PADI has been sold to another investment group. Thoughts?

[Tigerman]

Nonono, the PADI videos is bad on purpose - they dont want TOO MANY people to take up diving you know

 

[ElGaucho]

Or they want everyone to become an instructor so they DON´T have to watch any more PADI videos ever.

 

[Thalassamania]

I get the PADI bashing and I get the "capitalist" bashing -- what I don't get is that somehow people think that that ONLY a "for profit" corporation like PADI is interested in making money. PADI is a primarily a publishing company, but is that really any different from the other "major" agencies? NAUI doesn't give its materials to the instructor (shop) who sells it to the student, does it? TDI doesn't give its materials away either, does it? (If they both do then I got robbed when I had to pay for them!)

And, of course, PADI doesn't teach anybody to scuba dive -- it is "we the instructors" who do the actual teaching AND charge the students. Me, I sort of wish that PADI would significantly increase its marketing/advertising here in the USofA which just might encourage more people to come to me to teach them how to dive. That PADI would get a boost is just fine by me.

Peter, you're rather misinterpreting the point ... I suspect that rather you're just ignoring it, as it leads to some inconvenient conclusions. Yes, PADI is primarily a publishing company, but their front is all about high quality diver training. We all know that there are better written texts out there, for most each and every class that PADI offers, but the PADI profit system is based on forcing almost everybody to buy a brand new copy of the text that is aimed at the course they are taking, no libraries, no reuses, just excuses and rationales for the policy. At least Bob Clark (founder of SSI) was honest about when he said, "Diving, I don't really like diving ... I'd rather play golf." You will note that even though NAUI has texts available, there is no requirement that they be used, instructors are free to select what they feel best suits the needs of the course and to library the books, if they wish.

 

[The Chairman]

NAUI is a non-profit, PADI is not. This is why I, whenever possible, have gotten my training from a NAUI instructor; I like the idea of having a certifying agency that has its primary responsibility to its customers rather than its shareholders (who may not even be divers).

Do you realize that the president of NAUI is not a certified diver and that NAUI also has a "for profit" side? It's ironic that you specifically mentioned this. Do you know how many agencies, including PADI, that can trace their genesis from being frustrated with NAUI? I know of at least three. PADI still has the original bottle of Scotch (?) on the wall that they were drinking from when they decided that they had had enough.

I hear all the PADI bashing and it's mostly by less successful agencies or people associated with them. If their videos are all that bad, then why are they the LARGEST Scuba training agency in the world??? If they weren't responsive to their shops or their final customers (divers) then how did they succeed where these other, presumably better suited agencies failed to succeed as well? PADI created a mission and stuck to it: they actually Put Another Diver In. No, I am not a PADI instructor, but that's irrelevant. I have chosen SDI/TDI and NASE as my training organizations for a lot of reasons including the fact that they show great innovation and leadership. Still, I can admire another organization for their success at teaching the world to dive.

As for the take over, I also think that the fear of change is rearing it's ugly head. Corporations are bought and sold every day. We'll know more as time goes on, but I'm with Quero. I doubt that the average PADI dive shop or diver will ever notice any difference. We can speculate (or pontificate for a few) all day long and none of us have a clue how this will turn out. I'm sure we'll find out more at DEMA. Until then, I'll just keep an open mind.

 

[The Chairman]

I suspect that rather you're just ignoring it, as it leads to some inconvenient conclusions.

Let me guess this inconvenient conclusion: The Sky is Falling? Again?

This country was founded on free enterprise. The founders of PADI saw an opportunity and took it. Not only did they take it, but they developed it into a behemoth in our industry. They are the only ones to ever challenge ScubaBoard on the Internet. Their Alexa.com rank is right at 30,000 and ours is at 21,000. The last time I checked, the next closest (for Scuba) was over 80,000. Yes, this news has given them a 20% bump, but still, they appear to be the only Scuba entity that actually "gets" Social Media and how to use the internet. It's why they advertise here on ScubaBoard. They love us, even though we won't silence their detractors unless they devolve to mindless bashing. Actually, they probably love us BECAUSE we won't silence their detractors. What better advertising than to have such jealousy posted all over the internet. You may not like it, but that's what it looks like to the casual observer.

 

[Thalassamania]

Let me guess this inconvenient conclusion: The Sky is Falling? Again?

This country was founded on free enterprise. The founders of PADI saw an opportunity and took it. Not only did they take it, but they developed it into a behemoth in our industry. They are the only ones to ever challenge ScubaBoard on the Internet. Their Alexa.com rank is right at 30,000 and ours is at 21,000. The last time I checked, the next closest (for Scuba) was over 80,000. Yes, this news has given them a 20% bump, but still, they appear to be the only Scuba entity that actually "gets" Social Media and how to use the internet. It's why they advertise here on ScubaBoard. They love us, even though we won't silence their detractors unless they devolve to mindless bashing. Actually, they probably love us BECAUSE we won't silence their detractors. What better advertising than to have such jealousy posted all over the internet. You may not like it, but that's what it looks like to the casual observer.

Jealousy is your word, I have nothing in this discussion to be jealous about. I don't give a good god damn about any of the recreational agencies and am critical of them all. I also see success rather differently than you do, but that's what makes for diversity and and what keeps life interesting, I have my ethical system, which includes the right of a teacher to design a course and select the text, you have yours, which appears to include worshiping at the First Church of Alexa. I'm glad you do, for that keeps our playground open.

 

[The Chairman]

Jealousy is your word, I have nothing in this discussion to be jealous about. I don't give a good god damn about any of the recreational agencies and am critical of them all. I also see success rather differently than you do, but that's what makes for diversity and and what keeps life interesting, I have my ethical system, which includes the right of a teacher to design a course and select the text, you have yours, which appears to include worshiping at the First Church of Alexa. I'm glad you do, for that keeps our playground open.

Sorry, I know it's hard to argue against actual facts and figures so it makes you resort to simple snarkiness and an attempt to secure the moral high ground. I said you wouldn't like to hear that it sounds like jealousy, and I was right. I get it and for you: the Sky is indeed Falling! Keep the faith, CL!

 

[fire_diver]

..... they appear to be the only Scuba entity that actually "gets" Social Media and how to use the internet. It's why they advertise here on ScubaBoard. They love us, even though we won't silence their detractors unless they devolve to mindless bashing. .....

In other owrds, Net Doc suckles at the teat of PADI. Of course you are going to defend your cash cow.

 

[HowardE]

In other owrds, Net Doc suckles at the teat of PADI. Of course you are going to defend your cash cow.

PADI is by no means the only certification agency that understands, uses, and advertises on ScubaBoard. Nor would I refer to PADI's campaign on SB as a "cash cow". Pete's analysis of their overall performance on the internet is valid, and anyone can verify this data for themselves. However... I also disagree with his conclusion that this news has given them (PADI) a 20% bump in traffic. I don't see any significant bump in their traffic from this news. I do frequently check the statistics of other websites that are in the reach of SB as far as traffic ranking worldwide and in the USA.

Additionally, do you really think that Pete needs to kiss ass to anyone to keep them as an advertiser on SB? The performance of SB as a social media, and place to advertise your business hardly has to do with how much ass kissing anyone does in a forum post. The ads perform well with or without any mention by Pete or anyone else for that matter.

 

[ElGaucho]

Netdoc, just because a company or someone is successful doesn´t mean the product is good. You shouldn´t confuse one thing with the other. We can talk hours about successful people, enterprises and models that are not good for many, if not even a majority of the people involved with it. So drop the american dream concept of assuming that since something has more success in the marketplace then it is better than the rest. The free market ideology is not everything it has been cut to be, and to prove it (since you are into hard numbers), I can show you the last 50 years of the world itself, but you can truly focus on the US if needed for clarity. I rest my case.

Now, this is not about bashing PADI as you put it, out of jealousy or any crap like that. I believe as a PADI member, and as a paying customer, I have the right to complain about the lousy service I receive. Making me, or FORCING me, to use BAD materials (videos, texts, etc), performing poorly in their basic function which is marketing (they live off their actual positioning in the diving world, but do little to increase market share actually, or little to really promote diving outside of the current marketshare). This is actual free enterprise you apparently enjoy so much. PADI should just stop catering to 17 year olds by selling them the diving way of life to actually make them become an instructor for a couple of years until they burn down or realize they actually need a real job without a window looking to the sea.

You TRULY are going to say that PADI has been quick to grasp the social media concept? Haha. That´s a good one. Scubeearth has been out, sorry, er, vaporware for how long? Have you seen the PADI postings in Facebook? How many actual PADI representatives scour, post or even participate in this board? Are you truly going to tell me PADI has grasped the social media because they pay for a few banner in scuba board? That´s not grasping social media mate, that´s old school marketing in the new world. Social media implies interaction mate. HOG, Hollis, Zeagle, Shearwater, etc are companies that have a much better grasp of social media. Even some of them have been built basically on word of mouth on the boards (on the marketing side let´s call it).

Oh well ...