PADI Instructor News

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

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:13:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:09:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:07:00 +0000

(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

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:50:00 +0000

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). If additional hints and tips become available I'll publish them to this website.

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

The new 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?

email subscribers may need to click through to view images.

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What's in the New PADI IDC crewpak?

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:45:00 +0000

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 versus the old one (please see 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 2009 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 30th 2010. Course Directors have until 1 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)

(email subscribers may need to click through to view the chart above)

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.

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2009 PADI DEMA Specials

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

PADI has just released its 2009 DEMA specials
7% off all materials

Everything? Yes, everything... except PICs & EFR PICs.

We also have specially-priced packages on our new products
(7% discount does not apply to packages)

Public Safety Diver materials - $45
(includes all related materials: instructor guide, lesson guide CD-ROM and patch)

Enriched Air Diver Update Package - $126.50
(equivalent to level two pricing)
Includes one each of:
The new Nitrox manual
New DVD
New PLGs,
Instructions for use booklet (if teaching with tables)
New Nitrox exam
and the new instructor guide.

This EANx package is a pre-order. The products will not ship until December 2009.

We also have two Tec packages. Both are priced with a level two discount. Please review the PADI DEMA promo .pdf for specific package inclusions. Read more about PADI's updated Tec programs and related materials.

- TecRec Update (includes revised instructor-level materials) $130
- Tec Crossover (includes Tec Deep student kit and revised Instructor-level materials) $178.40

Both Tec packages are also a pre-order. Expected ship date: mid-late November 2009.

Other Items to Consider....
(email subscribers may need to click through to view images)

Limited-edition PADI swag:

including a PADI tumbler and metal water bottle.

Save 7% on updating your DSD flip chart or cue card (there's a mandatory DSD materials update for 2010)

The new Advanced Open Water crewpak
Created in response to member feedback, the new student crewpak includes a safety sausage and whistle in addition to the AOW manual.

Emergency Oxygen Provider is an important skill in your student diver's toolbox. It integrates well with a Rescue course and counts toward a Master Scuba Diver rating. The Emergency O2 specialty takes about two hours from start to finish and may be conducted in lieu of exercise nine in a Rescue Diver course.

If this economy has taught me anything it's the need to diversify...
Chances are: a business just around the corner from you needs CPR training for their employees - and EFR materials are also discounted 7% right now. EFR programs are accredited throughout our region and with national organizations such as Girl Scouts USA, the Boy Scouts of America and the US Coast Guard. EFR programs also meet Federal OSHA guidelines.

The oh-so-fine print...

The special offers for DEMA are valid from 30 Oct - 9 Nov 2009 and not available through our online shopping cart. To purchase PADI materials using the DEMA discount, call us at: 800 729 7234. You don't have to attend the show to take advantage of the promo. DEMA specials may not be combined with any other special offer.

Download the 2009 DEMA Specials .pdf

View PADI's Program Schedule at DEMA

PADI and Boy Scouts of America Scuba Diving Merit Badge

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Boy Scouts and adventure have always been synonymous. By 2010, Scouts who want to explore the underwater world can earn a scuba diving merit badge.

Before we go any farther, there's something I have to disclose: I was a Campfire girl, so, in this article I'll be faking my way through Boy Scout-ese. For those of you who were scouts, my apologies if I flub some of the terminology.

Completion of PADI's Open Water course is one of six steps for a scout to earn a scuba diving merit badge. Most of these steps the scout will complete with their counselor, but in case you're curious here are all six:

#1 - First aid for diving-related illnesses and injuries
#2 - Swimming merit badge
#3 - Discuss scuba diver's code
#4 - Open Water certification
#5 - Discuss the underwater ecosystem
#6 - Research scuba diving occupations and what experience is needed for each

Each scout will need a set of standard PADI Open Water materials, or they can enroll in eLearning (min. age: 10). Additionally, they will purchase a scuba diving merit badge booklet from their Boy Scout Council Store.

Attending DEMA 2009?

If you're curious to see the merit badge booklet, we'll have some on display at the PADI booth.
We are also offering two free mini-seminars. The first PADI Boy Scout seminar is Thurs 5 Nov at 3 pm, and our second one is Saturday 7 Nov at 11am.

To find out if there is a Boy Scout troop near you, use the troup locator on scouting.org. Before making contact you should be ready to answer the following questions:

Will you offer a private class just for the scouts?
Can parents be in the class too?
What is your minimum number for a group rate?
What about a special rate for troup leaders who want to continue through Divemaster?
What is your policy if a scout misses a class/pool session?
Do you have special mouthpieces for boys with braces?
What is your experience working with young people?

Something else to consider: Boy Scout groups often need to do fund-raising.

Your scuba-fied scouts can be great ambassadors for your business. Create Discover Scuba Diving vouchers and have the scouts sell them and share in the incom. Read our complete write up on the discover scuba fundraising idea.

Read PADI's official announcement about our partnership with the BSA.

2010 PADI Specialty of the Month calendar

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

The 2010 Specialty of the Month schedule has been released. It's similar to last year's calendar, but Enriched Air is the new Specialty of the Year. I don't know what the prizes will be yet, but I imagine we'll see the popular Specialty of the Month prizes from 2009 come back.

(email subscribers click through to view 2010 Specialty of the Month calendar flyer)

January: Enriched Air Diver

February: Boat Diver

March: Drift Diver

April: Digital Underwater Photographer

May: Dry Suit Diver

June: Peak Performance Buoyancy

July: Deep Diver

August: Wreck Diver

September: Project AWARE

October: Night Diver

November: Underwater Navigator

December: Search and Recovery

PADI IRRA Members: call me (or your regional sales rep) for a free Specialty of the Month display. The three-sided display can be hung on a wall or assembled into a rotating counter-top display. The product comes with interchangeable graphics and two hooks for displaying related specialty merchandise such as secondary lights or Fish ID cards.

Short-Staffed

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

If you've spent an extra-long time on hold this week, blame H1N1! There are so many people out of the office right now. I think every department has at least one person out sick, and there's a lot of hacking going on around me.

So far I've been lucky. I hope the extra vitamin C I've been taking will help fend off this virus - and whatever crud comes back from DEMA.

5 Ways to Prepare for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Every year it seems like Christmas starts earlier and earlier. Costco and Home Depot are already selling cards and decorations. It's nuts, right?

Still, the holiday hoopla must make financial sense or they wouldn't keep doing it. After all, the average family spends $800-$1000 during the holiday season.

While you won't find me decking the halls any time soon, I will start posting some holiday marketing ideas. Here are a few ways you can prep for the greatest shopping season of them all:

DSD : Discover Santa Diving

Host an underwater photo shoot with Santa for your customer's holiday cards. It's a fun activity and a great marketing tool.

Every diver who uses that photo on a holiday card or in their online profile promotes scuba to non-diving friends and family members. The hardest part - convincing the rookie divemaster to don the santa suit. Hey, we all have to pay our dues.

Develop a Message for Online Shoppers
A recent poll reported on CNBC said 17% more people plan to shop online this year. Not only that - the average US internet user spent 68 hours online last month. They're out there... millions of them... looking for that perfect gift.

What will holiday shoppers / travelers find on your website?

Review the DSD-During-Confined-Water program (retailers)
Though not specific to the holidays, the Bring-A-Friend-to-Confined-Water philosophy has increased open water sign-ups 20-60% for participating stores. Call me for additional details and promotional materials...

Warm and Fuzzies

Whether it's recognizing hard-working staff members, or fundraising for a good cause, the holidays are also a time for giving.

Tie a Charity Donation to Each Purchase
To give customers a feel-good reason for spending their gift-giving dollars with you, tie a charity to each purchase. For example, "for every $100 purchase we'll donate $10 to XYZ charity" (such as Project AWARE).

Create a Giving Tree
Decorate the tree with paper or glass ornaments tagged with a prize or discount. Invite customers to bring in five cans of food in exchange for selecting an ornament off the tree.

Making a List - Checking it Twice
For staff "thank you" gifts, we have some items on sale (see below).

PADI's popular laptop backpack is on sale for $15/each when you buy ten or more.
PADI hats are also on sale for $9.50/each (plain, divemaster, or instructor).

(email subscribers, please click through to view the promo above)

2010 PADI IE Instructor Examination Dates

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:29:00 +0000

2010 PADI IE Schedule
(west coast and central pacific dates)

January
16-17 Salt Lake City

February
13-14 Honolulu, HI
13-14 Orange County, CA
16-17 Kona, HI

March
20-21 Salt Lake City, UT
27-28 Tacoma, WA
27-28 Okinawa, JAPAN
31 Mar - 1 Apr Guam

April
10-11 Sechelt, BC CANADA
17-18 Orange County, CA

May
8-9 Monterey, CA
15-16 Honolulu, HI
18-19 Lahaina, HI
21-22 Kona, HI
22-23 Salt Lake City, UT

June
12-13 Orange County, CA
14-15 Kelowna, BC CANADA
19-20 Seattle, WA
19-20 Vancouver BC, CANADA

July
17-18 Honolulu, HI
31 July - 1 Aug Orange County, CA

September
11-12 Monterey, CA
11-12 Tacoma, WA
18-19 Salt Lake City, UT
18-19 Orange County, CA
25-26 Honolulu, HI
28-29 Lahaina, HI

October
1-2 Kona, HI
16-17 Okinawa, JAPAN
20-21 Guam

November
6-7 Orange County, CA
13-14 Vancouver, BC CANADA

December
4-5 Honolulu, HI
11-12 Seattle, WA
14-15 Kelowna, BC, CANADA
18-19 Orange County, CA

The timeframe of the IE may vary depending on location, logistics and number of candidates. PADI reserves the right to cancel, reschedule or relocate IEs as staffing, logistics and enrollment require.

PADI Public Safety Diver Materials Available for Pre-Order

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:40:00 +0000

PADI's Public Safety Diver program will launch in a few weeks. There's a specially-priced Instructor Start-Up Package including all the new materials available for pre-order.

Public Safety Diver Instructor Start-Up Package

Cost: $45 (flat rate, no additional discounts apply)
Includes: Instructor Guide, Lesson Guide CD-ROM and PADI Public Safety Diver emblem

The new package includes all the Public Safety Diver materials we've developed so far. There are no student materials at this time.

We anticipate the Public Safety Diver materials will start shipping around DEMA time. This package is not available online. Please call or email your order and ask for part number: 82345.

Read more about PADI's Public Safety Diver program (including instructor requirements and information on our 2009 DEMA seminar).

Kelp Forest Stamps

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Buy From USPS.com

I know this is really nerdy but the US Post Office just released kelp forest stamps and I think it's kinda cool. The person opening my gas bill probably won't care, but you never know...

For the creatively inclined - Zazzle.com allows you to upload your own artwork and make custom postage stamps: $21.35 for a set of 20 x 44 cent stamps. There are a couple diver ones out there you can buy - including the classic dive flag.

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

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:01:00 +0000

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

- 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: 800 729 7234 ext. 2540.
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. 800 729 7234 ext. 2540.

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 (800 729 7234 ext. 2540 or trainingXpadi.com).

Students use the Tec Trimix student exam for "Tec 65."
Instructors continue to use the same Trimix Lesson Guides.

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DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I am not a tec diver.

Those scrawny arms (pictured left) are no good for hurfing doubles. So I apologize, but to better assist with answering questions about our new Tec program, please contact the training department: 800 729 7234

Kelly ext. 2240
LeRoy ext. 2336
or Steve Mortell ext. 2445

You can also visit the DSAT Chat Tec Blog for lots of good info.

I'm attending a briefing from Tec guru Steve Mortell next Tuesday and after that I'll be a little more up-to-speed.

Google - Now In Hawaiian

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

This is not a joke... you can now Google search in Hawaiian.

Read the complete story on Hawaiian Google on CNN.com.

Mahalo!

2010 PADI Instructor Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Last week PADI sent out an email with our 2010 Instructor Renewal information. We have some really exciting announcements for individual members - one that you guys have been asking about for a looooooong time.

Here are the price breaks:

For Instructors:
$192.50 - Regular price
$177.50 - Online renewal (before 15 Dec 2009)
$174.50 - automatic renewal online

Interested in auto-renewal?
Sign up on the PADI Pros site (left-hand column of the home page). Your card will be charged in early November.

For questions, please call: 800 729 7234 ext. 2495

I almost forgot.... one last thing:

After renewing online, PADI will send you an email to pre-order a paper copy of the new, streamlined and simplified PADI Instructor manual. All renewed PADI Instructors will receive access to download the new PADI Instructor manual in 2010 (we're not sending out discs). The special offer is to get a paper copy at a discount and we'll ship it to you before the end of the year.

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 Discover Scuba Diving Program Changes

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Revised DSD Flip Chart and DSD Cue Card Now Shipping

PADI has just revised our DSD training materials including the flip chart and cue card. The new materials are part of an overall update to the DSD program. Please review the 4th quarter 2009 training bulletin for all the details.

NOW SHIPPING

Product no. 60130 - DSD cue card (version 2.0, revised 2009)
Member price: $6.25

Product no. 60109 - DSD Flip Chart (revised 2009)
Member price: $114.70

COMING LATER THIS YEAR...

Product no. 70254 - DSD form
Price: 60 cents/ each

A new version of the DSD brochure will start shipping in late 2009 (see photo at left).

(email subscribers may need to click through to the site to view images)

Until the new DSD brochure is released, please utilize the DSD Knowledge and Safety Review (available as a free download from the PADI Pros site homepage).

If you have the DSD brochure with the three smiling people on it (pictured at left), it's okay to use it through the end of 2009. Please utilize the DSD Knowledge and Safety Review in addition to this brochure.

Starting 1 Jan 2010, you must discontinue using this brochure - unless the new version is not available in the student's language.

The new, "late 2009" revision of the DSD brochure will be posted to the PADI Pros site shortly, but I don't know the exact date yet.

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Employment Opportunity at PADI Office in Bristol, England

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Work for PADI's Training and Quality Management Department

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.

New Red Logbook

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Newly Revised PADI Diver's Logbook

After filling up the logbook received during their open water class, a diver can move on to the red logbook.

This newly-revised product:

Is printed on non-smear, recycled paper
Includes an area to record enriched air information
Has enough pages to log sixty dives

Product Number: 70048
Suggested Retail: $15

Help Wanted: Now Hiring PADI Instructor in the Seattle area

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Bubbles Below, a PADI Five Star IDC in the Seattle area is currently hiring a full-time dive center employee.

Instructor preferred, cold water diving experience a must.

Interested parties: contact owner Bud Gray at 425 487 2822. Please be prepared to submit a resume, salary history and requirements.

Bubbles Below is a Five Star PADI IDC facility and winner of DEMA's C.O.R.E. award for excellence in training.

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Not in the Seattle area? We have a few dive centers in California that are still looking for PADI Instructors. Please click on the jobs tab at the top of the page or click here.

What Wine Tasting Taught me about the Dive Industry

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:29:00 +0000

Yelp.com Brings Business to an Out-of-the-way Winery

There are more than 67 wineries in the Sonoma Valley (and several dozen more in Napa). Driving down the main drag there are mini-castles, villas, Rhine mansions, and buildings of every imaginable shape and size.

It's impossible to see them all in one weekend so how to narrow it down? I'm a beginner when it comes to wine appreciation, so I turned to Yelp for guidance.

As I mentioned in last week's post, Yelp.com is a website where customers post reviews of local businesses. I typed in "sonoma wine" and the number one result was a business called Tin Barn Vineyards.

When we arrived, the tasting room was packed. The woman taking care of everyone could barely keep up. As more people arrived she would ask, "how did you hear about us?"

Yelp. Yelp. Yelp.

Here's the other thing you need to know - Tin Barn is waaaaay off the main drag (and not located in a barn). It's in an industrial complex in the back of a building. There is no street presence and hardly any signage. Tin Barn isn't listed on any of the promotional maps and it was the busiest tasting room I visited that weekend.

The lady pouring wine at Tin Barn said a year ago their tasting room had very little business. Now, thanks in part to Yelp, business is booming - even with a "bad" location and extremely crowded marketplace. The best part? It costs nothing.

Ask customers to take a few moments to post a review of your business on Yelp's website. The customer will rate their experience from one to five. Additional comments are optional. The higher your average score, the more prominently your business will appear om Yelp's website.

Read more about utilizing Yelp.com as part of our 15 minute marketing idea series.

FAQ for New Dive Computer Option in Open Water

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Can I buy the new computer book by itself or do I have to buy the whole crewpak?
We sell the manual by itself under certain circumstances, please call or email me to order this item.

Can I teach both the RDP table and the computer?

Yes.
If you'd like to teach both options, I recommend ordering the computer crewpak and adding on a table ala carte (ordering the reverse - a table crewpak + computer book - is more expensive).

Open Water Computer option with manual: part no. 60335
- OR -
Open Water Computer option with Multimedia Disc: 60347

Table with instructions ala carte: part no. 60099

Will the Dive Computer Option Be Added to eLearning?
We do not plan to add the computer option to eLearning in 2009. Stay tuned to this website for updates.

Is there going to be a revised Open Water exam?
We will print a new exam in late 2009 or early 2010. For now there is an errata (free download from the homepage of padimembers.com). The answer key has not changed.

More revision date info from an earlier PADI Instructor News post.

Will there be new Open Water Prescriptive Lesson Guides?
Yes! This product has undergone dramatic changes and will be released toward the end of 2009.

Subscribe to this website to receive updates (by email or RSS) as soon as the new lesson guides (or other new materials) arrive in our warehouse.

Is there a new Open Water Instructor Guide?
No. We will, however, release a completely new (streamlined) instructor manual in 2010. Instructors who renew before the end of 2009 will receive a CD version of the new instructor manual for free with their first quarter 2010 Undersea Journal.

Where can I find more information on teaching the computer option?
Please reference the third quarter 2009 training bulletin.

Have the Open Water manual or Open Water DVD changed?
No changes to either of those products.

Do computer students need the Open Water manual?
Yes, PADI Standards require all Open Water students to own a copy of the Open Water Manual. Computer students must read the entire manual and complete knowledge reviews 1-3. Computer students are not required to complete knowledge reviews 4 and 5.

In lieu of knowledge reviews 4-5 from the Open Water manual, the computer student completes two knowledge reviews from the How to Use and Choose Dive Computers manual. Answers to these knowledge reviews can be downloaded from the PADI Pros site.

What is the Dive Simulator?
The Dive Simulator is a generic dive computer used to illustrate some of the topics discussed in the How to Use and Choose Dive Computers manual. The simulator is a free download (access information can be found in the Computers manual). Students are not required to use the Dive Simulator.

How does PADI address variety of dive computers on the market (and differences in dive planning calculations)?
The How to Use and Choose Dive Computers manual discusses general computer use and refers students to their users manual for specific details. Please see our earlier article which includes sample pages. Quiz and exam questions are worded to address general computer usage rather than specific scenarios.

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Who's Yelping About You? Claim Your Online Reputation

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:40:00 +0000

15 Minute Marketing Idea #7
Claim Your Online Reputation

Consumer directory websites such as Yelp and Yahoo Local receive millions of hits per day. As a result, reviews of your business may be listed before your "real" website in search results.

For example:

I typed "Mission Viejo bookstore" into Google. The results are shown at left.

(email subscribers may need to click through to view images)

Yelp and Yahoo Local are the #1 and #2 search results after the map listings. The "real" websites for each individual bookstore appear much farther down the page.

Both Yahoo and Yelp allow business owners to claim their online listing. Add a description of your business and a photo or two - for free. You can also receive notifications when a new review is posted about your business.

Here are the options for each website:

Yelp

Last month, more than 24 million people used Yelp.com to find local business recommendations and post reviews. The website has experienced explosive growth (80% per year) and supports mobile search applications for iPhone and Blackberry.

To edit your business information, visit Yelp.com and, at the top of the screen, type in your business name in the "Search for" box and your city (or island) in the "Near" box.

When the listing appears, click "Is This Your Business?" If your business is not listed, you can start a new listing by creating an account.

To improve your ranking on Yelp.com, ask customers to write reviews of your business. The higher average score your business has, the higher it will appear in Yelp's list.

Yahoo Local

Yahoo has one free and two paid options.

The free business listing on Yahoo! allows you to enter your address, phone number and website. You can also put your business in up to 5 categories and list the products and services you offer.

For $9.95/ month you get everything in the free listing plus add your logo, a business description, photos, and offer coupons. For $25/ month you get all the options described so far plus, "guaranteed premium placement" in their search results.

This is the seventh article in a series. Read more 15 minute marketing ideas.

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Who Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Greetings from PADI...

"Know Your Audience" is the mantra of a good writer. With that in mind, I'd appreciate knowing a little bit about who you are.

Whether you're a new subscriber or you've been with us since the beginning, please take a moment to participate in our reader survey. Email subscribers may need to click through to the website to vote.

Thanks!

Are you a PADI Member?

New Dive Computer Option for PADI Open Water Course

noreply@blogger.com (PADI Americas (west coast team)) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Teaching Open Water Without Tables

Technology has brought about dramatic improvements in the tools we use in everyday life.

Mapquest and GPS are widely used instead of maps.
More people write emails than letters.
Cell phones are replacing the need for a traditional phone,
and DVDs and DVRs have made VCRs obsolete.

When reliable, convenient alternatives appear, consumers make the change to better tools. We've seen a similar evolution in the dive industry.

PADI has just launched a dive computer option for the Open Water course. Students who choose this computer option may use a dive computer instead of a table or eRDP during their Open Water course.

(from the 3rd Quarter 2009 Undersea Journal)

A new training option for the PADI Open Water Diver course allows you to teach dive computer use instead of RDP use ...you've probably been teaching your entry-level divers to use their RDP's to plan dives and act as backup to the dive computers the actually use on their dives. You can continue to do this - teach both RDP and computer use - or you can teach computer use only.

Whichever option you choose, student divers will continue to learn the basics of decompression theory, the importance of dive planning to keep nitrogen levels within acceptable limits, and how to monitor depth, bottom time and surface intervals as they always have by using the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, Multimedia, or PADI eLearning.

New and Updated Products for Open Water
Dive Computer option

New Products: available now

60335 - Open Water Computer Diving crewpak
Includes: How to Use and Choose Dive Computers book, Open Water manual, student record file and blue logbook.

This crewpak is similar to 60300 and 60067 but with no table/eRDP and the computer book instead.
MSRP: $67.90

60347 Open Water Computer Diving crewpak
with multimedia DVD-ROM
Includes same items as 60335 above but with Multimedia DVD-ROM in lieu of Open Water Manual. Also includes How to Use and Choose Dive Computers book (included in crewpak).

This crewpak is the same as 60316 and 60328 but without the table or eRDP and a computer book instead.
MSRP: $91.40

Dive Simulator
The Dive Simulator is an electronic product the student (and instructor) can download from PADI. It's essentially a generic dive computer for training purposes only. Access information is included with the How to Use and Choose... book (page 17).

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Updated Products: Release Dates TBA

71023 - Open Water Quiz and Exam Booklet
The OW Quizzes and Exams will be revised in our next printing to incorporate a computer option. Stay tuned to padiinstructorinfo.com to find out when this product becomes available.

In the meantime….
An errata for the OW exams is on the PADI Pros’ Site home page.

Knowledge Reviews: included in new crewpak
Computer students complete knowledge reviews 1-3 from the regular OW manual.

For knowledge reviews 4 & 5, computer students use a special version found in their How to Use and Choose Dive Computers book. Knowledge review answers are on the PADI Pros site homepage.

Open Water Prescriptive Lesson Guides
We are currently revising the Open Water PLGs. A new version will be released in late 2009.

To receive an alert when new products become available. Sign-up for email updates (a confirmation email will be sent) or RSS feed (use with MyYahoo, iGoogle, etc).

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Not Updated:

The PADI Open Water Manual, Multimedia DVD-ROM and Open Water DVD remain the same.

Computer students will use these products in the same way as traditional learners. The only exception is: computer users have a special version of knowledge reviews 4 & 5 in their How to Use and Choose Dive Computers booklet.

Please read the 3rd Quarter 2009 Training Bulletin for more information on teaching this new option. We will not release a revised version of the Open Water Instructor Guide in 2009.

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PADI will continue to support an RDP table for both Open Water and Enriched Air. For instructors who prefer teaching with the eRDPML, all of our current eRDPML products will also remain available.

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