OK enough fun now its time to move ahead. I really love to kibitz with you guys. I hope you dont take it too seriously. Once you get to know me better I think you will find I am full of a lot of xxxx and love to have a lively exchange. It does get me into trouble sometimes but I am the stage in my life where I really dont care anymore. When talking to my friends I love to rank them when talking with students and clients its mister diplomatic. On this level that we are talking about I am no longer stroking egos I am making professionals. Most of the up comers have got it all wrong and need a kick in the pants to think about what is. Lets move ahead with the thread and see what else I have to say that you can critique me about.
Dont just sell your scuba seminar sell yourself and your staff. By preparing yourself and your staff to the highest level you have something more to offer your students than the run of the mill Instructor and divemaster routine. Again I state: Your staff should all be well seasonsed instructors and master instructors. Do not use Dive Masters. If you have a Divemaster in training his or her only function is to observe and to provide backup in the event of a pop up student. They need to be friendly cordial and humble. If they are even apologetic this goes well with your clients.
My dive Master/ Assistant Instructor Course costs $1000.00 I think the most expensive in the nation. How can I get this much for this course?
The run of the mill dive master has to take 5 tests on physics, equipment, bla bla bla. He has to assist with two open water classes and wha la he is a dive master
Well no he is not a dive master. I dont even allow my dive masters to take their exams for at least a year. What constitutes a good dive master is experience with students in training. Operation of the compressor systems, Operation of the small boats, ability to fix a regulator in the field in minutes. Understanding of the equipment that the shop sells. Make sure that all your assistants and dive master wears exactly the same equipment that you do and then sell this exact system to your students. Why not, it is the best in the industry and this will make your money on the far side. I do not want any of my staff to wear anything that we do not sell in the shop and if they advise differently they are out forever.
Anyway what makes a seasoned Instructor. In an earlier thread I think called what makes a good instructor or diving uncertified there was a lively debate about teaching scuba and some felt an experience diver could do a great job. Well this is just stupid. One of the sections in the Instructor training program is to deal with student problems. The course director creates scenario where the instructor candidates have common problems and deal with these problems. The key is experience in what is going on out there underwater and how to deal with a problem right now. A well-seasoned Instructor not only has practiced these in the pool and classroom and open water but he has lived it for a couple of years as an assistant instructor. Now this is a guy you want on your staff. I know Instructors who cant even fill a scuba tank.
Now lets get one thing straight about why I am so tough on my staff. It is past the spoiling stage. I no longer need to stroke their egos. We are professionals with peoples lives in our hands. If I tell an Instructor to do something he had better know how to do it and to do it now. If he doesnt its my fault> This is especially when things get real dicey like in a hurricane, which I have lived through two, and brought back all of my divers UN harmed. Since I am a real Captain I can tell you a life on the sea is not all fun and games.
I remember one time we were in a Hugh storm I was at the helm and we had a student go down. I was using the boat staff as my staff. I needed for them to get Oxygen to this student. I had brought my Oxygen kit from Dan. Do you know not one of those people knew how to assemble the oxygen kit? I had to instruct them on the spot while my student waited for Oxygen.
In another InstanceI was with a major dive operation in Roatan and had even checked out that they had the correct emergency equipment on board. When I had a student who surfaced to quickly and needed oxygen we learned their oxygen bottle was near empty. Fortunately we were close enough to shore and were able to get oxygen quickly
Dont trust anybody or any operation. You make damn sure that you have all of the equipment in place and that it works properly and the staff knows how to operate it.
I should point out that I have never had an injured student or a student who got DCS etc. I use oxygen for seasickness as well as other minor problems. It really makes a difference. More on this later.
My last dive master I trained wandered off as they usually do. He ended up in Thailand. He went to work for a dive operation and when they learned what he knew They made him the shop general manager and then put him through a quick instructor course
He later got drunk and wrecked a car and is now selling soft wear.