow these simplified DSD guidelines and reap the rewards

Missing a trick?

Do you have enough Open Water Divers? Our most successful centres at diver acquisition are those that have a proactive Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) programme, targeted at securing entry level divers. Thought it was too difficult to run the operation and market the centre at the same time? With two simple options it's actually easier than you think. Time to give it a go! Remember, as occupancy in hotels is lower than usual, the experience you give these precious guests is paramount in developing an entry level certification, so give them the best!

Discover Scuba Diving made easy

DSD's can be conducted in a Pool, Confined Open Water and Open Water. The aim is to give the participant an experience they will not forget and hopefully encourage them to complete a PADI entry level course. Review the DSD Instructor Guide in the PADI Instructor Manual for further detailed information if required.

DSD in a pool or confined open water

Are you a Divemaster holding the DSD Leader rating, an Assistant Instructor or above? If so, you can do this.

DSD participants complete and sign the PADI Discover Scuba Diving Brochure.
Have participants complete and sign the Discover Scuba Diving Knowledge and Safety Review. Until incorporated in the revised DSD Brochure, you may download the DSD Knowledge and Safety Review (available as a free download from the PADI Pros site homepage).
Conduct briefing
Help new divers put on and adjust their scuba equipment.
Skill performance requirements are conducted in shallow water before moving to water too deep in which to stand. You may not engage in any other activities, such as taking photographs or video, while supervising participants
Demonstrate and have students master Inflation and deflation of a BCD at the surface
Directly supervise new divers as they breathe underwater and swim around in shallow water. When comfortable, take them on tours in deeper water as appropriate.
Debrief divers
Promote your PADI Scuba Diver, PADI Open Water Diver Programme or Scuba Connect Programme
Register your DSD participants online

In a nutshell! – Conduct a PADI DSD any time a customer wants to experience diving in a pool or confined body of water. The only required inwater skill relates to BCD use on the surface. There is no maximum or minimum time requirement; this is left to you. How simple is this!

DSD - Open Water Dive

Do this if your DSD's want to do more, or their first experience is conducted from a boat or surface support station.

Participants complete and sign the DSD Brochure.
Have participants complete and sign the Discover Scuba Diving Knowledge and Safety Review. Until incorporated in the revised DSD Brochure, you may download the DSD Knowledge and Safety Review (available as a free download from the PADI Pros site homepage).

Before the dive a PADI Instructor:

Conducts briefing on equipment they'll be using; explain risks of diving, breathing and equalization rules, aquatic life, limits of the programme.

Practice the following skills in shallow water with a PADI Instructor:

Inflation and deflation of the BCD at the surface
Breathing underwater
Regulator clearing and recovery
Mask clearing
Equalization techniques
Hand signals/underwater communication
Finally conduct the participants on a tour of the dive site.

Conducting Discover Scuba Diving first experience, from a boat or surface support station.

If conducting the Discover Scuba Diving program in a location where shallow water in not accessible (e.g. off a boat, dock or other surface support station), new divers may learn and practice skills by using a descent line, horizontal bar or platform that is within 2 metres/6 feet of the surface. If using a descent line, the ratio during skill practice is one participant to one PADI Instructor (1:1).

Credit for PADI Scuba Diver and PADI Open Water Diver courses

If your DSD participants have done the Open Water Dive, it can be credited towards the Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver course - A good incentive for your divers to do more! Additionally, you may decide to conduct Confined Water Dive One skills with the participants. In this case you can credit this additional learning towards Confined Water Dive One of the PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver course.

Final Idea – If some of your DSD market have enough time, why not start you regular Open Water Diver Courses following the DSD's programme (Dive Today), and slip in the DSD participants. Conduct the DSD briefing, both Confined and Open Water Dives and let the DSD participants join Academic One. At the end of the day you can explain that after one more day they can become a Scuba Diver!

Review the DSD Instructor Guide in the PADI Instructor Manual for further detail and information. Please note changes incorporated in Training Bulletin Q1.09 and Q4.09.

DSD Facts – why you should use this programme

Want to earn $60 and get a DSD participant diving?

Conducting and registering DSD's also allows your PADI Dive Centre to benefit from the PADI Scuba Connect™, programme. Through Scuba Connect, PADI Dive Centres and Resorts can earn $60 US for each Discover Scuba Diving participant that enrols in the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online. Student divers may choose to complete their training with your facility or, as with a travelling consumer, may complete the inwater portion of the course with a facility closer to home. To get details of the Scuba Connect programme visit PADI Pros site homepage or feel free to visit my blog or contact me for further information.

While the conversion from the DSD Programme to PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver may differ between domestic markets and resort markets, it has been proven (and it's still the case) that the proper conduct of a PADI DSD programme brings new customers.

With the introduction of the new DSD experience in 2002 the conversion has increased to 8.5% new divers in main European markets.

In the resort areas, the conversion is lower at between 2.9 and 5%. The difference being that the actual number of participants is much higher by far when compared to mainland Europe.

By conducting and registering your participants of PADI Discover Scuba Diving you will enable PADI to communicate to these participents and encourage them to take up a PADI certification programme.

What needs to be considered:

A DSD experience is the most successful programme to generate new customers, especially if the centres are using freshly certified divers to share their experience at the end of the DSD. It's within PADI standards to have a PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water Diver helping with the logistics of organizing equipment and other materials used in the programme, motivation and registration at the end of the DSD experience. (They can't supervise, be used as a certified assistant or in any way conduct the experience or any of its elements.) The registration ratio is very often close to 80% if the emphasis is well positioned (end of the programme).
A closer analysis of German Dive Centres in 2006 has confirmed that the DSD is crucial for the good health of a business. Centres who conducted the DSD experience and actively promoted the Open Water Diver course during the experience found a significant uplift in their business.
In a resort environment, sometimes the programme is only conducted as a fast "benefit" and there is no follow-up being done at the end of the experience. In resorts where the conversion effort is made not only during the experience but also at the end of the programme, the registration into a PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver course is close to 70%.

Have fun, and by using the programme correctly you will create new divers and potentially reaps great rewards. Please ensure you read the "Revised Discover Scuba Diving Materials" article to obtain information on the newly revised DSD materials.

Connecting Discover Scuba Divers with local Dive Centres

2009-10-12T16:27:00.006+01:00

CUSTOMISE, PRODUCE, DELIVER, PROFIT

Produce your own Scuba Connect Cards with your centres details and reap the rewards.

By using the attached artwork you can now add your centres details to the Scuba Connect cards and either print them off yourself or take them to a local printer for mass production. Read about the benefits of Scuba Connect for your business below………

Did you know that 80 percent of Discover Scuba Divers intend on becoming certified, but only seven percent ever actually do?

PADI Scuba Connect™, a new worldwide program, is connecting Discover Scuba Diving participants with their local PADI Dive Centres to assist PADI Resorts and Retailers in converting these one-time participants into active customers.

All PADI Resort and Retail Members have the opportunity to earn $60 US per person by registering your Discover Scuba Divers and encouraging them to become certified. In addition, similar to a traditional open water diver referral, PADI Scuba Connect will act as a reverse referral by encouraging resort Discover Scuba Diving participants to affiliate with a local dive centre once they’re home to complete their inwater training.

How does PADI Scuba Connect work?

Your customers complete the Discover Scuba Diving experience
Register them using the current Discover Scuba Diving registration system
Give them a customised Scuba Connect card (click here, to download the artwork) with;

Your PADI Dive Centre or Resort name
A customised promo code – which is the same as your dive centre or resort numbe
The promotional website

Encourage them to register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online using your customised promotional code.
When they register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online program, you receive $60 US from your PADI Office.
If they took their Discover Scuba Diving experience at a resort location, they will be treated as a reverse referral and prompted to affiliate and communicate with a local dive centre during their registration process to:

Purchase equipment
Purchase an Enhancement-Pak or a Crew-Pak
Complete their confined and open water dives

Scuba Connect FAQ

How do you benefit? Here’s one example:

A couple takes a Discover Scuba Diving experience. The instructor registers them online through the PADI Discover Scuba Diving Registration system and encourages them to continue diving by taking the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online. They are not ready to register for the PADI Open Water Diver course that day, but want to continue diving at a later date. Their instructor provides them with a PADI Scuba Connect card and advises them to log on to the PADI Scuba Connect website as listed on the card when they get home.

The couple signs up for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online using the promo code from their PADI Scuba Connect card. The dive centre or resort that initiated the conversion from Discover Scuba Diving to PADI Open Water Diver now earns $120 US ($60 US per person) just for registering the couple as Discover Scuba Diving participants and encouraging the couple to sign up with PADI eLearning. At the current rate of exchange this would be approximately £72.

Who benefits if the Discover Scuba Diving experience happened on holiday at a resort?

Both the PADI Resort and Retailer. If the couple took their Discover Scuba Diving experience with a PADI Resort they are treated as reverse referrals. When they register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online, they are prompted to affiliate with a local dive centre so they can complete their confined and open water dives, as well as purchase equipment.

In this case, the local retailer receives two new customers and the resort receives a financial incentive ($120 US) for converting these Discover Scuba Diving participants to open water divers through PADI Scuba Connect.

The Scuba Connect Card Artwork can be downloaded directly here, you can customise and print as many of these as you need to supply to your Discover Scuba Diving Participants today, before they head home to continue their diving.

Are you getting your share?

2009-10-12T12:55:00.000+01:00

PADI has paid more than $1.6 million to dive centers and resorts for their share of eLearning fees and by the end of the year, we anticipate that reaching more than $2 million.

By placing a PADI eLearning banner on your dive centres website you are taking the first step to insure you join other successful PADI members who are sharing the rewards attributed to embracing the PADI eLearning programmes.

The eLearning banners are available for download from the eLearning Toolbox in the PADI Pros Area, “IRRA Members” section; they are listed under the “Tools” heading by following the “Adding PADI eLearning Links to your website” link.

New PADI Tec Diving Materials - Tec 40, 45 and 50 - Now Available

2009-10-03T19:02:00.001+01:00

Only the instructor-level products have been revised.

Any student-level materials you may have on-hand are still current.

NEW ITEMS

Tec Diver Course Instructor Guide
(includes newly-revised instructor guide and instructor appendix CD-ROM)
- replaces 70407 Tec Deep Inst. Guide
Product no 70605

Tec 40-45-50 Instructor Slates Set
Newly-revised 19 slate set, coil-bound and printed on "wet notes."
- replaces 60204 Tec Deep Inst. Cue Cards
Product no. 60420

Tec Diver Course Lesson Guides CD-ROM
This product is not available yet, ETA mid-October 2009.
- replaces 70838 Tec Deep Lesson Guides
Product no 70913

Tec Trimix Instructor Guide
(includes instructor guide and tec trimix 65 addendum)
If you already own the Tec Trimix Instructor Guide, please contact PADI Training regarding the revisions: +44 (0) 117 300 7234 ext. 7347.
Product no 70430

EXAMS
Tec 40 student exam (product no 71040)
Tec 45 student exam (product no 71045)
Tec 50 student exam (product no 71050)

Blank answer sheets and answer keys are in the Tec Diver Instructor Guide and will be available soon on the PADI Pros site.

Instructor-level exams have changed. If you are a TecRec Instructor Trainer (course director) please call PADI training for details. +44 (0)117 300 7234 ext. 7347.

UN-CHANGED ITEMS

None of the student materials have changed for any of the courses. In other words, whatever student materials you have in stock are current.

No changes to the Equipment Set-Up DVD.

Gas Blender

None of the Gas Blender materials have changed.We put the instructor guide in a new binder so it would match the other guides, but that's it.

Tec Trimix

There have been a few changes to the Tec Trimix instructor guide. Please contact PADI Training for details +44 (0)117 300 7234 ext. 7347.

Students use the Tec Trimix student exam for "Tec 65."

Instructors continue to use the same Trimix Lesson Guides.

If you have any questions about implementing these new course, the changes that have taken place, or becoming a PADI TecRec Instructor or diver, contact your PADI Regional Manager (Graham.owen@padi.co.uk / Richard.howes@padi.co.uk) or a PADI Training Consultant (training@padi.co.uk).

Get the latest PADI Regional News straight to your desktop

2009-10-02T20:58:00.003+01:00

If like me, your life is hectic, you probably don't have time to read page after page of news, bulletins, updates, product profiles, reviews, ideas...blah blah blah.

RSS (Rich Site Summary) feeds are bite sized condensed chunks of information delivered to your desktop reader program. The desktop reader (known as an aggregator) can be standalone, part of your existing web browser, or even integrated into your email programme.

This blog, along with the associated calendar (scroll to the bottom if you haven't spotted it yet!), has the ability to provide an RSS feed directly to your choosen reader programme. Therefore if you don't have time to open your browser and navigate to this blog, you can receive bite sized chunks straight to your desktop, PDA, or even iPhone.

A list of popular feed readers can be found here: http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Feed_Readers/Windows/ and many popular internet portals (Yahoo!, Google, AOL) include free desktop reader programs (sometimes referred to as 'widgets'), which also provide the same functionality, but in a more compact and unobtrusive package. My personal favourite being the 'NewStand' widget from Yahoo! Widgets (http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/newsstand)

The URL for this blog's feed is : http://padi-islands.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The URL for this blog's PADI Calendar is: http://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/richard.howes%40padi.co.uk/public/basic

Add these to your favourite RSS reader now, and get the latest PADI Information straight to your desktop, how much simpler could it be!

Business Quick Review - Customer Contact

2009-10-01T22:18:00.000+01:00

The saying goes that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. With most customers that is a phone call to your business. When a customer calls for information, it's important to create a positive first impression. How do you and your staff answer the phone?

Here are a few things to consider when answering the phone:

1. Answer in the first two rings with a smile on your face.
The person on the other end of the phone can hear if you
are flustered, angry or busy.

2. Indentify your business and yourself by name.
The person calling can now identify you by name and can now begin the relationship.

3. Ask for the caller's name.
Write this down. Be sure to use it during the conversation.

4. Ask questions probing for the types of things they are looking for.
This is a great opportunity to ask if they have a group, like eLearning, have a time restriction.

5. Answer any questions they have enthusiastically.
Engage in the conversation and invite them into the store for a visit.

6. Ask for contact information and offer to send information to support the conversation.
Ask if email or snail mail is preferred, get the information, and follow up.

7. Thank the customer for calling.

It's a good idea to have a sheet to capture this information for future entry into EVE or a list of things to cover near the phone to ensure you capture what you need. If you store all of this information, you can use it for future communications and mailings.

About the Year Behind Us and the Year Ahead

2009-10-01T21:01:00.000+01:00

Video from Drew Richardson
About the Year Behind Us and the Year Ahead

The video above is a message from Drew to the PADI Members worldwide. It runs about 9 minutes and features some familiar PADI faces.

Drew talks about PADI's promotional efforts over the last year, gives an overview of our new programs and talks about some new options for individual members.

PADI eLearning; Not just a time advantage for your business...

2009-10-01T17:17:00.004+01:00

PADI eLearning

Back in the late 1990’s I was working for a company called GKN Westland (if this means nothing to you, try a Google search on 'Lynx Helicopter'), producing Computer Based Training programmes for flight engineers.

Computer Based Training at the time consisted of a software programme that would show students information via schematics and ask them a series of questions to test their knowledge retention. The training would assist the engineers to fault find aircraft, and carry out maintenance duties without ever setting foot near a real life aircraft. This would ensure that flight engineers has a good foundation understanding of the airframe on which they’d be working prior to being let loose in the hanger with a set of spanners!

At the time, we all thought this was cutting edge technology, and to an extent it was. However, as we’ve all witnessed, technology has moved on and innovations in the military field will ripple through to civilian life, (how many of us now have a digital camera or GPS system?).

So, history has taught us that eLearning is good enough for military application. Is it good enough for civilian application also?

In August 2009 the US Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov) concluded a study into Online Learning that has taken place between 1996 and July 2008. The study was verbosely titled: Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (phew!).

Regardless of such a lengthy title, the results of this study are extremely interesting to us as Dive Centre Owners and Dive Educators. In particular, there are two specific conclusions that bear direct relation to our industry and those people who are taking instruction to participate in our sport.

“Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”

“Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.”

In a nutshell, online learning results are better than traditional classroom sessions, and combining online learning with face-to-face beats all of them hands down.
This has some significant effects for implementing PADI eLearning in our business, we already know of the several benefits:

Increase overall diver acquisition? Yes
Bring you new customers? Yes
Increase your PADI buying level without carrying stock? Yes
Increase access to entry level divers willing to pay premium price? Yes
Reduce costs associated with classroom time? Yes

Now add to this the empirical evidence that online learning (eLearning) combined with face-to-face learning (confined and open water) produces better results than traditional methods and we have some added benefits to this approach:

More opportunity to promote continuing education course
You'll have more time to spend with the student, discussing dive equipment, the upcoming dives, and the great offers currently available on equipment at your store.

Better prepared divers
Because the learning process is 'student centred', the student is fully prepared with the knowledge they need to apply to the confined and open water sessions.

Lower risk for the instructor and dive centre
More understanding of the subject at hand means a reduced likelyhood of making a mistake or not being able to apply the information to diving.

If you require assistance with eLearning, or implementing it at your PADI Dive Centre, please contact your Regional Manager (graham.owen@padi.co.uk or richard.howes@padi.co.uk).

Sources:

http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf(PDF Format)
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.doc (Microsoft Word Format)
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html (Reports Page)

EVE

2009-09-29T13:53:00.015+01:00

Struggling to find the time to work on management ideas to make your business more profitable?

Too busy managing all these tasks to take the time out to work on the business marketing?

Do you want the company to manage itself more efficiently so you can spend your valuable time on ensuring customer satisfaction and revenue generation?

EVE is the PADI software of choice for the discerning dive store owner; a complete business management system, designed exclusively for the management of PADI dive centers and resorts, EVE saves you time, makes you money, keeps you organized and generally makes running your business simpler than you would have thought possible.

Over the coming months PADI International Ltd and ISSYS will conduct several webinars highlighting the benefits and functionality of EVE / EVE Online, and we would like to invite you to join us.

IMPORTANT .. Please select your preferred dates below – different topics covered in each seminar, so why not register for all of them now!

We look forward to bringing together both existing users and those new to EVE to share experiences and ideas. Also by asking questions of each other we will develop our EVE use and understanding.

Thu, Oct 22, 2009 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM GMT

Thu, Nov 26, 2009 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM GMT

Wed, Dec 23, 2009 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM GMT

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration

with information you need to join the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees

Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees

Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

PADI Online Shop

2009-09-25T22:41:00.001+01:00

Have you visited our new online shop yet?

You can browse our entire product range online and purchase at your usual pricing level – simply click the “Shop Online” link at the top of the Pros Area homepage.

Remember to check back often too, because the new products section and Specialty of the Month material offers are updated regularly.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the online shop, please contact us: sales@padi.co.uk

Take Control of Your Customer Service

2009-09-25T14:20:00.008+01:00

Quality customer service is your competitive edge. Everyone can have similar products or services, but what they can’t replicate is your people, how they treat your customers, and how your customers feel when they are doing business with you.

The best way to develop your customers is to take care of the people who take care of your customers. Businesses have to care about their people both internally and externally. When the people who work for you feel valued, they will make the customer feel valued. This builds customer loyalty.

If you aren’t treating your internal people right and they don’t feel valued, they might pass that same negative attitude on to your customers. It’s the attitude of, “Why would you want to shop here? Do you even know what goes on beyond closed doors?”

Leaders who are serious about creating a culture of exceptional service start by getting everyone on the same page, believing fi rst that service is important. Make sure everyone in your business knows customer service is part of their job, even if they aren’t interacting directly with your external customers. Walk the talk. You have to say it’s important, but also act like it. As a business leader, how do you treat others? Leaders have to be great role models.

You can lose customers when there’s inconsistency. When some people at your company are great to work with and others are not, customers get frustrated. Don’t allow inconsistency internally, either. Don’t say quality of service is important and only measure your personnel by the number of calls made. You have to have measurement tools, but balance those tools against the level of service your people are providing.

What does good customer service look like? What does it feel like? And what does it mean for your business? You need to define it for your people. You also need to have incentives and reward programs. For any behavior you want people to exemplify, you have to reward it.
You don’t want people who work for you to think you don’t care what they have to say.

Encourage them to listen, and make it a safe place for them to speak up when they see something that isn’t working. Give your people credit when they fix or improve something. Ownership builds trust. If people on your team have that trust, why would they ever want to jump ship and go someplace else? This is a much better outcome than what I call “quit and stay,” when people show up, but they are dead meat. When your internal people aren’t happy, they will tell everyone about it.

What do you want your customers to know? For us, service is about caring about others. We established the slogan I CARE. When you know someone cares about you, you have that trust and loyalty, and you are willing to forgive them if something goes wrong.

Constantly measure and evaluate how you are doing. You can’t just do a yearly survey and think you will capture it all. Gather data and measure the service internally as well as externally.

Most companies fail not in their attempts to be Innovative or creative
Most fail because they undervalue the importance of Professional selling And Customer Care

European Shark Week 2009

2009-09-23T09:24:00.001+01:00

European Shark Week, 10-18 October, is a unique opportunity for European Union citizens and shark advocates around the world to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect change.

This year, Project AWARE Foundation and Shark Alliance Partners are going back to governments for follow-up action under the EU Shark Plan, most importantly, improvements to the finning ban and quotas of zero for especially threatened shark species.

Why Sign Your Support?

Europe houses some of the world’s largest shark fishing fleets. Strong plans of action here effect global species conservation.

Sign the shark petition: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish

Share this Page with your family and friends.

Download the paper version of the petition and collect signatures in your school, dive center, or place of work: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Hold an event to help celebrate sharks. This could be a presentation, Kid’s activity such as an art contest, shark speciality course, or an information stand. Project AWARE looks forward to receiving your best stories and event photos.

You voice counts. The European Shark Week 2008 saw the collection of more than 100,000 signatures on a Shark Plan petition for EU Fisheries Ministers. The Ministers have since issued a strong response that highlights the plight of sharks and calls for prompt strengthening of the EU finning ban. Indeed, the Ministers’ words reflect the concerns of a growing number of EU citizens expressed through European Shark Week.

Predator turned prey - Turning the Tide for Sharks
Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. One-third are threatened with extinction. The EU ban on “finning” – slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea – is among the world’s weakest.

Hope lies with the new Shark Plan, adopted by the European Commission thanks in large part to support from many of you. The Plan sets the stage for vast improvements in EU shark policies, including the finning ban. Its success depends on collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission. These fishery managers need encouragement from the European public to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.

New Login Colour Screens For PADI eLearners

2009-09-22T21:19:00.000+01:00

The login page for eLearning Students has been changed to add a shade of pink.

It can sometimes be confusing which URL to use when logging into the PADI eLearning system as a PADI Dive Centre, so the screens have been changed slightly to indicate if you are accessing through the correct portal.

Therefore: ALL Blue = store admin login site, BLUE W/PINK = student login site.

The portal link through which you should access the PADI eLearning system as a PADI Dive Centre is:

http://elearning.padi.com/

Students will still gain access to the PADI eLearning system through the student login at:

http://www.padi.com/elearning

PADI Scuba Tune-Up Guidebook Now Shipping

2009-09-22T17:23:00.002+01:00

This newly-revised Scuba Tune-Up Guidebook (rev 08/09) allows your student to quickly and effectively review scuba diving fundamentals.

The self-directed learning format has been preserved in the new version - but the layout has been simplified. Each quick quiz assessment covers a different area of dive theory. safety, problem management, etc. Correct answers allow the student to finish the book quickly.Incorrect answers direct students to an explanation of the concept. For example, a student who cannot answer, "What are the five steps in a pre-dive safety check?" will be directed to read a section on the steps of BWRAF and the importance of each.

The new version includes:
•an expanded discussion of computer diving
•eRDPML use
•and an optional review section for diving with Enriched Air Nitrox

PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online Now Available

2009-09-22T17:20:00.000+01:00

The most popular PADI Specialty course - Enriched Air Diver – is now available online. With the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online, your divers complete the knowledge development portion of the course on their own time and at their convenience. This innovative new program also provides a dive-computer only option, which simplifies the teaching process and gets your divers in the water sooner using enriched air. It also provides an opportunity for you to increase your dive computer sales.

The PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online is priced at $195 US for divers and you'll receive $120 for each eLearner affiliating with your store through a link on your web page or through padi.com.

What's In It For You?

The ability to earn additional revenue by satisfying divers looking to complete the practical application sessions - dive planning, gas analysis, fill procedures, etc. – at their own pace. You can also meet the needs of divers looking to complete the optional, but recommended, open water dives.

This convenient teaching methodology uses proven PADI eLearning® principles along with the same sound instructional design. It's convenient for your divers and can lead to even more equipment sales.

Even better customer service. The 2009 PADI Certified Diver Survey showed that more than 80 percent of respondents had either already enrolled in a PADI Enriched Air Diver course or plan to take it in the future. The PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online makes it easy for student divers to act on their intentions.

How Do I get Started?

Contact Steve (steve.cook@padi.co.uk +44 (0) 117 300 7320) or Carol (carol.giles@padi.co.uk +44 (0) 117 300 7318) to get the updated Enriched Air Diver Instructor Guide (product no.70244).

All PADI Dive Centers and Resorts that have issued PADI Enriched Air Diver certifications within the past 24 months are automatically included in the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online system. They will also appear on the Dive Shop Locator at padi.com as a PADI Enriched Air Diver course provider. To add or remove your facility from this list, log on to the PADI Pros' Site with your store login, go to the PADI eLearning section, click on the PADI eLearning Course Offering Selector Tool and select or deselect the online courses you offer.

Please note that once you deselect a course, consumers will not be able to affiliate with your store when signing up for that specific PADI eLearning course.

The PADI eLearning Course Offering Selector Tool

Make sure you use the PADI eLearning Course Offering Selector Tool to change or update your course and language offerings for all PADI eLearning courses - not just the new Enriched Air Diver Course Online. Go to the Pros' Site at padi.com today.

How does the online course work?

The PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online follows the PADI eLearning format used in the successful PADI Open Water Diver Course Online and PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Online.

Student divers complete all knowledge development online. This includes an active slide presentation with supporting voiceover, photos, diagrams and links to associated video clips. Text from the manual appears in context and divers have access to an online version after completing the course.

Divers complete exercises and the knowledge review. The PADI eLearning system provides assessment, feedback and remediation.

After completing all components of the online course, student divers sit the new version of the PADI Enriched Air Diver exam. The system scores the exam, provides remediation and administers a retest for those requiring it.

Similar to the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online, divers confirm learning and retention by completing a quick review (the quiz, answer sheet and answer key are available for download from the PADI Pros' Site) in person with their instructor. Divers should also print out and bring their eRecords to their instructor at this time.

Divers complete the practical applications — dive planning, gas analysis, fill procedures, etc. — and the optional, but recommended, open water dives as usual. That means it's easy to integrate online student divers with those taking the course using a traditional approach.

With the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Online, you have the chance to earn income, increase equipment sales, give your divers a great reason to get back in the water and much more. Don't miss this exciting opportunity.

Employment Opportunity at PADI International Ltd

2009-09-18T10:43:00.000+01:00

The Training & Quality Management Department at PADI International Ltd currently has an opening for an Educational Consultant. The position is based in Bristol, England and entails acting as a direct link with PADI members to assist with the understanding of PADI training programmes, standards and philosophy, while helping to maintain the integrity of PADI programmes through the administration of the PADI Quality Management process. Applicants need to hold, at a minimum, a PADI Master Instructor rating and should have experience in staffing a number of PADI Instructor Development Courses.

With the current development focus on our technical programmes, it would be very advantageous for an applicant to also hold a technical diving instructor rating.

Applicants should be fluent in English – bilingual skills in other European languages, Arabic or Russian would also be desirable. Finally, all applicants will need to have the legal right to live and work in the UK, and be willing and able to relocate to Bristol.

If you are interested in this position, please forward your current resume with a covering letter/email to Neil Fishburne, Group Manager – Training, Quality Management and Member Services. The closing date for applications is October 9th, 2009.

New Products For PADI Open Water Diver Course Computer Option

2009-09-15T22:25:00.005+01:00

PADI Members can now take advantage of a new PADI Open Water Diver course training option - teaching dive computer use instead of, or in addition to, the RDP.

Two new tools - How to Use and Choose Dive Computers and the PADI Dive Computer Simulator can help you teach this option.

The 44-page, full color How to Use and Choose Dive Computers is a companion guide for PADI Instructors to use in conjunction with standard training materials when teaching the computer option of the PADI Open Water Diver course. This book includes topics such as the basics of dive computers, choosing a dive computer based on numerous criteria and general guidelines on using the computer before, during and after dive activities.

Another learning tool is the new PADI Dive Computer Simulator. It allows your student divers to watch how a generic dive computer behaves as they run through virtual dives with various depths and bottom times.

Dive Computer Simulator Features:

Tutorials run example dive profiles while providing instruction about specific aspects of computer diving.
Shows divers what to expect from a predive NDL scroll, square and multilevel dives - both single and repetitive and the effects of surface intervals on repetitive dive times.
Covers what to do during conditions such as failed computers or emergency decompression.

Products:

Crew-Pak with How to Use and Choose Dive Computers (product no. 60335)
Crew-Pak with multimedia DVD (product no. 60347)

These products will be available by the end of the year. Look out in PADI Publications for details on availability. You can also benefit from substantial savings on purchases by always discussing your requirements with your Product Consultants here at the PIL offices. Discussing your purchases with them first will ensure you do not miss out on any savings or earnings opportunities over the year.

Business Quick Review - Back to Basics

2009-09-15T21:47:00.005+01:00

Once your business has been running for a while you may be inclined to let things continue to run as they are. However, now is not the time to sit back and wait for the harvest, it's actually time to plan again.

After the early stages of setting up your business, you should regularly review your progress, identify how you can make the most of the market position you have established and decide where to take your business next.

Revisiting and updating your business plan with your new strategy in mind and make sure you introduce the developments you have noted is a great way to start this process.