Well then vr, come on down to Drew's Dive Center :fork: now opening in the Exxon parking lot.
I got a real fine spot to do those confined :flusher: water dives, and I can fix ya' right up. I got stuff from my old gear bag that might still work! :deal:
Don't forget that air fills need to be paid for in quarters so I can use the tire air pump to fill your tanks.
Ya'll come back now! :wave:
In all seriousness, obviously not all dive shops want to do business with PADI, and vice-versa. Contrary to opinions expressed here, PADI does not automatically accept any dive center that sends in a check, and PADI does periodically expel dive centers from its organization. Such expelled centers are posted on the PADI website, and published quarterly in the Undersea Journal.
But those shops that receive 5 Star ratings from PADI do not pay extra dues for that rating. Conversely, there are financial incentives for shops to achieve higher ratings, including discounts on PADI course materials and cooperative advertising programs.
Many shops and instructors don't want to feel tied to one particular agency at all. (In fact, I will be working for such a shop once my %@^! work permit comes through.) Personally, I am certified through PADI, but I am not affiliated with any dive shop.
A serious concern of many in the dive industry is a desire to forestall government regulation. To effectively do that, it is important for the industry to self-regulate. PADI sets standards for shops that carry the PADI Dive Center and PADI 5 Star Dive Center ratings. Other agencies can set standards for their affiliated shops. What standard does your LDS meet, and how do you know?
Finally, there are real meanings to certain ratings. When I was looking for a place to do my instructor training, I knew that I could quickly narrow my search to PADI 5 Star IDC Centers, or PADI CDC Centers. I knew that any dive center with one of those ratings could offer me the training I wanted, and that other dive centers couldn't. Real marketing ploy. Effective too.
I got a real fine spot to do those confined :flusher: water dives, and I can fix ya' right up. I got stuff from my old gear bag that might still work! :deal:
Don't forget that air fills need to be paid for in quarters so I can use the tire air pump to fill your tanks.
Ya'll come back now! :wave:
In all seriousness, obviously not all dive shops want to do business with PADI, and vice-versa. Contrary to opinions expressed here, PADI does not automatically accept any dive center that sends in a check, and PADI does periodically expel dive centers from its organization. Such expelled centers are posted on the PADI website, and published quarterly in the Undersea Journal.
But those shops that receive 5 Star ratings from PADI do not pay extra dues for that rating. Conversely, there are financial incentives for shops to achieve higher ratings, including discounts on PADI course materials and cooperative advertising programs.
Many shops and instructors don't want to feel tied to one particular agency at all. (In fact, I will be working for such a shop once my %@^! work permit comes through.) Personally, I am certified through PADI, but I am not affiliated with any dive shop.
A serious concern of many in the dive industry is a desire to forestall government regulation. To effectively do that, it is important for the industry to self-regulate. PADI sets standards for shops that carry the PADI Dive Center and PADI 5 Star Dive Center ratings. Other agencies can set standards for their affiliated shops. What standard does your LDS meet, and how do you know?
Finally, there are real meanings to certain ratings. When I was looking for a place to do my instructor training, I knew that I could quickly narrow my search to PADI 5 Star IDC Centers, or PADI CDC Centers. I knew that any dive center with one of those ratings could offer me the training I wanted, and that other dive centers couldn't. Real marketing ploy. Effective too.
