Thank heavens for PADI

[Kestrell]

EZ,

That is a load of crap and you know it.

Obviously an ex highschool debate team member.

Best response I've ever read on the board, bar none.

ROTF

 

[Scuba]

Thank Heavens for PADI

I'm not sure if we should thank the Heavens, PADI, Lawman, who or what for this 700 plus post thread - but we may need divine intervention to end it.

 

[scubatoys]

People get way too worked up over this... They are a vendor... plain and simple. No different than someone I get a mask from or a snorkel. Agencies are nothing more than a vendor that sells books and little cards with names on them.

My job as a store owner is to decide what vendors I want to carry. So when it comes to agencies, who has the best materials, who gives me the most freedom to adapt to my students needs, who doesn't rip me off on the price of products I'm buying. The other thing is some agencies grab the students names and use them for their own marketing and sell their names to others. I don't appreciate a vendor that does that. If I had a vendor that said every time you sell a snorkel, we have to have that persons name and address and we're going to invite him to go on a dive trip with us... I don't think I'd carry those snorkels anymore - especially when I can get some others that are better and cheaper.

So really it is up to the stores to decide what agency they want to teach... When I looked at all the upside, and downside of each agency, it became a very easy question to answer.

 

[miketsp]

The other thing is some agencies grab the students names and use them for their own marketing and sell their names to others. I don't appreciate a vendor that does that. If I had a vendor that said every time you sell a snorkel, we have to have that persons name and address and we're going to invite him to go on a dive trip with us... I don't think I'd carry those snorkels anymore - especially when I can get some others that are better and cheaper.

I can quite understand that dive agencies/stores/LDSs treat contact information like gold, after all there are not that many divers as a percentage of the population, there are not many good dive mags to advertise in and divers tend to spend quite a lot of money on their hobby.
I receive a constant stream of emails from every dive operator/shop I have ever had dealings with. I don't mind this.
I would object if they sold/gave my email to some non-related spammer but this never happened as far as I can tell.

 

[MikeFerrara]

People get way too worked up over this... They are a vendor... plain and simple. No different than someone I get a mask from or a snorkel. Agencies are nothing more than a vendor that sells books and little cards with names on them.

My job as a store owner is to decide what vendors I want to carry. So when it comes to agencies, who has the best materials, who gives me the most freedom to adapt to my students needs, who doesn't rip me off on the price of products I'm buying. The other thing is some agencies grab the students names and use them for their own marketing and sell their names to others. I don't appreciate a vendor that does that. If I had a vendor that said every time you sell a snorkel, we have to have that persons name and address and we're going to invite him to go on a dive trip with us... I don't think I'd carry those snorkels anymore - especially when I can get some others that are better and cheaper.

So really it is up to the stores to decide what agency they want to teach... When I looked at all the upside, and downside of each agency, it became a very easy question to answer.

This would be fine if they didn't try to tell you how to teach.

I spent far more time learning to teach a good class (one that results in students really being able to dive) in spite of agency standards than I spent learning to administer agency standards.

They may be brilliant at marketing but they don't know squat about diving.

Maybe if they spent some of the energy they use figuring new ways to split classes up (shorter and faster) to aid in marketing and more time learning how to teach effectively it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[scubatoys]

This would be fine if they didn't try to tell you how to teach.

I spent far more time learning to teach a good class (one that results in students really being able to dive) in spite of agency standards than I spent learning to administer agency standards.

They may be brilliant at marketing but they don't know squat about diving.

Maybe if they spent some of the energy they use figuring new ways to split classes up (shorter and faster) to aid in marketing and more time learning how to teach effectively it wouldn't be so bad.

Oh, they don't tell me how to teach... I have all the freedom in the world. Did I mention that we do Naui?? Started out as a PADI instructor in 1989 - then when I found the freedom Naui offered along with better materials at cheaper prices, I switched. I'm a course director now - in fact doing an instructor cross over for a bunch of guys next week. Some of them are PADI... So I'll just have to talk a bit slower.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Thank Heavens for PADI

I'm not sure if we should thank the Heavens, PADI, Lawman, who or what for this 700 plus post thread - but we may need divine intervention to end it.

Where would be the fun in that! LOL.

 

[PhotoTJ]

Can some one kill this BLAH BLAH thread

This thread will die of it's own accord, if you don't let Mike post anymore.

152 posts in this thread. That has got to be the individual record for single thread posting. I nominate him for the 'Passionate Poster' award.

Is the nomination seconded?

 

[tndiveinstruct1]

Is the nomination seconded?

I second the nomination.

 

[MikeFerrara]

This thread will die of it's own accord, if you don't let Mike post anymore.

152 posts in this thread. That has got to be the individual record for single thread posting. I nominate him for the 'Passionate Poster' award.

Is the nomination seconded?

LOL...
That's not fair. I didn't start it back up.