NAUI to PADI Instructor

[Dive the World]

Dive the World, you are misinformed--it's not a franchise and it is about instructing. Plainly put, every agency has a set of standards that must be met while conducting courses. Just because an instructor knows the standards and is familiar with the materials from one agency does not mean that s/he will be instantly conversant with the materials and standards of a second agency regardless of that instructor's acquired expertise in teaching scuba diving through the original agency. The OWSI portion of the PADI IDC focuses on PADI standards and on using the various PADI teaching aids available in both for the classroom setting and the in-water settings (confined and open water). If I were to cross over to NAUI, I would be expected to follow the "NAUI way" when issuing NAUI certs, and in order to follow the NAUI way, I would need to have an in-depth knowledge of the standards and procedures NAUI requires its instructors to adhere to. The various agencies function similarly on this organisational level. Now whether the most effective means for gaining the necessary understanding is by doing an IDC is a different issue. But it's simply inaccurate to state that the reason for doing the IDC is because the instructor is entering into a franchise agreement.

Just so I am clear - the franchise comment was not targeted towards PADI - it was more towards the uniformity of doing things. Not legally speaking as you mentioned "Franchise Agreement"

Although it may be considered a sort of a Psychological Contract.

It would apply to all agencies - PADI, TDI, GUE, BSAC, IANTD, NAUI, UTD, ABCD, XYZ - it would apply to all of them and all of their crossovers.

Franchise - is a uniformed approach to providing and delivering a product consistently. That would in this case refer to a business model that provides either a product or service, this will also include instructing. Like you said yourself "PADI IDC focuses on PADI standards and on using the various PADI teaching aids available in both for the classroom setting and the in-water settings"

By your own statement it would be understood that all PADI instructors would have gone through knowing all PADI teaching aids so as a result a consistency will be expected between instructors trained by PADI. The same would be expected if you got trained in California or Florida or Thailand.

The same would be said for any other agency.

The fact is, it is easier to duplicate a product like Big Mac or a Starbucks grand latte as compared to duplicating identical instructors. We are all humans and will have varying experience and varying delivery - however knowing you are certified by a certain agency leads to a "minimum expectations"

Another comparison would be organizations that are ISO certified. It does not mean they are greatest organization in the world - it only means that they conform to a minimum standard as set by ISO.

I will stick by my comment - you are getting into a franchise. I will also add that you are entering into a franchise concept irrespective of which agency you are coming from and which agency you are going to.

Yes, if you move to NAUI - you will be entering into the NAUI franchise.

I hope that clears the thought process behind by franchise comment.

 

[Quero]

It does clear it up. Thanks. You are using your own idiosyncratic definition of 'franchise', but at least you have defined what you understand it to be.

I do not define franchise in this way, perhaps because I actually run a business and understand business and contractual terms in their technical senses. My company does not hold a license for use of the PADI trademark and is not part of any PADI (or any other agency) franchise despite the fact that I am a PADI instructor. As a PADI instructor, I have the option of crossing over to any of a number of other agencies, and in fact of holding instructor credentials through all of them simultaneously. If I were a franchisee, this would be akin to Burbury's and Laura Ashley and Next all sharing space. But wait! This business model does exist--in the form of department stores, and these department stores are quite clearly not franchises simply because they sell a branded product.

So no, as a PADI instructor I am not a franchisee of PADI, and if I were to cross over to NAUI, I wouldn't be a franchisee of NAUI either. On the other hand, SSI requires all instructors to affiliate with an SSI shop, so in crossing over to SSI, my business would have to enter into a trademark-use agreement with the SSI agency.

In other words, the rules governing cross-over processes are about instruction, not about a franchise arrangement. And this point was the core of my response to your post.

 

[Dive the World]

Quero, Glad we got that cleared up. Contractual was not on my mind - just the spirit of things.

Do you provide discounts to SB Users? Phuket 2013

 

[Thalassamania]

Quero, There is no "NAUI Way." To be a NAUI instructor one must be sure that the NAUI standards are met or exceeded, usually exceeded. Everything from a slightly enhanced PADI class to a 100 hour Scripps model course can fit. However, to be a PADI instructor one must assure that one does things the "PADI Way." In that sense it is a franchise, one is delivering a defined product, defined in terms of both top and bottom, in a comparatively restricted way.

 

[Quero]

Thal, you have just described the "NAUI way." That there is more latitude for a NAUI instructor to decide on curriculum does not make a PADI instructor a franchisee.

---------- Post Merged at 05:35 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:29 AM ----------

Quero, Glad we got that cleared up. Contractual was not on my mind - just the spirit of things.

Do you provide discounts to SB Users? Phuket 2013

Send me a message about your 2013 plans.

 

[Thalassamania]

Thal, you have just described the "NAUI way." That there is more latitude for a NAUI instructor to decide on curriculum does not make a PADI instructor a franchisee.

---------- Post Merged at 05:35 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:29 AM ----------


Send me a message about your 2013 plans.

While franchisee may be a bit harsh, in comparison it is not unfair. PADI not only has a required minim, a defined maxim, but also required texts and other materials. In a NAUI program the instructor has to include some minimum items, there is no defined maxim and the choice of texts and other materials is wide open. PADI's plan is to have all PADI courses be as similar as they can possibly force them into being, thus the "PADI Way." NAUI's plan is just to assure that a minimum set of skills and knowledge base in included, thus there is not "NAUI Way," unless you want to define diversity as, "a way."

 

[Dive the World]

While franchisee may be a bit harsh, in comparison it is not unfair. PADI not only has a required minim, a defined maxim, but also required texts and other materials. In a NAUI program the instructor has to include some minimum items, there is no defined maxim and the choice of texts and other materials is wide open. PADI's plan is to have all PADI courses be as similar as they can possibly force them into being, thus the "PADI Way." NAUI's plan is just to assure that a minimum set of skills and knowledge base in included, thus there is not "NAUI Way," unless you want to define diversity as, "a way."

I just made a very right-brained observation - but it wasn't an extended metaphor.

Lets put a big red bow on it and shake hands

 

[toddthecat]

SSI requires all instructors to affiliate with an SSI shop, so in crossing over to SSI, my business would have to enter into a trademark-use agreement with the SSI agency.

I was going to stay out of this too but I'll have to butt in here...

As a PADI shop owner I can tell you that PADI shops enter trademark-use agreements with PADI. They go ape **** if you use their logos or other trademarked products improperly. They seem to even have the English language specifically trademarked. We had to deal with them when we advertised a trip for our students to attend an IDC in the Caribbean. It was VERY clear that the IDC was being conducted by a particular shop in a particular place and that we were hosting the travel. A rival shop wanted to screw with us and called PADI about it. They said we weren't permitted to advertise the IDC unless it was specifically written as "Want to Go Pro? Attend the IDC at (wherever) 5 Star IDC Center!". When I asked where I was supposed to find that information they told me that if I had questions about wording things then I can always call them. When I asked again about the specific book I didn't have that stated such rules about verbiage they said no such book existed. Makes you wonder how they came up with such rules if there is no such rulebook. I lost a substantial amount of respect for them, especially after they said it was a verified quality assurance violation that would stay on the shop's record.

I have no problem with following the rules, but they need to be stated so I can follow them.

---------- Post added August 15th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ----------

While franchisee may be a bit harsh, in comparison it is not unfair. PADI not only has a required minim, a defined maxim, but also required texts and other materials.

Show me the "defined maxim". I want to know where they place limits on going above and beyond the requirements and exactly what those limits are.

 

[Simon-]

You'll be lucky to get a sensible answer.

Sadly, because something in the manual states "minimum of .........", some people believe all PADI instructors only do that.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

This seems like a no brainer. The NAUI instructor is more than qualified to teach any PADI course. It should be as simple as a quick run through to reinforce the restrictions and parameters of the PADI program, instruct the person that he or she must adhere to that program and then give them the card.