Hi, it's your instructor calling....

[Hockeynut]

You remember me, right? At the end of your OW class, remember me telling you one of my greatest pleasures in diving is the opportunity to dive and mentor my former students? I remember you mentioning how much there was to learn in this sport and how eager you were to learn.

I gave you my card and told you to call any time you had a question or wanted to dive.
I send you emails about upcoming dives in the hopes that you'll join me.
You have my cell number, my work and email addresses.....
You bought a lot of gear, but I know you barely use it, if at all...

Why haven't you called?

Mouthwash maybe?

I dive with my instructors all the time. Not my original ow one, I don't even know if he's living.

 

[mudhole]

You remember me, right?
Why haven't you called?

Dave, you're discussing the question we've been asking for 40 years. . . Nobody has any answers, but there have been some "tricks" that have snared a few back into the water.
When asked questions new divers think we're the Scuba Police. . . so they won't give an answer. When a "friend of a friend" answers. . . it seems embarrassment that your student didn't "instantly download all your knowledge. They may have expected to become "Masters" of all that could be known underwater.

New divers expectations may be at fault. . . Are they coming out of a certification class expecting to be great divers? Is their ego unwilling to accept a beginning explorer role? Does the presence of experienced divers drive them away? The same questions year after year, after year. . .

I have no answers, but a few experiences, that have some success. . . At local dive site, I'll approach younger divers while I wear shorts and a tee shirt "mysterious stranger" I'll ask how they find "todays" conditions, and offer another location that is "usually better". The underwater park is crowded and muddy. . . That shoreline over there is empty, but a very good dive site.

If the new diver comes to the lake with a boat. . . There's a dive shop that gives out "boat diving maps" that I created to let divers find entry level sites. Someone dives our lake in the spring an labels the lake a mud hole. . . I point out the visible creeks that are running brown, and show the upstream shore is still clear.

Please help, I've tried many ways to drag the new divers into the lake, but they need some "innocent" pull to find a prize they can bring back to their instructor. Add your ideas, I can always adapt your good ideas to our lake, and our reluctant new divers.

 

[knives]

My instructor never offered to take us out diving after the course ....don't know where he is now. Took me a while to get out and dive on my own....
Now that I am an instructor ....I always make sure my students know they are welcome to call me about any questions or concerns. I dive with new OW divers often, not just my own students..... I love to help divers get out and enjoy the water....and sometimes they just need a helping hand to get out.....

 

[kanonfodr]

You remember me, right? At the end of your OW class, remember me telling you one of my greatest pleasures in diving is the opportunity to dive and mentor my former students? I remember you mentioning how much there was to learn in this sport and how eager you were to learn.

I gave you my card and told you to call any time you had a question or wanted to dive.
I send you emails about upcoming dives in the hopes that you'll join me.
You have my cell number, my work and email addresses.....
You bought a lot of gear, but I know you barely use it, if at all...

Why haven't you called?

Well I talked to you the other day on the boat and you said that since you had started working full time for the dive shop, you hadn't been out on a "fun" dive since.

I think you need to take some time off and go have some fun, my man. I will be waiting for you because you're a good diver.

Peace,
Greg

 

[gbray]

The more I think of it , this kinda sits bad with me. I have had the better part of one hundred dives since my OW class. the only other training I have had is a dry suit class. I attempted twice to take a AOW class at a local quarry and twice they cancelled because they got too busy. my OW was done at Bonne Terre mine where it costs me $260.00 each time my wife and I dive there just in entrance fees. My instructor works there every weekend so even if he did invite me to dive with him (Which he has never done) I couldn't afford to. I feel kind of left out. I love to dive and would dive with anyone willing ( as all at the local quarry can testify to).

As it turns out though I have dove with instructors, cavers, DIR types and even a boat captain while waiting for an instabudy at the quarry. I would dive with my instructors or any else IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD ASK.!

TS&M I would even dive with you if I were ever in that area(LOL) (I have read some of your posts).

 

[OkiMike]

My original PADI instructor that I learned from up through Rescue only called to sell me more classes of his. I "bit", but as soon as I ran out of classes, he never called.

I remember switching over after that to GUE and my Fundamentals teacher became one of my closest diving buddies for the next three years. Considering he had a full time job in the military to attend to, that was quite a thing for him to do!

 

[String]

One thing that would guarantee me to never do another course with an instructor would be unsolicited phone calls or communications after i'd completed a course.

I HATE being actively pursued in the interests of sales. I'll make my own mind up what i want to do and then decide who/where to do it. Irritating me with unwanted calls after the event is likely to make me do it somewhere else.

 

[Culcuhain]

My wife just got certified and I took the refresher course with her.
After her checkout dive, it was offered that they were going back in to the "mudhole" (hahaha) in a few weeks and if we wanted to go, just let him know.

Today I am running by his shop and dropping off our regs to get tweaked (freeflow too easy) and going to reserve the gear we need for the dive next weekend. I didn't feel like he was trying to upsell/sell, but hey we need to rent the gear...

He did offer a special on the Nitrox class at the end of the OW class. I jumped on that. Didn't feel pressured...

Time to drop some more $$ at the LDS... such is the life... :cool2:

Have a great day!

 

[scubajim 1]

I also let my students know they are always welcome to dive with me. What seems to work best for me is that most are here or on FB. I create dive events and send former students and/or dive buddies the information. It allows me to fun dive at least once a week with a great bunch of people.
If any of my former students see this thread, please know I love diving with you. It is great to see you enjoying our sport.

 

[*dave*]

One thing that would guarantee me to never do another course with an instructor would be unsolicited phone calls or communications after i'd completed a course.

I HATE being actively pursued in the interests of sales. I'll make my own mind up what i want to do and then decide who/where to do it. Irritating me with unwanted calls after the event is likely to make me do it somewhere else.

This isn't about selling, it's about diving. Would your response be the same if, as a new diver, if you were contacted about an upcoming dive and were invited to join?