Freelancing

[krispykritter]

I just finished up my SDI dive master a few months ago. I have been working at my LDS. I want to become a instructor but I have a question. Is it true that as a SDI instructor you have to be affiliated with a dive shop in order to teach or can I freelance and teach on my own.

 

[Imbodie]

I thought SSI was the only organization that required you be affiliated with a shop??

 

[DelrayDM]

You may affiliate with more than one shop.

 

[kensuf]

You will not be able to access the e-Learning system to monitor a students progress unless you are affiliated with a shop. And there is no SDI instructor locator on the main TDI/SDI web-site, only an SDI Shop locator.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Short answer is yes you can still teach free lance. I do.

I don't worry about the e learning stuff since I don't teach it and, even if a student did take it, I'm not going to reduce classroom time. I'll use the same amount of time to cover more material after I verify they really know AND understand what was covered in the e learning.

I am affiliated with two training entities. One is a shop, one is a course director.

As a TDI Instructor for TDI courses no affiliation is needed.

It makes no difference to me if one of those I am affiliated with gets some kind of credit for the courses I teach and submit with them as the affiliate. Heck one of them is 45 miles away and I've only been there twice since I crossed over in 2012.

The other is in Canada and never been to his place. I have also had the offer of affiliating with other shops all over the country. By the time you do your instructor course you will have hopefully made more than a few friends that will allow you to affiliate with their place.

As for people locating me for instruction without being listed on the SDI site as an instructor that does not seem to be any problem at all.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

So what exactly does "affiliation" imply in this context? Does it mean that the affiliate shop charges a fee for each student just because you are "affiliated" with them? The very idea of an "independent" instructor who is "affiliated" with a shop sounds like a contradiction. What benefit does the shop get for affiliating instructors with them who give the shop nothing back in return? Curious.

 

[abnfrog]

affiliation is just YOU as the instructor has asked a facility to teach threw.... the facility accepts you ...you can affiliate with any facility in the world ..and you can buy sdi materials threw that facility ....but you can still freelance ......

 

[waynne fowler]

Without a shop affiliation, how do your students purchase their classroom materials?
I've understood that sdi will only sell materials to a registered shop?

Thank you on advance for your replies.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I buy all my materials direct. Once you affiliate with a shop you open an account under your name on the SDI/TDI site. Log into the account and get what you need for your students. Again if my buying my materials raises my affiliates numbers I'm cool with that. He's a good guy.
What I care about is getting my materials when I need them. SDI/TDI is great at that. Usually have my order in a couple days. If I order on Sat, Sun, or Monday they are usually here on Wednesday.

 

[Kharon]

I'm not an instructor and I have bought manuals directly from SDI/TDI.