PADI has been sold to another investment group. Thoughts?

[freeclimbmtb]

Ball recovery.

 

[mathauck0814]

IMHO, one of the biggest assets of PADI is their customers email list. And I expect the PE to fully leverage it.

Since Golf was mentioned a couple of times in this thread ..... Lincolnshire Management recently acquired a majority interest in a company designing, manufacturing and marketing golf equipment.

I would not be surprised to see cross promotions: marketing scuba to golfers? marketing golf to divers?

A new discipline? Scuba Golfing? Golf Diving?

Alberto (aka eDiver)

I can certainly see them altering their marketing strategy in their publications. Cross-promotional ads about golf resorts in dive destinations and vice-versa. That would be reasonably unobtrusive given the number of people who both golf and dive... I don't think it's reasonable to come out with, "the sky is falling" responses. Companies change hands all the time. One PE firm to another just signals to me that the new one thinks they have a better idea of how to earn their shareholders' return than the last one. For all we know they're going to complement PADI's portfolio of services with other services in their stewardship may even increase the value to their members. I don't love PADI, but there's certainly no reason to assume that this will be anything more than a change in management.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

If the investors don't like their return, something will change to make them more money. It can create tail wagging the dog scenarios.

 

[ScubaSteve]

It can create tail wagging the dog scenarios.

I for one think the tail has been wagging the dog for a while now. Mass Marketing and growth has been the end goal with nothing to get in the way. Hence what many would consider standards that are too relaxed and quality control at low levels (this may just be my opinion).

This is not just PADI but it is primarily them since they are the behemoth that they are. You reach #1, you tend to lead in many ways.

 

[Quero]

... there's certainly no reason to assume that this will be anything more than a change in management.

In my experience as a shareholder in a PE firm, I would say that it's not even a change in management--it's merely a change in ownership. Those are two different things. Now if the PE firm believes that a change in management will enhance revenues, then yes, they may shake things up that way. For example, one company my PE firm acquired was a successful family enterprise in which family members were employed in positions of trust. It happens that these employees were not always especially well suited to their roles as the company grew, and eventually their presence was a hindrance to further growth (their jobs got bigger/more complex than their ability to perform them). So the PE/new owners determined that in order for department X of the newly acquired company to live up to its potential, the family member Y needed to be furloughed and a real professional hired to do that job. But the notion that the PE will install its own employees to run the company is not the usual or preferred strategy. Even if a member of the PE firm has to temporarily step in to fill a management position, a new manager is always sought as a permanent employee at the newly acquired company. This new employee is not part of the PE at all.

---------- Post Merged at 12:18 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:06 AM ----------

If the investors don't like their return, something will change to make them more money. It can create tail wagging the dog scenarios.

Not really. It's like when you buy mutual funds or something. You don't have a whole lot of say as an investor where the fund money is invested. You can refuse to invest in funds that have in their portfolios the kinds of businesses you have an objection to (e.g., some investors forced their fund managers to stay away from South Africa holdings during the apartheit years), but the investor-tails of PE companies don't really wag the dog-companies in the PE's portfolio, no.

 

[LGHT]

Very informative posts and I've read and learned a lot so far.

As a new student who has only completed 2 of the OW dives I would like to give my honest opinion of PADI so far. I went with PADI simply because of the few divers I knew all were PADI certified. Whenever I travel and see dive shops they all support PADI. I honestly wasn't even aware of other organizations until joining here. I do see a serious problem with the material and training. The books seem like they are written for high school kids and the question and answer portion are practically useless. The written test was a joke and most of the class just guessed and the instructor gave us the info because they shop was soo back logged they didn't want to slow down the PADI cert machine. I probably wouldn't have invested any money into PADI knowing what I do now and after completing the written training and my first 2 dives. For starters I picked up a cheap groupon from a shop and because hundreds also did I couldn't get into a class for 3 months after I purchased my Groupon. My class section was soo full we had standing room only and we went through all the material so fast I honestly can't remember any of it. The pool session was just as bad. A few other students were not very physically fit and took a LONG time to do the basic swimming test and tread water test. I then realized that everyone would get certified no matter what and that the training was just an informal way of introducing you to scuba. Out of the training everyone passed although a few classmates couldn't even stay in the deep end without panicking to the point they had to surface after a few minutes. I thought wow a person can't stay at the bottom for 3 minutes without panicking so why would they pass her and sign her off?


My first 2 dives where fun, but I honestly thought it would be a lot more controlled and didn't expect to get down to 65' and swim around my first dive ever. I'm good in the water, but I honestly will admit I was way over my head and got worried after I surfaced because if I did have any type of problem I was pretty deep.

I'm going to finish out my PADI only because I've already pre-paid and committed, but i'm also going to find a good organization and start from scratch with them so I will have the confidence and safety that I really need before I start doing OW dives on my own.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I'm going to finish out my PADI only because I've already pre-paid and committed, but i'm also going to find a good organization and start from scratch with them so I will have the confidence and safety that I really need before I start doing OW dives on my own.

Worry more about Instructor selection than Agency selection. A PADI Instructor can go above and beyond just like a NAUI Instructor. Or either of them can cut corners or teach just the absolute minimum. A Good Instructor will create a diver no matter what the agency IMO.

 

[boulderjohn]

The books seem like they are written for high school kids and the question and answer portion are practically useless.

The course can be taken by someone who is 10 years of age. How would you write the books so that a 10 year old and a college professor could both learn from them when taking the class together?

The written test was a joke and most of the class just guessed and the instructor gave us the info because they shop was soo back logged they didn't want to slow down the PADI cert machine.

That has everything to do with the shop and nothing to do with PADI. I do not allow students to begin the exam until I am convinced they are ready to excel on it. It is rare for me to have a student get less than 90%. If what you describe is true, then you should report the shop to PADI so that they can commence a quality assurance investigation of the shop.

I probably wouldn't have invested any money into PADI knowing what I do now and after completing the written training and my first 2 dives. For starters I picked up a cheap groupon from a shop and because hundreds also did I couldn't get into a class for 3 months after I purchased my Groupon. My class section was soo full we had standing room only and we went through all the material so fast I honestly can't remember any of it. The pool session was just as bad. A few other students were not very physically fit and took a LONG time to do the basic swimming test and tread water test. I then realized that everyone would get certified no matter what and that the training was just an informal way of introducing you to scuba. Out of the training everyone passed although a few classmates couldn't even stay in the deep end without panicking to the point they had to surface after a few minutes. I thought wow a person can't stay at the bottom for 3 minutes without panicking so why would they pass her and sign her off?

Once again, that is the shop, not PADI. Report that shop to PADI so they can do something about it.

My first 2 dives where fun, but I honestly thought it would be a lot more controlled and didn't expect to get down to 65' and swim around my first dive ever.

That is a violation of PADI standards. Report the shop to PADI so they can do something about it.

 

[LGHT]

Worry more about Instructor selection than Agency selection. A PADI Instructor can go above and beyond just like a NAUI Instructor. Or either of them can cut corners or teach just the absolute minimum. A Good Instructor will create a diver no matter what the agency IMO.

Well how do you find an instructor that doesn't have 6 other students to worry about? I looked at a few other dive shops and they are all about the same. A ton of students and 2-3 instructors. They all teach the same group teaching concept that to me doesn't work with scuba.

---------- Post Merged at 10:53 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 10:48 AM ----------

The course can be taken by someone who is 10 years of age. How would you write the books so that a 10 year old and a college professor could both learn from them when taking the class together?

Wow I didn't know that. No wonder the guide was so bad. I guess I assumed they would think teaching 10 year olds in the same class as adults would not be a good thing. Just doesn't make much sense to me that they would give course material that may save your life one day written for 10 year olds, but who wants to go to the hassle of having to write 2 books.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Well how do you find an instructor that doesn't have 6 other students to worry about? I looked at a few other dive shops and they are all about the same. A ton of students and 2-3 instructors. They all teach the same group teaching concept that to me doesn't work with scuba.

Look for independent instructors. Sometimes they have more freedom in who and how they teach. There are good instructors that teach for shops but they do tend to have less freedom. When you find them, interview them. Ask them about their teaching styles etc.. There is a lot that you can do IF you know what to ask. There are some good threads on SB about selecting an instructor and what to ask. I'll try to locate them if someone else does not beat me to it.


EDIT...one of what is likely many options

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ng/287780-how-find-excellent-scuba-class.html