The General Angst Over the PADI eLearning Program

[MXGratefulDiver]

Thehasslemania :huh:

all4nobrainscuba05

:shakehead

:no

 

[Thalassamania]

Thehasslemania :huh:

all4nobrainscuba05

:shakehead

:no

I quite agree, but I hate to yell for the MOD. Do feel free to do so if you wish, no objection here at having the posts redacted.

 

[TCDiver1]

I quite agree, but I hate to yell for the MOD. Do feel free to do so if you wish, no objection here at having the posts redacted.

Yes, as usual, you're above petty name calling and intellectual digs. Not you .... never!

 

[Thalassamania]

Yes, as usual, you're above petty name calling and intellectual digs. Not you .... never!

Is this your way of staying "above the fray?" I don't pretend and I don't need the MODS to take care of me, in point fact I'd just assume be able to deal with the snide little S***s myself. But those are not the rules here and I have no wish to offend NWGratefulDiver, whom I have a lot of respect for.

 

[JeffG]

I luv Scubaboard.


Today has been a very good day. I haven't seen one like it for a while.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Re: Independent Instructors. I was one once and totally understood then that I was operating at a disadvantage to diveshops. A shop has a lot more to offer a student and a customer than an independent.

Like what?!? Equipment and trips, with the pressure to buy their equipment and go on their trips? The one thing I've seen that most dive shops don't offer students is more personalized training at an affordable cost to the student. Another thing I've seen that most dive shops don't offer is no pressure, unbiased advice on gear. I really don't see what a shop has to offer that makes it advantageous over an independent, especially in today's world of the Internet. Okay, air fills may be one thing, but it's not a lot more, especially for if you have your own compressor.

 

[Otter]

I see the issue as a two-prong issue:

1. eLearning as a delivery platform -- I have no problem with the concept. I am not familiar with the PADI implementation (having not seen the materials), but I am confident that it could be done in such a way as produce higher quality (academically) divers than what are produced today.

2. eLearning as a business practice. The implementation favors PADI first, dive shops 2nd, and instructors last.

PADI becomes the first point of contact and based upon whatever criteria it may desire, routes/informs the student to a LDS for follow-up academics, pool, and ocean work. It would seem to genericize all PADI LDSs in an area eliminates non-PADI shops -- which of course is their desire. In the old .COM parlance, PADI "owns" the customer....could easily email the person for followup and suggest a different LDS if their original LDS switched agencies. I haven't thought much more about the advantage PADI has but being first to the customers seems to hold promise for more.

Independent instructors are left out. It has been my experience that better instruction comes from independent instructors. I realize this is a generalization, but I can tell you from my experience most shops push them through the mill, many pushing many thousands of dollars of equipment that they may never use/need. I understand thats is business, but the customer is not best served this way and generally they will figure it out and in the long-run the shop's only sale will be their first sale if the push this model.

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

Like what?!? Equipment and trips, with the pressure to buy their equipment and go on their trips? The one thing I've seen that most dive shops don't offer students is more personalized training at an affordable cost to the student. Another thing I've seen that most dive shops don't offer is no pressure, unbiased advice on gear. I really don't see what a shop has to offer that makes it advantageous over an independent, especially in today's world of the Internet. Okay, air fills may be one thing, but it's not a lot more, especially for if you have your own compressor.

Yes, equipment & trips is part of it. Divers need these to keep diving and to enjoy the sport. As far as pressure sales, well, I know there are shops that do that. I don't happen to run a shop like that. I've been known to talk someone out of a purchase I didn't think was right for them. I might be biased a little, but I carry what I think is the best equipment.

I run a small shop, but we have 4 instructors. We pride ourselves on personal service, working around peoples busy schedules. I think a lot of shops have forgotten that we are here to serve the public, not the public serving us. We do whatever we can to make customers happy. This month, we had several different classes running at the same time, something an independent would have trouble with. We have enough gear and manpower to teach a dozen divers at once, something I couldn't do as an independent. As an independent, you probably work a full time job outside diving. So if someone can only do classes in the middle of the week, an independent is going to find it tough to meet their needs.
Yes, air fills, nitrox fills, equipment servicing are also part of this deal and something that is difficult for the average independent. So, I do believe its a disadvantage being an independent. I didn't say it was bad being an independent, just tougher. I had a working relationship with other shops, that really helped me. Rob, I'm sure you're a fine instructor and you take folks on trips giving them experiences. But even you have to send 'em to a shop eventually to meet all their needs.

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

Where'd you get those rankings? AFAIK - NAUI is the second largest agency ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I'd be willing to bet you they aren't.

 

[ekewaka]

I'd be willing to bet you they aren't.

Do you have any evidence for this?