Free of charge license for instructors

[DivinLover]

Hello there,

I am happy to join this community.

I am a PADI instructor and I'm tired to pay the 200€ of my annual license. I want to quit PADI.

Would anyone know an international organization of scuba diving where the annual license is free of charge?

Best regards.

 

[Compressor]

Welcome to ScubaBoard @divinglover.
I don't think what you ask is possible but I may be wrong.

 

[runsongas]

try FFESSM

 

[RogueClimber]

Just today I was speaking with one of our instructors. She taught enough open water courses that SSI did not charge her for her renewal this year.

 

[GF99/99]

Just today I was speaking with one of our instructors. She taught enough open water courses that SSI did not charge her for her renewal this year.

I am not with SSI so can not give any specific details (maybe someone that is can provide better details) but I do have a lot of SSI friends and yes they have a point rewards program and for every cert you get some amount of points and then these points can be used for your annual fee or other fees so in theory if you teach enough your annual fee is free. Also because of Corona SSI is also offering double points for this program, I also heard they are offering half off annual fees. And they are offing free cross over for both dive and freedive instructors. Also SSI is structures so that as you progress your professional carrier you are offered more of a discount on your fees. where as with PADI you really don't start seeing this till your practically a platinum course director.

Obviously SSI is trying to help instructors out a lot more than Pay Another Dollar In. And like I said I heard they are offering free cross over.

 

[lowwall]

If your location is accurate, why not CMAS?

 

[Edward3c]

Hello there,

I am happy to join this community.

I am a PADI instructor and I'm tired to pay the 200€ of my annual license. I want to quit PADI.

Would anyone know an international organization of scuba diving where the annual license is free of charge?

Best regards.

Is that really such a big price to pay.

I have to pay over £250 plus another US$60 to practise as an Certified Internal Auditor.

 

[VikingDives]

Hello there,

I am happy to join this community.

I am a PADI instructor and I'm tired to pay the 200€ of my annual license. I want to quit PADI.

Would anyone know an international organization of scuba diving where the annual license is free of charge?

Best regards.

I just looked at a lot of agencies for the same (and some different reasons). SDI was the best fit for me, but I'm in the states. $175 annual renewal, and a few cross over to the 15th.

NAUI has a similar deal, but I still haven't gotten answers from them (and I'd still be waiting if it wasn't for a scuba board member).

If you look in the SDI agency forum, there's more details.

RAID requires you to be part of a shop, but they have a similar deal for shops right now, and really low prices for student materials. If I had a shop, I'd have gone with them, no doubt about it

 

[oly5050user]

Ask yourself if it’s the agency cost, or what amount of income you are getting. It may be if you feel the annual fee is too high then perhaps you need to make more money by getting more classes, or ask for a raise. PADI has its issues but does have name recognition. For your students PADI market saturation makes it easier for them to locate a instructor for training dives when they use a referral to complete course work. Think of it as customer service if you stay with PADI, good luck with whatever you choose to do

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Hello there,

I am happy to join this community.

I am a PADI instructor and I'm tired to pay the 200€ of my annual license. I want to quit PADI.

Would anyone know an international organization of scuba diving where the annual license is free of charge?

Best regards.

I'm all for making sure you get value for your money but you want the administrative support of a training agency ... for free? That hardly seems fair. Maybe such agencies exist but I'd look long and hard at what kind of support they are able to provide and where their income to fund this support comes from.