Is PADI non-profit?

[norymeoreason41]

If you look at my profile, you will see that I am both NAUI and PADI certified. (Long story.) I would say I have a special outlook because I have done both. In my personal opinion, it is ALL about the instructor. I think I got more out of my PADI cert. simply because my instructor was REALLY great. But, I also think I got my moneys worth with NAUI as well. Let's face it, it is a free country and anyone can simply buy gear and go out and dive without a cert., you probably wont go to jail. So you are paying to be safe, and in my opinion the money is well spent. There is far too much criticism toward different agencies. Isn't the point to make diving safer for everyone? So, if you are choosing between 2 agencies and one is cheaper than the other, and it provides adequate instruction to be safe, I say go for it. Just make sure you have a good instructor. I will make one last point before I quit: after calling all the different dive shops in town, each representing a different agency, (NAUI, PADI, SSI) I choose the shop with PADI for my AOW because of the instructor AND it was CHEAPER. Who says PADI is more expensive?

 

[Doc]

"Buy something and then sell it for more"..... shocking!
.

PADI goes one better (most often). They build something from scratch, design the process, codify and document. It is thereafter pure profit. Go with my blessing!

The main 'non profit' part about PADI is the being a DM or Instructor part. (personal knowledge)

Easy to snipe at, but still the best shingle to hang out when you want to make a go of it for a (?) living (?).

 

[crispos]

I am taking a wild guess that PADI is a FOR PROFIT organization based on the cost of their course materials and seemingly never-ending "pay to earn a certification" system. Not in that you can "buy" any given certification level (although I bet some will disagree), but that everything that PADI requires has a relatively huge price tag on it.

I looked around and couldn't find PADI listed as a 503c non-profit. It's kind of scary to think that any EDUCATIONAL organization is more concerned with making a buck than educating its students...isn't it? What's even more shocking are the typos and contradictions in some of the manuals. I am NOT bashing PADI. I think it's a good system. I am just making an observation.

Nice call, Greg. Judging from your website, you are no stranger to business. Yeah, PADI was started by a couple of enterprising NAUI professionals (Not for Profit). They smelled the coffee and the rest is history. Welcome to McDiving.

 

[DandyDon]

Well, it all starts with NOAA & the USNavy, both well known as non-profit. Padi is a member of Recreational Training Scuba Council, also non-profit, although I don't know that they actually do enough to be listed in 501(c)3. But if we were waiting on the non-profits to make Scuba work, we'd still be waiting for the good times. "Hi. I am from the government, and I'm here to here to help."

It doesn't bother me that Padi is For-Some-Profit. Easy phone number, too: 1-800-PAY-PADI

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

It's kind of scary to think that any EDUCATIONAL organization is more concerned with making a buck than educating its students...isn't it? .

Check out most private colleges and universities and you will not find many that are non-profit. Some have huge real estate holdings in major cities, and make more than some large companies. Educational organizations need money to run. It is also not easy to effectively run a non-profit, and it is really hard to keep the standing of a 501(c)3. If you were to politicize anything, the standing would be lost. Think about how complicated the tax code is, and then remember that 501(c)3 refers to section of the code.

 

[Boogie711]

nt

 

[DiveTyme]

PADI is in it for profit. At the end of the week I expect a paycheck so I guess I am in it to profit. Why has making profit become a terrible thing? I always check the percent the administration gets of a "non profit organization" before I donate to them. It can be a real eye opener. Then I decide myself (not their tax standing) whether they are really non profit.

 

[Diver0001]

<snip>
I am NOT bashing PADI.

Who taught you the meaning of "NOT"?

Padi certainly has it's problems but being a profit based organisation isn't one of them.

Some of the highest quality products I can think of come from profit based businesses.

Aqualung regulators
Faber tanks
Halcyon wings

to name a few.

And what do you think about

Fararri Cars
BMW motorcycles
The SR-71

or
Hewlett Packard mainframes
Oracle software
or Intel chips

Billions upon countless Billions of dollars in profit

and it's all grade A super-delux fan-tas-tic perfect in every way high quality perfectionist pleasing .... plus 3

Profit has nothing at all to do with quality.

Non profit organisations have quality problems too.... Take:

the red-cross - 80-90% overhead. The othre 10% is stolen or confiscated by black listed governments. The red cross has done absolutely nothing of value since the Korean war.

Nasa with it's billion dollar blowing up because of a bit of styrofoam space aged can't-quite-get-it-right.

And what about the U.S. government, which, despite all the good it does in the world, runs a Tillion dollar deficit (talk about non-profit) for what would appear to be the singular goal of making GW Bush the most unpopular and dumbest looking individual on the plant.

.....

so let's not talk about "for profit" like it's such a crime.

Frankly you probably dive because of PADI's roll in building the industry and bringing it to the man. If it wasn't for PADI your training agency might not even exist due to lack of interest.

So consider that and more the next time you start with a PADI bashing troll.

R..

 

[crispos]

Great post, Diver0001, even if your spelling is fun (Ferrari, not Farrari).

Profit is not a dirty word. Having said that, education does not always mix well with the profit motive. The reason being, teachers and educational institutions have a power over their subjects which can be in a conflict of interest situation when mixed up in a customer/supplier relationship. When is the product in the best interest of the student versus making a $.

Just like healthcare (IMHO).

 

[Kim]

I sincerely hope not. I'd hate to think that I got my training from an organization run by a bunch of unpaid amateurs!!