PADI Mermaid Program - WTH??!!

[Joneill]

It is interesting that in all the time that NAUI and SSI have had the program, no one has made any posts ridiculing it. Why do you think it is that we had to wait for PADI to get involved cor that to happen?

Because, for some reason, los of people here seem to hate PADI. I guess that they fail to realize that PADI (and SSI, NAUI, etc.,) is a business trying to make money. Personally, the mermaid certs seems pretty silly to me - but, obviously, there is a market for them or these programs would not exist. More power to the agencies if they can make money and provide a service that some people desire - it has zero impact on me or my wallet!

 

[boulderjohn]

I could see the Cert becoming a requirement for a Mermaid job so PADI wants their slice of the pie.

The course is a distinctive specialty. One of the great misconceptions of distinctive specialties is that PADI gets wealthy offering them. When a student takes a standard specialty class, PADI only earns money from the sale of the required course materials (made by PADI) and the cost of the certification card. When it is a distinctive specialty, there is usually no PADI-made course material. The only way PADI earns money from it is from the fee for the certification card. The money paid by the student goes to the dive operation/instructor teaching the course.

I offer 3 distinctive specialties, and I made all the course materials, so the only money PADI gets when I offer the class is for the certification card. If the student is not interested in the card and just wants the education, PADI does not make a cent off of it.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

It is interesting that in all the time that NAUI and SSI have had the program, no one has made any posts ridiculing it. Why do you think it is that we had to wait for PADI to get involved cor that to happen?

I would have gladly poked fun at the programs at SSI and NAUI if I had known they existed. I have no certs through either agency nor am I a pro member of either agency so therefore I knew nothing about the programs. I am currently a PADI Pro and therefore received the email. I honestly thought it was a joke.

I don't at all question the freediving skills required. But seriously an entire separate training program with 4 student and 3 instructor levels??? I can't believe there is enough demand and enough jobs to warrant such a thing. That just seems absurd.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Of course since I'm only a PADI Divemaster maybe this is all about me being hurt that they don't have a PADI Mermaid Divemaster level?

 

[tna9001]

I'm getting ready to head to Roatan for 6 months to hopefully become a PADI Dive Instructor but now I'm reconsidering my plan. I mean who doesn't love Mermaids? My only hesitation is, I bet you'd have to do a lot of demos with the tail on.

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't at all question the freediving skills required. But seriously an entire separate training program with 4 student and 3 instructor levels??? I can't believe there is enough demand and enough jobs to warrant such a thing. That just seems absurd.

I have no idea what the program requires. I usually try not to pass judgment on something I don't know much about.

 

[boulderjohn]

I would have gladly poked fun at the programs at SSI and NAUI if I had known they existed. I have no certs through either agency nor am I a pro member of either agency so therefore I knew nothing about the programs. I am currently a PADI Pro and therefore received the email. I honestly thought it was a joke.

Another reason (other than marketing) people didn't know about the NAUI and SSI programs might be that with those agencies, their instructors do not reflexively mock their own programs in public forums. They're funny that way.

 

[kmarks]

My LDS (SSI) does kids swim parties in our pool and you can pay extra to have a mermaid come and play games. A real* mermaid.






*Real means that the mermaid exists and is a real person, not joining virtually, but should in no way be construed as to imply that the actor in costume is actually a REAL real mermaid.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I have no idea what the program requires. I usually try not to pass judgment on something I don't know much about.

Seriously. It’s a MERMAID training program WITH 7 LEVELS! How is that not absurd?!

if it helps I’m soon to be an expired PADI Pro. So don’t worry about reporting me for mocking their latest program.

 

[Zef]

The course is a distinctive specialty.

The mermaid training is not a "distinctive specialty"...it is a distinct standalone program with 3 specific levels of instructor training and multiple levels of participant training...both considered separate from PADI's SCUBA and Freediving programs.

-Z