Monday, October 26, 2009

PADI Business Seminar 2009 Επιχειρηματικό Σεμινάριο PADI

Είσαι προσκαλεσμένος (-νη) στο Επιχειρηματικό Σεμινάριο 2009 της PADI.

Στα θέματα περιλαμβάνονται:
- Η καταδυτική αγορά στην Ελλάδα
- Η ανάπτυξη του τουρισμού στην Ελλάδα
- Απόκτηση πιστοποίησης Δύτη εισαγωγικού επιπέδου
- Ιδέες μάρκτινγκ

Ημερομηνία: 4 Δεκεμβρίου 2009
Ώρα: 10.00 – 19.00
Τόπος διεξαγωγής: Ξενοδοχείο ΟΑΣΙΣ, Λεωφ. Ποσειδώνος αρ. 27, Τ.Κ. 16675, Γλυφάδα, Αθήνα, Ελλάδα

Το σεμινάριο θα διεξαχθεί από την Regional Manager της PADI, Immi Wallin και είναι τιμή μας να έχουμε προσκεκλημένο ομιλιτή τον κ. Γεώργιο Δρακόπουλο, Γενικό Διευθυντή του ΣΕΤΕ (Σύνδεσμος Ελληνικών Τουριστικών Επιχειρήσεων).

Το σεμινάριο, σας προσφέρεται δωρεάν ως προνόμιο της ιδιότητας σας ως μέλος του PADI International Resort & Retail Association. Κατά τη διάρκεια του σεμιναρίου θα προσφέρονται καφές και αναψυκτικά. Το κόστος γεύματος ή δείπνου επιβαρύνει το συμμετέχοντα.

Το Ξενοδοχείο Οασις προσφέρει διαμονή για τους συμμετέχοντες του σεμιναρίου με τις ακόλουθες ειδικές τιμές:
- Μονόκλινο δωμάτιο με πρωινό 60 ευρώ
- Δίκλινο δωμάτιο με πρωινό 80 ευρώ.

Παρακαλούμε, δηλώστε συμμετοχή το αργότερο μέχρι τις 13 Νοεμβρίου στην ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση
immi.wallin at padi.co.uk.
Για κρατήσεις δωματίων επικοινωνήστε απευθείας με το Ξενοδοχείο Οασισ στην ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση oasis@ath.forthnet.gr.


PADI Dive Center/Dive Resort owners/managers are warmly welcome to the PADI Business Seminar 2009

The topics includes:
- Diving industry in Greece
- Tourism development in Greece
- Entry level diver acquisition
- Marketing ideas

Date: 4th of December 2009
Time: 10:00-19:00

Venue: Oasis Hotel, 27, Poseidonos Ave., 166 75 Glyfada, Athens - Greece

The seminar will be conducted by Immi Wallin, PADI Regional Manager and we are honored to have a guest speaker Mr. Georgios Drakopoulos, General Manager of SETE.

The seminar is offered to PADI Dive Center/Dive Resort owners/managers free of charge as a PADI International Resort and Retail Association Membership benefit. Coffee and refreshments are offered during the seminar. Lunch and dinner are at participant’s cost.

Hotel Oasis is offering accommodation for the seminar participants with the following special rates:
- Single occupancy room € 60.00 BB
- Double occupancy room € 80.00 BB

Please, register your attendance latest on 13th of November to immi.wallin at padi.co.uk
Possible room reservations directly to Hotel Oasis oasis@ath.forthnet.gr

Scuba Connect gets your DSD participants to start dive course


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

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

Did you know that 80 percent of Discover Scuba Divers intend on becoming certified, but only seven percent ever actually do?
PADI Scuba Connect™, a new worldwide program, is connecting Discover Scuba Diving participants with their local PADI Dive Centres to assist PADI Resorts and Retailers in converting these one-time participants into active customers.
All PADI Resort and Retail Members have the opportunity to earn $60 US per person by registering your Discover Scuba Divers and encouraging them to become certified. In addition, similar to a traditional open water diver referral, PADI Scuba Connect will act as a reverse referral by encouraging resort Discover Scuba Diving participants to affiliate with a local dive centre once they’re home to complete their inwater training.

How does PADI Scuba Connect work?
  1. Your customers complete the Discover Scuba Diving experience
  2. Register them using the current Discover Scuba Diving registration system
  3. Give them a customised Scuba Connect card with;
    - Your PADI Dive Centre or Resort name
    - A customised promo code – which is the same as your dive centre or resort number
    - The promotional website  

  4. Encourage them to register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online using your customised promotional code.  
  5. When they register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online program, you receive $60 US from your PADI Office.  
  6. If they took their Discover Scuba Diving experience at a resort location, they will be treated as a reverse referral and prompted to affiliate and communicate with a local dive centre during their registration process to:
    - Purchase equipment
    - Purchase an Enhancement-Pak or a Crew-Pak
    - Complete their confined and open water dives

Scuba Connect FAQ
How do you benefit? Here’s one example:
A couple takes a Discover Scuba Diving experience. The instructor registers them online through the PADI Discover Scuba Diving Registration system and encourages them to continue diving by taking the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online. They are not ready to register for the PADI Open Water Diver course that day, but want to continue diving at a later date. Their instructor provides them with a PADI Scuba Connect card and advises them to log on to the PADI Scuba Connect website as listed on the card when they get home.
The couple signs up for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online using the promo code from their PADI Scuba Connect card. The dive centre or resort that initiated the conversion from Discover Scuba Diving to PADI Open Water Diver now earns $120 US ($60 US per person) just for registering the couple as Discover Scuba Diving participants and encouraging the couple to sign up with PADI eLearning. At the current rate of exchange this would be approximately £72.

Who benefits if the Discover Scuba Diving experience happened on holiday at a resort?
Both the PADI Resort and Retailer. If the couple took their Discover Scuba Diving experience with a PADI Resort they are treated as reverse referrals. When they register for the PADI Open Water Diver Course Online, they are prompted to affiliate with a local dive centre so they can complete their confined and open water dives, as well as purchase equipment.
In this case, the local retailer receives two new customers and the resort receives a financial incentive ($120 US) for converting these Discover Scuba Diving participants to open water divers through PADI Scuba Connect.

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


Are you getting your share?



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


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

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

Are you aware of the changes to DSD?

Read here to see how close your intro dive is to an ISO approved programme and find out how to become a leader in your market
Follow these simplified DSD guidelines and reap the rewards

Missing a trick?

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


 Discover Scuba Diving made easy

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



DSD in a pool or confined open water

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

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


DSD - Open Water Dive

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

  • Participants complete and sign the DSD Brochure.
  • Have participants complete and sign the Discover Scuba Diving Knowledge and Safety Review. (Until incorporated in the revised DSD Brochure, you may download the DSD Knowledge and Safety Review (available as a free download from the PADI Pros site homepage). 
  • Before the dive a PADI Instructor: Conducts briefing on equipment they'll be using; explain risks of diving, breathing and equalization rules, aquatic life, limits of the programme.
  • Practice the following skills in shallow water with a PADI Instructor:
    • Inflation and deflation of the BCD at the surface
    • Breathing underwater
    • Regulator clearing and recovery
    • Mask clearing
    • Equalization techniques
    • Hand signals/underwater communication
  • Finally conduct the participants on a tour of the dive site.


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

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


Credit for PADI Scuba Diver and PADI Open Water Diver courses

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


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


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


DSD Facts – why you should use this programme

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


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

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

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

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

 What needs to be considered:

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

Saturday, October 10, 2009

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



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 Deep 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: +44 (0) 117 300 7234 ext. 7347.
Product no 70430

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

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

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

UN-CHANGED ITEMS

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

No changes to the Equipment Set-Up DVD.

Gas Blender

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

Tec Trimix

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

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

Instructors continue to use the same Trimix Lesson Guides.

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

About the Year Behind Us and the Year Ahead

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.