What's Your Scuba Diver Nickname?

What's Your Scuba Diver Name?

For more amusement, please visit the PADI Instructor News page on Google+.

Do Your Open Water Materials Make a Difference?

A good diver is always learning...

I regularly see this phrase in the email signatures of instructors, and there's no doubt divers who pursue additional training tend to be more comfortable in the water and more invested in our sport. I've often  wondered: is there a relationship between what Open Water materials an instructor uses and continuing education certifications?

Tables versus Computers

I looked at PADI stores in Southern California who've switched to the dive computer option and compared their certs with SoCal stores who are still using tables.

As it turns out: there is a significant difference. Here are my findings:

Increase / Decrease in Con-Ed certs

Teaching the Dive Computer option
62% increase in con-ed certs from 2010 - 2011
37% increase in core certs (AOW and Rescue)
92% increase in specialty certs

Teaching Dive Tables
21% decrease in con-ed certs from 2010 - 2011
6.5% decrease in core con-ed certs (AOW and Rescue)
23% decrease in specialty certs

Ratio of OW to Con-Ed Certs

Teaching the Dive Computer option
For every 10 OW students, 5 con-ed classes were sold (AOW or Rescue).
For every 10 OW students, 5 specialty classes were sold.

Teaching Dive Tables
For every 10 OW students, 3 con-ed classes were sold (AOW or Rescue).
For every 10 OW students, 4 specialty classes were sold.

Of course there are a lot of factors that influence a student's decision to sign up for more training:

• An instructor who makes learning fun
• An overall desire for self-improvement, etc. 
• A love of diving in general

That said, the data suggest when our introductory class is less-complicated, students are more inclined to stick with diving - investing additional time and money in our sport. The cost difference between the table crewpak and the computer package is only $2-$3. This small investment upfront can translate into big rewards for a dive business and its customers in the long term.

PADI Open Water crewpak - dive computer option

---
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to PADI Instructor News updates and/or follow us on Google +.

2012 PADI Instructor Manual, PADI Application Fees, and More

Below are some helpful links for 2012. Please feel free to bookmark this page.

Where is the 2012 PADI Price List?
Our online shopping cart can provide you with prices one item at a time. For a complete price list, please contact your PADI Americas' sales rep and include your member number. Currently, the price list is not available for download.

When do I get my 2012 Instructor Manual?
Renewed PADI Pro's can download the 2012 Instructor Manual around the end of the day on 1 February 2012. If you don't see the download promptly on 1 February, please check back on the 2nd.

How to access it:

1. Log in to the PADI Pro's Site.
2. After logging in, click on "Training Essentials."
3. Next choose "Digital Instructor Manual" from the drop down menu.

How much is the Divemaster application fee / Master Scuba Diver fee, etc?
This information available on this website: 2012 PADI Application Fees and it's on page seven of the 2012 price list.

When is PADI Member Forum?
The 2012 PADI Member Forum schedule is available online. We don't have all the locations dialed in, but the dates are set. Please register so we may notify you of a date or location change.

When will the new Care for Children / EFR IT materials be available?
March.

Here are some other useful links:

2012 PADI Instructor Examination (IE) Schedule

Are your PADI teaching slates current? Check our current revision dates.

Are your PADI exams current?Check current revision dates.

---
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to PADI Instructor News updates and/or follow us on Google +.

Patagonia Pro Deal for PADI Instructors

PADI Instructor Discounts from Patagonia

PADI Instructors (MSDT or higher) qualify for special pricing from Patagonia in 2012.

Orders must be placed via their website, and there's a short application process. Also, the discounts are gender-specific. So women, you can only order women's apparel at a discount, guys no discounts on bikinis, sorry.

Ready to get started? Here's a rundown of what you'll need to provide:

• Completed on-line application (printed out or scanned)
• Current PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, IDC Staff Instructors, Master Instructors or Course Director’s certification (a print out from Pro-Chek works well for this)
• A current company brochure, catalog or personal advertisement listing your name as a scuba instructor.
• Dive service business card
• Letter of reference from the dive service for whom you work
• Proof of personal liability insurance.

Click here to get started with the Patagonia Pro Deal application process.

Submit the documentation described above by FAX, mail or email. This yearly offer is for individual accounts and may not be available in certain regions.

Pasted below is a small sample of what's available. Email subscribers may need to click through to view images.

Patagonia Board Shorts / T-Shirts

 

Patagonia Travel Bags

Patagonia Women's Swimsuits

----

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to receive updates by email or RSS (MyYahoo, iGoogle, etc). We are also on Google Plus - add us to your circles!

Travelling with Dive Gear: Calculate Airline Baggage Fees

Scuba Gear Baggage Fee Calculator

I recently came across a great website: iflybags.com that allows you to quickly calculate the airline baggage fees for your dive gear.

Here's how it works: 
Type in where you're going, what airline, and whether you're flying coach, first class, etc. Click check allowances.

iflybags.com displays the baggage allowances and costs for your flight. Below is an example using an American Airlines flight from LAX to Honolulu. Email subscribers may need to click through to view images.

You can also have the site calculate exactly what your baggage fees will be. After typing in your flight info, click calculate baggage fees. You'll then be prompted to enter in how many bags you have, and how much each one weighs (see example below).

click to see a larger version

Iflybags.com displays the total cost for your baggage. It even takes into account any elite frequent flyer status you may have.

In addition to being useful pre-flight, I think this could be a great tool when researching flights. An airline that offers a free checked bag might be a better value than a flight that costs $20 less.

Dive Industry Job: Marketing Consultant for PADI

PADI is currently hiring for a marketing consultant at our Orange County (PADI Americas) Office. Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@padi.com. Read the complete job description.

PADI Year End Closure

PADI Americas Office Closed

24 Dec 2011 - 2 Jan 2012

PADI Americas will be closed starting at 4pm PST on Friday 23 December. We will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, 3 January 2012.

Orders can be placed online while we're closed. If you need materials, please visit the Shop Online section of the PADI Pro's Site before Thursday 29 December 2011. Orders placed 29 December or after will be processed when we re-open Tuesday 3 January 2012.

PIC Online credits can be ordered at any point while we're closed. From the PADI Pro's homepage click the red Shop Online icon. Choose PIC Online or EFR PIC online from the main menu. The credits will post within about 30 minutes.

Changes to PADI IDC Crewpak Contents

PADI IDC Crewpak 2012

Based on customer feedback, PADI will add two items to the IDC Crewpak for 2012:

• The Diving Knowledge Workbook ($23.05 value)
• and the Open Water Prescriptive Lesson Guides ($112.35 retail value)

We have removed the Professional Reference Collection from the IDC kits. This item will still be available for purchase (product no. 70937); however, it will no longer be included in the IDC Crewpak.

If you have IDC Crewpaks in stock they are still valid for use. Any IDC Crewpaks purchased in 2010 / 2011 contain the same required materials as the 2012 kit. Here is a complete list of what's in PADI's IDC Crewpak (part no 60038) - this information is also on page five of the 2012 price list).

Top 5 Scuba Videos of 2011

The Most Entertaining Scuba Videos of 2011
Let's Count 'em Down ...
(email subscribers may need to click through to view the videos)

#5 We've all seen the scuba diving cat - have you seen the scuba diving chimp?




#4 Scuba Diver Practical Joke




#3 Virgin Oceanic's Submarine "Teaser"


#2 Mariachi Band Serenades a Beluga Whale


#1 Kho Taoian Rhapsody




Want More?
Check out the top scuba videos from 2010

Leave a comment below if you know of another great 2011 video not on this list.

---
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to PADI Instructor News updates and/or follow us on Google +.

Due to technical issues, I had to do a little re-boot of the original Google+ page. If you were following us before, you may have noticed the page disappeared. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you will add us to your circles again).

While Supplies Last - Discontinued PADI Products

Each year PADI discontinues a handfull of products. Pasted below is this year's crop of discontinued items.

To see the complete list, visit the Shop Online section of the PADI Pro's Site. Once logged in to the shopping cart, choose While Supplies Last from the main menu at left.

Deluxe Binder with Refill Pages
Closeout Special - $14.95

Product number 82380

Multimedia Products for OW and AOW
quantities displayed below are current as of Tuesday 13 December

60347 - OW dive computer option - only 50 left!

60328 - OW with eRDPML - only 43 left!
60316 - OW table version - 265 remaining
60331 -  Advanced Multimedia - only 32 left!

PADI multimedia Open Water kit - 60316

New Prices for PADI eLearning in 2012

Starting 1 January 2012, PADI's eLearning courses will go up a little bit in price - no more than $10 per course, and some courses only have a $5 price increase.

Please see the chart below for the retail prices, and page 10 of our 2012 price list for the complete pricing breakdown. Email subscribers may need to click through to view the chart below.

For a copy of PADI's 2012 price list, please contact your Sales Consultant for a digital copy, or order a paper copy from PADI's online shopping cart.

If you have an eLearning gift code - yes - it will still be valid for us in 2012. For example, if you purchased a $120 OW gift pass, it can still be used for OW in 2012, even though the course price is increasing to $130.

If you found this article helpful, please consider subscribing to updates for PADI Instructor News.

Need PADI Logbooks or Tank Decals?

PADI's last day of business for 2011 is Friday December 23rd. But...

...the last day to order custom logbook binders or decals is this Friday 16 December.

This gives our vendor enough time to print the items and make a delivery before we close. Please contact your sales rep directly to order these items, they are not available from the online shopping cart.

Custom Logbook Binders
for PADI Dive Centers and Resorts

product is binder only does not include pages, patch, etc

I am happy to announce that we will once again have the loose-leaf logbook pages again in 2012! The pages won't be available to order until 2012; stay tuned to PADI Instructor News for availability info.

Custom Tank Inspection Decals
for PADI Dive Centers and Resorts

Custom tank decals actually cost less than the generic decals. Custom decals are 25 cents each versus 60 cents each for generic.  There is, however, a minimum order of 250/time for custom decals.

custom PADI tank inspection decals

Custom logbooks and tank decals are a benefit of PADI Retail / Resort Membership.