The cost of Padi

[Scuba_Steve]

The reason people are now required to buy the books, from what I hear, is that there have been a few lawsuits lost due to people not receiving the books. People have asked how are they supposed to remember what was taught to them 5 years back if they have no reference book. I guess it has something to do with protecting themselves and those who work under their name.

Have a link to that?

I think I know who started that rumour/scare tactic.

Trying to rember exactly what had been talked about on this subject. Photo copying from the book, the KRs is a copy right infringment BUT having students write there answers on blank paper and keeping those is frowned upon by PADI but it meets there standards.......

Hmmm, that's good to know. I'm looking into that. If you have any further info/links, please let us know.

 

[cdiver2]

There is another alternative for all of you who think PADI is such a ripoff and lousy organization... Go Somewhere Else and Quit Complaining. You don't "HAVE" to do anything and I for one am getting fed up with all the constant complaining. If you don't like PADI, fine. Don't give them your money or your time.

There, now I feel better.

I for one am getting fed up with all the constant complaining.

And yet another alternative Take your own advice, don't read them, go somewhere else.

 

[oly5050user]

well, I have a friend who has certified a lot of divers over the years and he said that he got a phone call about taking their little logo off his website unless he paid for the use. It struck me funny. I mean if you are a dealer of some product, how would you take it if the company wanted to charge you to tell people that you had their product. Look, I don't care one way or another. My livelihood is in no way tied to PADI, I just am hearing a lot of disatisfaction rather suddenly out there. There seems to be something changing, I have no idea what it is. There are always the malcontents out there but the people that have caught my attention lately are the positive, non-complainer types. I just think something is up.

is your friend a padi instr or dive facility..I have trouble with this because part of the dive facility dues/instr dues are paid for you to be able to use the logo for advertising purposes..I have heard of non padi facilities , or former padi facilities,displaying logo and getting the phone call for copyright infringement.

 

[craborn]

You are correct that IF you are a PADI instructor you may buy direct from PADI. Your discount depends on the amount of purchase you have done. Then you can sell them for whatever price you think is fair. PADI, SSI, etc... is a business and somethings we may not agree with but they are no better than their instructors. I can only speak for me but I am working my butt off to train good, safe divers that I would be proud to dive with. All PADI does is provide support of materials, training and a certification that is WORLD recognized.

 

[Bruciebabe]

PADI produce the best educational materials in the dive industry. They must cost a fortune to produce, PADI need to get this investment back.
The Open Water and Advanced manuals contain all the fundemental skills.
So it makes very good sense for divers to have their own reference copies.
I see this move to compulsory ownership of the manuals as PADI trying to improve standards, which is what we all want.
The cost, as a percentage of total diving costs, is minimal, yet they contain the core knowledge for our sport.

 

[oly5050user]

PADI allows the use of their logos and etc. by every dive isntructor, so I don\'t know what Catherine\'s friend is talking about, but that\'s not a true story (that they were told they had to pay to use the logos and etc.). I too am sick of all the complaining and PADI bashing, and there\'s an \"acronym\" for every dive org. For example: Not Another Undertrained Instructor and Scuba School Incomprehensible. I\'d rather pay my money to an orgaznization that actually supports me and provides value to me as an instructor. Vote with your feet and go somewhere else (as others have noted). Also, maybe if it was every dive instructor with multiple agency licenses or divers with 5000 dives and 20 years experience saying these things, but usually its the newbie diver parroting what they have \"heard\" from some disgruntled person or shop owner or instructor bound to another agency - I think it\'s kind of transparent....

Totally agree with you..I am an instr. that has multiple agency certifications and has been at it since 1971..It comes down to what facility you associate with(if the store is busy you are busy,if the store is not you are not)..I have found that padi has provided me whatever support I needed (training materials etc) ..Instructors are there to teach diving,but have to make $ at it or they just do their day job to make $ and go diving just for fun. Why spend your time and $ to be an instructor and not be compensated for it? People become instructors because they love diving and would also like to make some $ at it. If you think the drop out rate is high with ow divers find out how many instructors are still teaching after 2/3 years after their IE.Not too many..Either they are poor instructors and cannot motivate people to dive or life changes and they no longer have the time for it..The dive industry is very small and to make the most out of it you have to not just teach ow but get your students to do con ed,get them to travel WITH YOU on trips (you book it and teach/do ow training dives-nitrox-photo courses)..Its not easy but can be done.

 

[TropicRat]

It is quite common for dive shops and individual instructors to "take the bit between their teeth" it is the spirit of profit at work. As previously mentioned, this is quite common in resort areas where the shop feels they have a captive customer to be fleeced to the max, regardless of the cert- agency. It is downright amazing how some of them have the nerve to pull it off.

Vote with your feet, fins or DPD, but first advise them of your opinion and tell your friends.

 

[Debraw]

well, I have a friend who has certified a lot of divers over the years and he said that he got a phone call about taking their little logo off his website unless he paid for the use.quote]

Does your friend/instructor teach PADI? I have heard of shops using the PADI logo to get people in the door and then push another training agency on them. I am sure that if I owned a cellular store and hung a Verizon Wireless sign out front but then when they came in I told them all about a Sprint product, I would get a letter/phonecall or two from Verizon asking me what they heck I was doing.

 

[cesar]

Do people really not get the concept of making a profit. Also here is a small hint... Most LDS pay the same amount for the inventory they cary. Then they are given a "suggested retail price." If the shop doesnt want to go by this they dont have too. Similar to gas. Ever see a Shell station charge 2.39, and drive a block see another Shell charging 2.55? Same concept. They both paid a similar amount for the gas. It's not just Padi. Even your local food market adjust prices. "Supply Vs. Demand" More people want to learn to dive...prices will fluxuate a bit.

Similar to training cost. Find out how much it would cost to do Padi training in Texas, as opposed to Padi training in Maui. It must be my higher educated economic background...or maybe the Trump in me that noticed this, but I am more then happy to pass on the word.

 

[wreckchick]

I'll take the tangent bait... since when does the instructor not need to keep the Knowlege Reviews? I'm pretty sure that in my IDC we discussed why we DO have to keep them, it's the part about ensuring that the student understands the academics.

Rachel