Free of charge license for instructors

[TMHeimer]

Two have been somewhat critical. Maybe the OP doesn't have a good paying day job or can't secure a ton of dive students? I get tired of paying any bills or anything.

 

[oly5050user]

Two have been somewhat critical. Maybe the OP doesn't have a good paying day job or can't secure a tone of dive students? I get tired of paying any bills or anything.

Perhaps it is time to stop teaching if it is not producing enough income to continue. Just like any other business endeavor, if it is failing it needs to be closed to cut loses.

 

[kmarks]

SSI seem to have raised their instructor fee this year from $70 to $125. But, my shop reimburses me that fee at $10 per student (in addition to normal pay). If you aren't currently teaching with a shop, seeking out a partnership with one might work for you.

 

[tursiops]

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.

Welcome to SB. Yes, all of us who are PADI instructors wish we didn't have to pay the annual membership fee.
There are other training agencies, but none as pervasive and well-known as PADI, thus prospective students often request PADI training.
PADI offers very good training materials, which makes the instructor's life easier.
If you are not doing any teaching, that is not important to you. If you are teaching, then it is worth considering.
But, you kind of get what you pay for. I'm pretty sure I would not expect anything useful from an agency that charges me nothing. They do have expenses, after all, and it is only right for me to pay my fair share.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Perhaps it is time to stop teaching if it is not producing enough income to continue. Just like any other business endeavor, if it is failing it needs to be closed to cut loses.

Or it is time to search for an agency that gives a better profit margin. This is what any other business would do before closing.

 

[TMHeimer]

These posts give good advice and make good points (though not what the OP asked). I don't blame the OP for asking for a "freebee", though I doubt there is one to be found in this world....

 

[lowwall]

These posts give good advice and make good points (though not what the OP asked). I don't blame the OP for asking for a "freebee", though I doubt there is one to be found in this world....

Linux. Open source software in general. Advice on specialist forums like this one.

Many people are happy to share or help out when it comes to their hobbies/passions.

 

[David Novo]

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

PADI as a brand in Europe has a declining recognition. SSI has been growing a lot.

 

[Edward3c]

PADI as a brand in Europe has a declining recognition. SSI has been growing a lot.

And what evidence do you base that on?

 

[David Novo]

And what evidence do you base that on?

I am not saying that PADI has low recognition in Europe. What I am saying is that it was higher in the past.
During the last years, some dive centers have been migrating from PADI to SSI and not the other way around.
As a result, in spite of being still high, PADI's brand recognition lost strength.

P.S.: I would say in Portugal SSI has currently a higher brand recognition than PADI (as the majority of the dive centers migrated) among new divers.
This was certainly not true in 2017 when I did OWD.