Hi, it's your instructor calling....

[RonFrank]

I have a buddy that is an instructor down in NM. They do a third Sunday at the BlueHole for their students where they can dive with an instructor but are not really under instruction. Many divers take advantage of this, and I think it's cool.

Most new divers view followup calls from the shop as business promotion, and they figure they will contact the shop if they want more instruction.

Contacting students to dive is great as long as it's not a big sales pitch.

 

[Beyond_Diving]

I try to stay in touch with my former students, but since most of them live in different countries than me, it's hard to get a dive in with any of them unless they come back here or I am in their neck of the woods.

 

[CT Sean]

It sure would be nice to hear from some new divers who haven't contacted their instructors or DMs . . . but I suppose most of those people probably don't find SB.

I don't exactly qualify as the new diver you are looking for as I did find SB (actually long before my wife and I were certified this past summer) and I did technically contact my instructor about diving after being certified but I will give you my thoughts anyway The response to additional dives was that they didn't have anything available that was within the training for "just" OW. Of course we could go AOW and then go on their night and deeper dives.
In hindsight I think it's a ridiculous stand to take - to certify OW divers on a semi regular basis but not provide a means to continue diving other than going AOW right away (which i don't think it a good idea). It's a great way to keep new divers OUT of the water. The adjective that always comes to mind regarding my instructor when I think back on the whole experience is "disinterested"

Fortunately I have a contractually obligated buddy in my wife so we have done a few dives on our own at the local Quarry-turned-adventure park. And we do plan on going AOW at some point (maybe next summer) but its unlikely it will be with the same instructor. I have since found a dive shop that seems far more interested in my business and is very helpful and has plenty of activities for OW divers (open to anyone shop-affiliated or not). I was very happy to give them my money for weight and my wife's wetsuit and other various doodads and most likely my AOW cert. money as well (but i will admit it hurts having to buy everything in two's )

I can at least say that they never pushed gear purchases on us - their stance was basically - you are free to buy online - it's your money - we can't tell you what to do with it. Though I think this goes back to the "disinterested" more than anything else

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I was out diving with my OW instructor and two other instructors last night. Not that where we were diving qualifies as a cave dive, or wreck like all them are used to. They were just going out for fun. It is definitely an advanced dive, being that we are right out of the inlet and have to deal with a very strong current, that will take you right out, along with it being a night dive. I have not yet been certified for night diving, but because of doing dives like this with my instructors, it makes me more confident about doing it and will encourage me to go through with the specialty.

 

[diver 85]

You remember me, right? At the end of your OW class, remember me telling you one of my greatest pleasures in diving is the opportunity to dive and mentor my former students? I remember you mentioning how much there was to learn in this sport and how eager you were to learn.

I gave you my card and told you to call any time you had a question or wanted to dive.
I send you emails about upcoming dives in the hopes that you'll join me.
You have my cell number, my work and email addresses.....
You bought a lot of gear, but I know you barely use it, if at all...

Why haven't you called?

You tying to tell me you had a cell phone(with number) and an email address in 1985???.....damn, you good-----Guess next you gunna tell me you drive a spaceship to work daily now.....I must say it again.....damn, you good-----

 

[scubadobadoo]

A past instructor of mine called from Florida last year and ask me if I was interested in buying a time share. So there you have it.

 

[Abaco24]

A past instructor of mine called from Florida last year and ask me if I was interested in buying a time share. So there you have it.

I would think his used dive gear would be an better investment

My local dive shop, dive instructor hasn't called, written or emailed since we were certified, we just received our certs in the mail. I do hope however I get one of the random PADI surveys that were supposed to come after the class.

No wonder the local LDS is dying on the vine............

 

[Scott L]

I read the original post and skipped directly to the end to post as too much to read. I am trying to be nice but are you kidding me? A dive instructor should be calling his or her students as opposed to waiting for them to call. I had a ten year gap between my having been originally certified and electing to take a refresher class which fortunately for me was accomplised with an independent technical diver with every conseivable certification. Not many instructors could match that but my point is he called me/his students on a regular basis leading charters with his flock of 2-6 divers out of a pool of 40 or more in his loop for which he got a cut from the operator in addition to always working with several of us with a myraid of recreational and sometimes technical certifications. He was extremely friendly and considered most to be his personal friends. He also always had a video camera with him to record some footage in order to e-mail to his students to their glee later the following week. I attribute much of my love of the sport to him for getting me over that very important hurdle of a very mediocre diver to a pretty good diver prepared for most any contingency. I am also posting a recent thread you have probaly read from offthewall1 who typifies the same sort of mindset as my former instructor who is now retired. The best of luck with your flock...


Post #180. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...nse-unified-dive-industry-18.html#post4799398

 

[Jun Lao]

maybe it doesn't occur to instructors while there are those who don't respond today, they might tomorrow? I guess genuine, sincere mails will not be considered as spam and you'd be surprised that your mail does get stored in their folders box, just waiting for a stage in their life they're ready to get back in touch. Dont take things personally (of not being answered), send those stories, pics latest news and whether they like it or not, you'll be occupying a space in their mind.

In traditional advertising, send out a hundred flyers and you get an average 1-5% response rate...or.... a more personal sample, post a shoutout at facebook and I bet those who press like or comment to your post are around 1-5% of your friends, get more? must be interesting or hillarious subject matter. =)

 

[*dave*]

I am trying to be nice but are you kidding me? A dive instructor should be calling his or her students as opposed to waiting for them to call.

I'm interested in why that would be. Don't be nice.