PADI Instructor News

The End, My Friends, The End

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:30:00 +0000

So long and thanks for all the fish.

After five years and more than 500 posts, PADI Instructor News is closing its imaginary doors. The PADI Instructor blog is dead. Long live the PADI Instructor blog!

PADI has launched an official, legit PADI Pro blog padiprosnorthamericacaribbean.com for PADI Members in North America and the Caribbean. Please click the link above to visit the new site and sign up for email or RSS updates. See if you can guess which of the new content I'm guest-writing!

We also have blogs for our French-Canadian Pro members and PADI Pros in Latin America.
padiprosameriquedunordcaribbean.wordpress.com - Français

padiproslatinamerica.com - Latin America

While you're at the new blog, check out PADI Instructor News' Greatest Hits - our 10 most popular posts of all time. I was able to import a good chunk of this blog's content history so you can still pull up info such as What's in the IDC crewpak and my research into reef safe sunscreens.

What started in March 2007 as a pet project has unexpectedly grown into a worldwide resource for PADI Members - and I couldn't have done it without your support. In the first year we had 200 subscribers in the Pacific NW and before long I was hearing from course directors in Hawaii, Thailand, and elsewhere telling new instructors - go subscribe to this website! As of today's final post we have over 2,000 subscribers. Sincere thanks to all of you for your comments and recommendations over the years. I've learned a lot and hope you have as well.

- Megan

Social Media Job at PADI

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:17:00 +0000

PADI is currently hiring a Social Media Community Manager.

Please send your resume and cover letter to: jobs@padi.com, and please feel free to mention you read about the position on "Megan's blog." The position is in our Americas Office in Orange County, CA.

If you're interested in finding out about new openings at PADI before anyone else follow PADI Instructor News on Google+!

Project AWARE's Ocean Action Contest - Vote Now

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:16:00 +0000

In June 2012, Project AWARE announced its first Ocean Action Project contest. Grassroots, community organizations from around the world submitted action plans that focused either on: Sharks and/or Rays Marine Debris.

Twelve finalists were chosen, and it's up to you to decide who receives funding from Project AWARE. View the one-paragraph project descriptions for each finalist on Project AWARE's Facebook page and vote for the cause you feel is most worthy. Voting ends this Saturday 1 September!

PADI Public Safety Diver Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Student Manual
product no. 79205

For those interested in becoming PADI Public Safety Divers and/or PADI Public Safety Diver Specialty Instructors, PADI Americas and Underwater Criminal Investigators (UCI) have partnered to develop a complete public safety diving program (including rescue and recovery training).

Scheduled for 22 – 29 September 2012 at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee, Illinois, USA, the workshop is designed for those new to the field and divers looking to refresh or update their public safety diving skills.

The workshop includes the PADI Public Safety Diver™ course and Underwater Criminal Investigator Distinctive Specialty course. You can also take the PADI Public Safety Diver Specialty Instructor course and learn how to organize, promote and conduct the PADI Public Safety Diver Specialty course.

For more information or to register for the workshop, visit padi.com/Public-Safety-Diver or contact Bill Hamm at 800 729 7234 (US and Canada), +1 949 858 7234, ext. 2534.

Shark Week Ideas - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Shark Week kicks off this Sunday 12 August!

Back in July we previewed a list of Shark Week promotional ideas. Since then, we've rounded up a list of places to find shark videos and shark trivia for your Facebook page, dive club meeting, enewsletter, etc.

Scuba Diving magazine's favorite shark videos
Shark Videos (Facebook page)
Unusual Sharks you might not have seen before
Fun and interesting shark facts*

* Some of the facts came from Project AWARE's free Shark Conservation Specialty Instructor Guide, others I gleaned off the interwebs

You can use the shark fact list in a couple of ways:

#1 - Post a Shark Fact of the Day / Guess the Shark Fact to your Facebook page
For example, instead of just posting “the smallest shark is the dwarf lantern shark” you could post it as a question “The largest shark is the whale shark – can you name the smallest shark?”

Offer a prize to the first person to guess the right answer (PADI shark keychain, perhaps?), or invite people to guess the answer just for bragging rights. Either way, it will drive activity on your page - increasing your Edgerank and proving to the Facebook goblins that your page has engaging content (theoretically improving your appearance in your fans' newsfeeds).

Product no. 82619

#2 - At a dive club meeting, invite attendees to guess if a statement is true or false.
For example: 90% of shark attack victims are male. Truth or Myth? Whoever guesses correctly could get a shark keychain, gummy shark candy, or other shark-related prize.

See our earlier post: Shark Week Ideas for a longer list of fun shark-related prizes ranging from shark bite socks to a really bitchin' shark sleeping bag.

Last but not least, please take just a moment to share Project AWARE's petition to protect sharks with your students, friends and family. You can either share their link: http://www.projectaware.org/project/shark-petition or utilize the Facebook app. One-third of pelagic (open ocean) sharks and rays are threatened with extinction and many shark populations are down 80%.

Jobs for PADI Instructor or Divemaster: Seattle and SoCal

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Underwater Sports, a PADI Five Star IDC in Seattle, WA is looking for a PADI Instructor - OWSI or higher (EANx specialty rating a plus). Cold water diving experience is strongly preferred; must be a US citizen. Please email resume to ken at underwatersports dot com.

Pacific Wilderness, a Five Star IDC Center in San Pedro, CA is currently hiring a highly-motivated PADI Divemaster or Instructor for a full or part-time position. Here is their job description:

"We are a leader in the dive industry and one of the largest dive shops in the United States. We offer competitive pay, extensive training, employee benefits, commissions and much more. This is a "family style" big shop.

THE FOLLOWING ARE A MUST: -US Citizen or Resident
-Two year employment commitment
-English speaking (Spanish or Japanese a plus)
-Must be able to lift tanks into a fill station
-Must have beach diving experience in California

JOB DESCRIPTION:
• Sales is a primary job / work sales floor selling equipment also checking in orders and restocking.
• Teaching opportunities are available to full-time employees with instructor rating.
• Repairs and Hydrotesting (training available)

The position is either full-time: primary work at our San Pedro location and a day per week in Orange, OR part-time in San Pedro only.

To apply: please email resume to jeff at pacific wilderness dot com DO NOT CALL.Emails will be responded to in a timely manner.

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Shark Week Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:44:00 +0000

Shark Week starts Sunday 12 August on the Discovery Channel. For the 25th year in a row, millions of viewers will tune in to see surfer survival stories and slo-mo great whites.

The annual programming is so popular, even non-diving businesses capitalize on its success with promotional shark tattoos - and even a drinking game.With that in mind, here are some ideas on how you can help spread the (good) word about sharks and maybe sell a few classes. Email subscribers may need to click through to view the images below.

Easy
Post the Sharks in Peril video to your website, blog or Facebook page and encourage readers to show their support by signing the Shark Petition.

Product no. 82619

Promote shark-related products that may be for sale in your store via your Facebook page, enewsletter, etc. Besides PADI shark keychains you might also stock shark towels, the remote-controlled shark air-swimmer, or shark jewelry.

Purchase a shark, manta or shark tooth pendant from Gogh Jewelry Design and 10% of sales will be donated to Project AWARE.

Take it up a notch
Offer the AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty and / or use the AWARE Shark Conservation Adventure Dive in your August AOW course. You could offer a shark keychain ($2.95) to commemorate students' participation.

Schedule your next dive club meeting to coincide with Shark Week. During commercial breaks, have a list of Shark Facts / Myths and invite attendees to guess which is real and which isn't. For example: 90% of shark attack victims are male. Truth or Myth? Whoever guesses correctly could get a shark keychain, gummy shark candy, or other shark-related prize.

Drive interaction on your Facebook page or Twitter feed by posting a different shark fact every day during Shark Week and encourage readers to share / retweet their favorites. A variety of facts are available in the Shark Conservation specialty materials (free download).

Sharks, FTW!
Invite divers / shop staff to collect shark petition signatures on their own and award a prize for the most signatures collected. The prize could be dive-related or shark-related. There are some pretty hilarious shark items on Amazon.com. For less than $15 you can get a coffee mug with a shark in the bottom, or shark socks.

My favorite is the shark sleeping bag. This one's a little more expensive, but a great Grand Prize.

Support Ocean Protection with Every Certification

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:58:00 +0000

Being a professional member of the dive community is about more than just collecting awards and racking up dives. Anyone can claim to make a difference in our community but action is what really makes a difference. - Avery Chipka, PADI Instructor, USA

As a PADI Professional, you know how critical a clean, healthy ocean is to the future of your business. You can now automatically support ocean protection through every certification through the 100% AWARE program find out more.

In a competitive marketplace, environmental responsibility plays an increasingly important role in consumer decisions. The LA Times recently reported consumers are willing to pay more for products in environmentally-responsible packaging, and Intuit sited a 7.5% increase in "green" hotel bookings.

By donating a portion of your class fee to support the underwater world, you'll distinguish your business from others in the area. There are two ways to donate: $10 per student, or a flat amount of $250 per month. Billing occurs through monthly invoices find out more.

Both individual PADI members, PADI dive centers and resorts are eligible to participate.
Your donation is 100 percent tax deductible where allowable by law.
You'll receive support and recognition materials from Project AWARE

For additional information, please review the 100% AWARE fact sheet and/or contact lauren dot wiskerson at projectaware dot org

PADI Hiring Writer / Copy Editor

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:39:00 +0000

For those of you who like to call me up about a missing period on page 29 of the new XYZ manual... your time has come! PADI is currently hiring a technical writer and copy editor. Please send your resume and cover letter to: jobs@padi.com, and please feel free to mention you read about the position on "Megan's blog." The position is in our Americas Office in Orange County, CA.

As for those missing periods and so forth, please direct those comments to training at padi dot com

If you're interested in finding out about new openings at PADI before anyone else, follow PADI Instructor News on Google+.

Scuba Job - Seattle, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Bubbles Below, a PADI Five Star IDC in the Seattle area is currently hiring an equipment technician (Oceanic, Scubapro and Aqua Lung certifications are a must). Interested parties please call Bud at (425) 424-3483. Please be prepared to submit a resume with experience and certifications.

Bubbles Below is a Five Star PADI IDC facility and winner of DEMA's C.O.R.E. award for excellence in training. The position will start out as part-time but may evolve into full-time.

View other PADI Instructor Jobs on the jobs page of padipronews.com.

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:07:00 +0000

PADI Americas will be closed Wednesday 4 July 2012 in observance of Independence Day. We will re-open Thursday July 5th for regular business hours.

If you need materials before the holiday, please contact your PADI Sales Consultant before placing an order to ensure your materials will arrive in time.

You can order online PICs and EFR online PICs from the online shopping cart while we're closed. Any other items ordered online while we're closed will be processed Thursday July 5th.

How to order online PICs from our website:(PADI Americas only)

#1 Log on to the PADI Pro's homepage
#2 Click the red Shop Online icon.
#3 The credits will post to your account in about 30 minutes

If you've never used PIC Online and are thinking about giving it a try, take a peep at our article PIC Online Now Available for PADI Instructors. This article links to step-by-step instructions.

Need Student Materials - Yesterday?

If you've got a last minute addition to a class and no student materials in stock, you can sign up the student for eLearning either through your website (stores) or with an eLearning gift pass (anyone). Here is an overview for store owners and independent instructors on how to buy and use eLearning gift codes.

Access PADI Invoices Online

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Did you know?
You can view and print PADI Invoices from our website

Here's how:
Log on to: the PADI Pro's Site
Click the red Shop Online button
Click “My Account” top right corner
Click Invoice History

You can view or print up to five years of invoice history through our online shopping cart portal - even if you've never placed an order online.

Sale on PADI Specialty Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:39:00 +0000

PADI Specialty Materials On Sale

We have a sale running on PADI Specialty Materials now through Friday June 22nd (see details below). This offer is not available online, so please contact your PADI Americas sales rep to take advantage of the offer. Please mention the specialty materials promo at the beginning of the phone call, or reference it in your email.

This special is offered in conjunction with a webinar this Wednesday 13 June: PADI Education - DSD through MSD. Listen in on the tips and tricks PADI Members utilize to sell entry-level courses and keep divers coming back for more. This free program lasts one hour (from 7-8am PDT) and attendance counts towards 1/3 of a Master Instructor seminar point.

Register for the webinar here.
Read about how our webcasts count toward MI
View the sale details from the Surface Interval Newsletter.
(or see below)

PADI Specialty Materials Sale

Specialty Course Crew-Pak Mix and Match Webinar Special*

Save up to 15% - mention "Webinar Special" when ordering

Mix and match any 10 Specialty Course Crew-Paks and Receive 10% off current buying level price
Mix and match any 20 Specialty Course Crew-Paks and Receive 12% off current buying level price
Mix and match any 30 Specialty Course Crew-Paks and Receive 15% off current buying level price

*Must select as least two different varieties of specialty course crew-paks to qualify for special pricing. PADI Underwater Naturalist manual and Emergency Oxygen Provider student package are also included in this promotion.
Contact your PADI Sales Consultant to order.
Offer valid from 11 June 2012 through 4 PM PDT on 22 June 2012 – no other offers or discounts apply. Discount not available online.

Welcome New PADI Rep Kristin Hargett

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Welcome to our new PADI Americas Sales Rep - Kristin Hargett. Kristin is a Master Instructor who recently joined us on the cubicle farm. She will work with Gary Joyce's accounts in the Midwest.

The former Midwest rep, Bret Lorea will now work with Barry Dunford's territory. For those of you in Barry's territory used to working with Penny and I - we're still here, don't worry.

Here's some more info about our new rep, Kristin, so you can get to know her.

Name: Kristin Hargett

Contact: kristin.hargett at padi dotcom

Region: Midwest with Gary Joyce

Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA

OW Cert Location: San Carlos, Mexico

Favorite Smell: Fresh Lemons

Favorite Food: artichoke hearts

First Concert: I can't admit it out loud or in writing!

Mild Medium or Spicy: Medium
Number of Years Working in the Dive Industry: 7
Favorite Dive Moment: Having two bottlenose dolphins approach me, completely circle me within touching distance, leave, come back and circle me again before leaving for good.
Sea Creature You Hope to Meet Underwater One Day: Whale Shark and Great White Shark
Any interesting facts you’d like to share: On our honeymoon in 2002 I told my husband I would NEVER scuba dive. I was terrified to try it. Now I'm a Master Instructor. Who knew!
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Want to know some useless trivia about your PADI Americas Sales Rep? Visit our Meet the PADI Sales Team page.

New Rebreather Materials - Tec 60 CCR

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:31:00 +0000

PADI's new Tec 60 Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) materials are now shipping. Below are the part numbers and suggested retail pricing. You can order the materials from your PADI Americas Sales Consultant or from our online shopping cart.

Additional CCR info:

Email Subscribers May Need to Click Through to View the Images Below.

Tec 60 CCR materials
- for the student -

Tec 60 CCR Student Manual CD-ROM
Product no. 70963
Suggested retail: $55.75
The student manual is available on CD-ROM only. We do not have a paper version of this product.

Tec CCR "Type T" Predive Check Slate
Product no. 60231 (use with Tec 40/60/100 courses)
Suggested retail: $13.05

Tec 60 CCR materials
- for the instructor -

Tec 60 CCR Lesson Guides CD-ROM
Product no. 71919
Member price: $57.35

Tec 60 CCR Instructor Guide - CD-ROM
Product no. 70967
Member price: $56.95

Tec 60 CCR Student Exam
Product no. 71063
(answer key / sheet can be found in the instructor guide)
Member price: $7.65

Tec 60 CCR Instructor Slates
Product no. 60422
Member price: $57.10

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Sell the US Presidental Election

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:44:00 +0000

For the last 12 years, buycostumes.com has done a booming business at election time. The company sells masks with the faces of each candidate and tracks the results.

Interestingly, their sales have accurately predicted the election outcomes since the idea began in 2000. Read the complete story here or follow the results of this year's election sales.

Can This Idea Be Used to Promote Scuba?
Why not?

Invite divers to buy a mask strap in the political color of their choosing (see below) branded with your store logo. Update the sales stats every couple of weeks on your blog / Facebook page / eNewsletter.

Red mask straps for Republican
Blue mask straps for Democrat
A black mask strap for no one / not participating

Offer a special deal for folks who come in with an "I voted" sticker.

Put three jars at the cash register. Every time some makes a purchase, they can put a marble in the jar for their party. One for Democrat, one for Republican, one for other.

If you have other ideas, please feel free to post a comment below (email subscribers click through to post) or on our Google+ Page. Let's keep it friendly, okay? Any political comments will be deleted.

Shark Keychain

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

PADI Diver Shark Keychain

We have a new, limited-edition promo item - a PADI keychain / bottle opener in the shape of a shark.

Email subscribers may need to click through to view the image below.

82619 - Shark Keychain

Use product number 82619 in the PADI Americas online shopping cart, or request from your sales rep. The Shark Keychain might be a nice incentive for a student who completes the Shark Conservation Specialty or Adventure Dive.

Your Photo on a PADI Card

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:28:00 +0000

Your Photo Could be the 2013 Membership Card

for PADI Diving Society

click here for complete details

About the Contest:
Each year, PADI Diving Society introduces a limited-edition membership card. In the past we’ve used photos from our own collections or invite renowned underwater photographers to provide striking images. However, with the growth of Digital Underwater Photography, and more and more divers capturing their underwater experiences, we decided to create a worldwide search!

Judges from your local PADI Office and Sport Diver magazine will select three regional winners. Each PADI Diving Society office will then submit their regional winners in the PADI Diving Society Member Card Online Voting Contest. The final winner will be announced November 2012 and will receive a certificate, global recognition, plus bragging rights!

How to Participate:
Submit up to three photos of your best underwater or diving lifestyle photos as high resolution images. For image sizing and submission details, please visit the PADI Diving Society 2013 Membership Card Photo Contest page on padi.com.

PADI Business Training Online

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:08:00 +0000

When it came time to teach my first class after the IE I felt a little unsure of myself. I decided to team teach and it worked out brilliantly. Working together with other instructors, each of us with different strengths, we formed one perfect instructor - like Voltron.

There's a lot to know as a PADI Member. It's challenging for one person to know everything about the scuba diving universe (even though some people think they do).

All joking aside, the greater PADI Member community has an astounding amount of knowledge. If you're thinking of trying something new, like social media, eLearning, or technical diving - there's a PADI Member out there willing to share great ideas and tips.

... and they're available on demand from the PADI Pro's Site.

If you haven't visited the Business of Diving Webcasts archive yet, there's a lot of great information there. You'll hear PADI Members describe how they've grown their business using different programs. More than twenty topics are available for download in convenient one hour chunks. Please see topic list below.

But wait there's more....

View three of these programs and receive one seminar point towards Master Instructor. A typed, one-paragraph summary of each program viewed must be included with the MI app. Please contact PADI customer service for details: 800 729 7234 ext. 2495 or +1 949 858 7234 ext. 2495.

Cyber Strategies - Usability and Functionality Discover Scuba Diving
Bring-a-Friend Program
Tap Into Tec Diving
Scout out Opportunities
Conducting Successful Discover Scuba Diving Experiences
Customer Loyalty - Identify, Retain and Grow Your Best Customers
Conducting a Successful Pro Night
Digital Underwater Photography
Groupon - It's Like Getting Paid to Advertise
Making eLearning Profitable
Phone Tips – Business Telephone Techniques
Maximizing PADI Marketing Tools
Making Money with Con-ed Social Networking
Conducting Successful Youth Programs

Pasted below is an overview of how to download and view a PADI Business of Diving archived webcast.

After clicking the link to download the webinar of your choice, you'll have to enter a little information.

Step One: Type in your email

Step Two: Enter your first and last name and your PADI Member Number

(store number if you are a store, instructor number if you are an individual member).

Step Three: click the button to View Recorded Webinar

If you'd like to participate in one of our live programs, here's our schedule for the remainder of 2012. All programs run from 7am - 8am California time.

Upcoming Webcasts 2012
Selling PADI Education – DSD through MSD (13 June)
Go Pro Best Practices - Building a Leadership Program (11 July)
Expand your Borders – Secrets of Selling Travel (8 August)
Best Practices for building your Open Water Programs (12 September)
Refining your Youth Programs (10 October)
Reaching New Divers – The Power of Referrals (28 November)
Year in Review – Best of 2012 (12 December)

Logbook Pages are Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Back by Popular Demand...

PADI logbook pages
(product no. 70036)

The loose-leaf logbook pages are back! To order, use product number 70036 in our online shopping cart, or contact you PADI sales consultant. Pricing matches the cost of the red logbook (70048).

Suggested retail: $16.10

Two New Adventure Dive Options

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Looking to add some variety to your Adventures in Diving course? There are two new adventure dives you can offer: AWARE Shark Conservation and Recreational Sidemount.

Dive One of the AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty can be used as an Adventure Dive in the AOW program.
Similarly, PADI Sidemount Instructors may use Dive One of the Sidemount specialty as one of the AOW elective dives.

Only instructors with these specialty ratings may offer the adventure dives (see additional info below).

For complete details on the new adventure dives, please see page four of the 2nd quarter 2012 Training Bulletin.

The 2QTB also says: Look for the incorporation of these two new Adventure Dives into the PADI Adventures in Diving manual, log books and other PADI materials when revision schedules allow. I don't have any additional info on when student materials may be available, so in the meantime:

Materials for the Project AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty can be downloaded free from Project AWARE's website. Any PADI Instructor in Teaching Status (OWSI or higher) may apply for the AWARE Shark Conservation Diver Distinctive Specialty Instructor rating. For further detail, reference Specialty Instructor in the Professional Membership section of your PADI Instructor Manual and/or download the instructor guide.

For more information on the Sidemount specialty (including student knowledge reviews), please review the Sidemount Instructor outline - product 70490. To qualify as a PADI Recreational Sidemount Instructor, you must be a teaching-status PADI OWSI or higher and either:

Complete Specialty Instructor Training with a PADI Course Director + 10 logged sidemount dives.
(method one application)
Provide proof of experience (method two)

Sidemount Diver certification + 20 logged sidemount dives
Proof of 50 logged sidemount dives.

How much are the specialty instructor application fees?
Here is a link to PADI Americas' 2012 Instructor application fees.

Related post:
What are the most popular elective dives for Advanced Open Water? Check out our poll results.

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PADI Instructor Job in Maui

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Applications are still being accepted for jobs mentioned in last week's post (Maui, Kauai, Washington and Orange County, CA). In the meantime, we've got another job opportunity for PADI Instructors!

A PADI Resort located at a luxury 4 Star resort hotel in the Kihei/Wailea area is rapidly growing and seeking an additional PADI Instructor. Here is the information provided by the resort:

Newly certified instructors as well as those with more experience (MSDT or higher) are encouraged to apply. This is a full time salary and commission opportunity. We are looking for candidates who can begin working within 30 days.

We expect the candidates to: be conservatively groomed and meet hotel standards, have reliable transportation, be on time to work every day, strictly follow PADI STANDARDS, be detail-oriented, have all of their own dive gear and teaching materials, be currently insured and in teaching status.

You will be: Conducting DSD programs (2 per day are offered), Leading certified divers and repeat DSD divers on O/W dives, Teaching OW certification classes or Con-Ed programs utilizing eLearning or the independent study method, Conducting Referral O/W Certification Dives.

Candidates: send Resume or CV to Insun8R at aol dot com
Subject Line: Instructor Opportunity Short-listed candidates will be contacted for phone interviews.

Candidates who best meet our needs will be offered face to face interviews. Applications are still being accepted for jobs mentioned in last week's post (Maui, Kauai, Washington and Orange County, CA).

Now Hiring PADI Instructors - California, Hawaii and Washington State

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Spring and summer are off to a good start. We have five PADI stores looking to hire a total of seven PADI Instructors. Read on for details:

Kauai Down Under, a Five Star PADI Dive Center is looking for three full-time PADI Instructors. Each instructor must carry their own insurance and be a resident of the United States. Specialty ratings and prior experience are a plus. If interested, please call (808) 742-9534 and ask for Josh.

Gone Diving, a PADI Dive Center in Bellingham, WA is looking for a PADI Instructor (MSDT or higher) with cold-water and low-vis diving experience. The instructor must also have a drysuit specialty instructor rating and be a US citizen. Experience teaching children a plus. Interested parties, please contact 360.738.2042 and ask for Charlynn, or email info at gonediving dot org. Include resume, cover letter, salary requirements, resume in PDF format and availability.

JL Dive and Photo in Irvine, CA is looking for a PADI Instructor. Prior experience is preferred, the ability to speak Mandarin - a plus. An outgoing personality is a must, and the instructor should be comfortable working both on the beach and in the shop promoting gear sales. Must be a US citizen and carry your own insurance. To apply, call Bob at 949 476 8500.

Maui Dreams Dive Company, a Five Star IDC, is looking for a gear repair tech. Applicants should have a minimum OWSI rating and be certified to service Aqua Lung, Oceanic, TUSA Scubapro and Sherwood. Please only apply if you are comfortable using a computer (the one you type on, not just the one you dive with). Maui Dreams offers benefits including sick time and vacation time after the first year. To apply contact Teri at (808) 874-5332.

Coral Reef Safe Sunscreens for Scuba Diving?

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Sunscreen. Growing up in the Pacific NW, it was something I bought once every five years.*

After becoming a diver, I found myself buying it bulk from Costco, specifically Neutrogena's Ultra-Sheer Sunscreen. Hey, it was effective, non-comedogenic, and didn't give me that kabuki white-face look.

* A terrible idea, most sunscreen expires in 1-3 years.

But late last year I saw an ad on the PADI Pro's site for a coral safe sunscreen. Uh oh. Protecting your skin from the sun is important, but so are coral reefs! Have I unknowingly been killing coral?

I'd like to consider myself someone who helps rather than harms the underwater world, so I asked our friends at Project AWARE about this issue. They referred me to an article about corals and sunscreen from National Geographic.

Email subscribers may need to click through to view images below.

In a nutshell:

Chemicals contained in sunscreen can be harmful to the reef, but so are the compounds contained in the waste of hundreds of other products people use every day.
Other threats such as coastal pollution, overfishing, and sedimentation are probably a greater threat to coral reefs than sunscreen. We only have a shot at saving coral reefs if major change in behavior happens at the individual and collective levels.

So what's a diver to do?
Tips on Choosing a Sunscreen

When it comes to sunscreen, look for a brand that uses physical sunblocks (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) instead of chemical ones.
Apply sunscreen at least 10-15 minutes before going in the water so that the lotion absorbs into your skin.
Any natural product (organic, biodegradeable etc) is better for the environment then the conventional one. Some experts suggest avoiding ingredients with prefixes with “oxy-” or “hexa-”.

My contact at Project AWARE recommended a 2011 study from EWG (Environmental Working Group). A group of doctors and scientists reviewed 1700 SPF products for their efficacy and toxicity. Read more about the study's methodology or view the results.

Pasted below are some eco-friendly sunscreen options from EWG's list that were also well-reviewed on Amazon.com. The products below are not officially endorsed by PADI or Project AWARE, these are simply products that scored well in the EWG study that also have good reviews on Amazon.com.

Sunscreen Stick- SPF 30
This sunscreen stick is advertised to "retain SPF after 80 minutes of activity in the water or perspiring " The company states that the stick (chapstick consistency) provides sun protection of greater duration that the lotion version (80 min for the stick versus 40 min for the lotion pictured above). Who knows what the real lasting effects are when the entire time is spent underwater?

Extended wear or not, the size is certainly more convenient to fit in a dry box or pocket than a sunscreen tube or bottle. Sometimes it's those between-dive reapplications that are the most critical.

Loving Naturals SPF 30
Loving Naturals advertises their product to be water-resistant for 40 minutes, it's zinc-oxide based and "rubs in clear" (no kabuki-face). The product is made with 100% natural/organic ingredients and is also available as a lip balm.

Do you have a favorite sunscreen? Leave a comment below or post to our Google+ page.

Final EFR Materials Update

noreply@blogger.com (Pam Pro) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:16:00 +0000

The revised Care for Children DVD is in stock and shipping. This was the last item we were waiting on to get updated.

Now that it's here:

All related kits such as the EFR Instructor Manual and EFR Instructor Start-Up Kit are shipping with 100% updated material.
If you ordered an EFR update pack at DEMA or during member forum, it's shipping this week.
If you still have the prior version of the EFR materials - for any course or level - they are valid for use through 31 December 2012.

Revised EFR Care for Children Materials

Care for Children manual and DVD -60270

Care for Children manual ala carte- 70179

Care for Children DVD ala carte - 70993

Care for Children student exam- 71812

Care for Children instructor guide- 79190

In case you missed it, the updated EFR Instructor Trainer materials are also in and shipping. You can also read our earlier posts about the updated CPR/AED materials or Primary/Secondary Care materials.