PADI Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

PADI will be closed Thursday 26 Nov - Sun 29 Nov in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. No orders will ship during this time.

Orders placed online between 26 Nov - 29 Nov will be processed when we re-open on Monday 30 November. The exception is PIC online and EFR PIC online: these will post within the usual one-hour time frame.

Need something in time for the holiday weekend?

To ensure your order arrives no later than Wednesday 25 Nov - and take advantage of our free shipping for orders over $250 - please follow the timeline below:

WA, OR, ID, MT, WY:
submit your order no later than Noon Wed 18 Nov.

No.Cal, NV, UT, Maui, Big Island:
order no later than Noon Friday 20 Nov.

So. Cal, Oahu, Kauai:
we need your order before Noon on Monday 23 Nov.

If you need materials by a certain date, let us know when you place the order. We can advise you what shipping method is best. Expedited shipping is available (2nd Day, Overnight, etc.) for customers in the continental U.S.

Are you prepared for Black Friday?
Check out our list of holiday promotional ideas.

Four More Holiday Marketing Ideas

Fact: 75% of people complete their holiday shopping
before December 15th.

How will you attract holiday dollars? 

Make holiday shopping a "no brainer" with a holiday gift idea flyer

• Create a page of gift ideas in a variety of price ranges: (under $20, under $50, and under $100).
  (see an example from 2008).
•  Distribute a flyer to each student and tuck one in every shopping bag.
•  On the backside, promote an upcoming dive trip
  - or a coupon such as, "spend $100 between 1-31 Dec and receive a free air fill card." 
• Add festive holiday images from clip art or google images, and you're ready to go.   

Post gift ideas online: 
(website homepage, eNewsletter and your Facebook page)

• 53% of shoppers say they will use the internet to research gift ideas (source: eMarketer.com)
  
• Utilize the same gift suggestions you developed for the holiday flyer (described above)
  

Create pre-packaged holiday gift packs - make it festive by bundling in a dive-flag stocking.

• Sample package for divers: a "care and feeding" kit for their gear. 
• Sample package for non-divers: a family first-aid package.

Offer a Seal Team program during the holiday break
When I was a kid, I asked for a Crystal Castle three years in a row for Christmas. When I finally got it I was thrilled. A few days later.... I was bored.

Ask your customers with kids if they'd be interested in a day-camp style kids program during the school break. Offer Seal Team Aquamissions (1-2 per day) and include a Seal Team crewpak in your course price. This gives the children something tangible to "unwrap."

Looking for more?
Read our earlier article: 5 Ways to Prepare for the Holidays (and our 2009 holiday promo).

Recommendations for a Liveaboard N00b?

My First Liveaboard

At the end of the year I'm going to Palau. I can't wait! This will be my first liveaboard trip and I'm looking for recommendations.

How many swimsuits do I need? 
I only own two. Should I buy more?  I've heard I would be happier with four or five.


I have a 3mm wetsuit but plan to invest in a 5mil. 
Make fun of me all you want because hey, when you log long dives like I do - it gets cold. Two wetsuits should be enough though, yeah? Maybe an extra set of booties too?



Other special items?

• A reef hook with 6 feet of line
  
• Cash (any recommendations on tips?)
  
• and plenty of books for the way-long flight overseas.
  

Anyone else out there really sea-sickness prone?
I get seasick at IMAX movies, so, I'm bringing Bonine no matter what.  Should I let it wear off after the first few days? I hate having Bonine brain.

I'm really stoked to use the underwater housing for my iPod.
Just hoping the current won't be so intense that it whips the earphones off. Bjork wouldn't like that.

Lastly - any specific recommendations for Palau?
I have 24 hours on the island. I'm doing the kayak tour with Sam's but have the evening free.

Why Do I Have a $174.50 Credit Card Charge from PADI?

Auto-Renewal Processed This Week for PADI Members

If you're a PADI Instructor, AI or Divemaster and signed up for automatic renewal - it's being processed this week. Auto-renewal for instructors was $174.50.

We sent out email notifications in late October alerting members who'd signed up for auto-renewal that payment would be processed this week. If you did not receive this notification, please contact PADI's Customer Service to verify the email address we have on file - 800 729 7234 ext. 2495.

Members who opted for auto-renewal saved almost $20 on their membership dues (regular 2010 renewal is $192.50). You can still save money by renewing online (before 15 December).

PADI Job Opening at California Office: Marketing Consultant

UPDATE: This position is now closed. We are no longer accepting new applications.


If you live in the Southern California area and have three or more years marketing experience (plus a college degree) - we may have the job for you! 

(Here is the official PADI job posting)

Marketing Consultant

PADI, The world's leader in Scuba Diver Training is an Equal Opportunity Employer and ranked one of the Top Workplaces of 2008. We offer competitive salary, excellent benefits, generous time off and a great working environment. Our corporate headquarters is located in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

We have an immediate need for a Marketing Consultant with a minimum three years of related experience who can develop, create and implement marketing strategies for assigned product lines, programs and services; includes evaluating effectiveness of the current product, program or service portfolio, recommending changes to improve sales and share performance, tracking competition, customer trends and market conditions and adjusting marketing plans accordingly.

Please e-mail your resume and salary requirements to jobs@padi.com , or fax your resume and salary requirements to 949-267-1263.

Read the complete PADI job description.

Local candidates preferred.

Getty Images Wants Your Photos

(photo credit: Mark Caney)

Getty Images has announced a call for artists on Flickr.

(from Flickr.com)

Getty Images are hosting a Flickr group where members can submit images to be considered for invitation to the Flickr Collection. Please visit the Getty Images Call for Artists group for full details on how to make your submission.

Users can submit a portfolio of 10 images to the Getty Images Call for Artists group and selected group members will receive an invitation from Getty to join the Flickr Collection. 

A quick scan of the submissions so far shows lots of portraits and landscapes - but very few underwater images. Out of 40,000 images, only 79 were underwater images. That's less than one-fifth of one percent - and most of the images were shot in a pool.

According to the website they're looking for images which are,

"...relevant to a creative, commercial stock photography collection, so subjects like news, celebrities, and product photography should not be included."

New PADI Instructor Manual, Revised Divemaster Crewpak Contents

Streamlined and Simplified
2010 PADI Instructor Manual

- Now Shipping -

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, alphabetized, and binder-ized to make key standards easier to find.  For a more extensive explanation of each course, instructors can refer to the 2009 instructor 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 first quarter 2010.

Only the paper version is available for purchase now. Member price is: $96.50. The product (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 familiarizing yourself with the new manual (pages 2-3).

Update 3 Dec 2009: I've created a short FAQ on the new instructor manual based on questions I've received in the last few weeks.

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.

Changes to PADI Divemaster crewpak
product number 60020
Find out about the Divemaster hologram

The new instructor manual is part of the revised PADI Divemaster crewpak - which starts shipping next week. 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?

Update 1 December 2009: We've also added the PADI Pro logbook to the revised Divemaster kit.

----

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to receive updates by email or RSS (MyYahoo, iGoogle, etc).

What's in the New PADI IDC crewpak?

New Materials for the 2010 IDC Evolution

The 2010 Course Director update just wrapped at DEMA, and our new IDC crewpaks will be available approximately 20 Nov. 2009. I made a chart of what's in the new IDC crewpak (product 60038) versus the old one (60034 / 60033) - please see chart below.

The big changes are:

• PADI's Guide to Teaching replaces the IDC Candidate workbook. This new product also includes 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 Specialty Instructor Manual on CD-ROM 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 30th 2010. Course Directors have until 1 July 2010 to complete their CD update.

The IDC online material does not replace the IDC crewpak. To put it succinctly: the online IDC material replaces approx two days of classroom lecture. Candidates still need to purchase the IDC crewpak.

What's in the PADI IDC crewpak?

(click image below to view a larger version)

Update 1 December 2009: We've removed the Pro logbook from the IDC crewpak. This item is now included in the revised Divemaster crewpak.

Update 10 May 2010: We've added a digital copy of the Guide to Teaching. Additionally, all the reference books (Best of the UJ, Children and Scuba, Law and the Diving Professional, Business of Diving) are now on CD-ROM.

In order to teach the new IDC and utilize the new materials, Course Directors must attend an update. Read about the Course Director and IDC Staff Updates scheduled throughout the PADI Americas territory in 2009 and 2010. The key products of the new program are included as part of the update program cost.

---

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to receive updates by email or RSS (MyYahoo, iGoogle, etc).