A bit of background for this thread:
I've been a diver since 1984 but only seriously involved in the teaching end of it since about 2002 and an instructor for 7 or 8 years. In that time I've seen a lot, done a lot of training and had to balance the commercial interests of the shop I was working through with my own interests and goals in teaching. At times the match worked out but as time has progressed, the economy has changed and many shops have come under severe financial pressure. I believe it's time to express an opinion as a seasoned professional about how I believe it's wise *at this time* for people seeking training to go about it.
Part 1 : The goals of shops.
It sounds obvious, but I'm going to say it anyway. The goal of any shop is to make a profit, or at least to survive. As a business, survival is the minimum goal. A goal that you, as a diver, help to fulfill by one simple act... spending money.
On the surface of it, you may think that shops benefit by divers being active and you would be right. However, shops do NOT profit as much from divers who are self-sufficient as they do from divers who need "help". Help with the next best course, help with the newest gadgets, help buying and then upgrading their gear again and again. What the most profitable shops need most are "active" AND "dependent" divers. Divers who are NOT too well trained, NOT too well informed. Divers who need guides, who need someone to organize things, who need to rent (or buy) gear and most of all divers who doubt just enough in their own abilities that they keep coming back for more, but not so much that they stop diving. It's a knife edge balancing act.
In other words, the basic business model of all shops is (a) to sell stuff and (b) to keep you on a leash.
Some shops (the best ones) try to couch this is a comfortable, fun, social, interactive and adventuresome atmosphere but the basics, regardless of the fact that some shops are very adept at selling the "scene" are still the same. Sell stuff and keep them on a leash (meaning, don't make them too independent).
Now.... let's take a step back from that and look at what this means for training.
Shops sell training. So what are their goals? First and foremost, it's to bring you into the fold. To get you active and get that credit card warmed up. However, YOUR goal, as a diver is to get the best training you can because... after all... it's your life and you value that. The SHOP's goal is to give the least amount of training you will accept in order to maximize their profit, to stay active and to not walk away. Most shops (and all professionally run ones) have a "risk plan" that involves responses to "accidental deaths" which, without going into detail involves covering their asses. What does that mean to you as a diver? this: that the shop is AIMING to deliver the lowest quality training they can that will keep you active and on a leash and if something happens to you then they will cover their ass and squirm out of it.
That's the hard HARD reality of the diving business when looked at from the shop's perspective and that's the attitude (behind the smiles) that you buy when you take a course at a shop.
Part 2: The goals of the instructor.
SOME instructors do it for the money. Most, as you are well aware, would literally make more money shaking the oil out of french fries at McDonalds than they do giving diving lessons. So what on EARTH is their motivation?
The most committed instructors do it because they love diving. They want to share diving. They want people to *become* divers. Speaking only for myself, I teach because I want to contribute my small part to creating safe, competent, interested divers who choose this sport as a hobby for their pleasure and relaxation. I'm sure many instructors would say something similar.
So what part of that involves low-balling your training and keeping you on a leash? None of it.
And there is the rub. As an instructor, working through shops is a double edged blade. You have easy access to students but constant pressure to short change them on their training.
This leads to three kinds of instructors that you often encounter at shops:
1) instructors who choose the shop's stance. They will tell you things like "the course takes X days and after that we'll take you out to make sure you get the experience" . (read, they want to low-ball training and keep you on a leash)
2) instructors who seek a balance. They will say "you'll need at LEAST X days for the training and after that you'll need to anchor those new skills by doing the dives". (read they'll go the extra mile if you will).
3) instructors who say. "The shop aims for A, I aim for B. Depending on your own goals we'll land somewhere between A and B". (read, I want to teach diving, do you want to learn?).
4) there is also a 4th category of what I call "egocentric" instructors who say "I want B, if you don't want B then you're not good enough". You see them (alas all too frequently) on the internet but you're unlikely to encounter them at a shop.
I don't have to tell you which one I am and I don't have to tell you which one every single well respected scubaboard instructor is..... Every single instructor I know who is worth his weight in gold is a #3. Every single instructor I know who I wouldn't let come within 10 metres of my child is a #1.
and now you know based on one simple question, how to tell how the instructor you're interviewing sees the world. Simply ask them "How do you approach this course?"
Part 3: independent instructors.
It's important to understand that ALL of the instructors who are in it for the money are freelancers. The reason is simple. Shops simply can't afford to pay instructors what they're worth. So as as student you need a way to filter out the greedy ones who are in it for themselves from the motivated ones who are in it for you.
This can best be done two ways.
1) ask for references. Instructors who are proud of their results will not hesitate to give references and they'll have a long list ready for you. Instructors who are in it for the money are going to let you call their wife or their best buddy but probably won't give you more than 1 or 2 references.
2) ask them for something for free, like "can I come diving with you on Saturday to see you in the water". Instructors who want you to be a diver will *probably* say, "sure, tag along". Instructors who want to milk you are going to become uneasy with that question.
Part 4: Finally:
In my humble opinion, given everything I've seen and experienced over the last 10+ years as an instructor, I would strongly advise people to seek independent instructors who have good connections than to walk into the nearest shop and ask for a course.
in NO case have I ever seen a shop whose primary interest was the best result for their client. However, if you approach instructors independently then you chances of getting a quality course improve dramatically.
R..
I've been a diver since 1984 but only seriously involved in the teaching end of it since about 2002 and an instructor for 7 or 8 years. In that time I've seen a lot, done a lot of training and had to balance the commercial interests of the shop I was working through with my own interests and goals in teaching. At times the match worked out but as time has progressed, the economy has changed and many shops have come under severe financial pressure. I believe it's time to express an opinion as a seasoned professional about how I believe it's wise *at this time* for people seeking training to go about it.
Part 1 : The goals of shops.
It sounds obvious, but I'm going to say it anyway. The goal of any shop is to make a profit, or at least to survive. As a business, survival is the minimum goal. A goal that you, as a diver, help to fulfill by one simple act... spending money.
On the surface of it, you may think that shops benefit by divers being active and you would be right. However, shops do NOT profit as much from divers who are self-sufficient as they do from divers who need "help". Help with the next best course, help with the newest gadgets, help buying and then upgrading their gear again and again. What the most profitable shops need most are "active" AND "dependent" divers. Divers who are NOT too well trained, NOT too well informed. Divers who need guides, who need someone to organize things, who need to rent (or buy) gear and most of all divers who doubt just enough in their own abilities that they keep coming back for more, but not so much that they stop diving. It's a knife edge balancing act.
In other words, the basic business model of all shops is (a) to sell stuff and (b) to keep you on a leash.
Some shops (the best ones) try to couch this is a comfortable, fun, social, interactive and adventuresome atmosphere but the basics, regardless of the fact that some shops are very adept at selling the "scene" are still the same. Sell stuff and keep them on a leash (meaning, don't make them too independent).
Now.... let's take a step back from that and look at what this means for training.
Shops sell training. So what are their goals? First and foremost, it's to bring you into the fold. To get you active and get that credit card warmed up. However, YOUR goal, as a diver is to get the best training you can because... after all... it's your life and you value that. The SHOP's goal is to give the least amount of training you will accept in order to maximize their profit, to stay active and to not walk away. Most shops (and all professionally run ones) have a "risk plan" that involves responses to "accidental deaths" which, without going into detail involves covering their asses. What does that mean to you as a diver? this: that the shop is AIMING to deliver the lowest quality training they can that will keep you active and on a leash and if something happens to you then they will cover their ass and squirm out of it.
That's the hard HARD reality of the diving business when looked at from the shop's perspective and that's the attitude (behind the smiles) that you buy when you take a course at a shop.
Part 2: The goals of the instructor.
SOME instructors do it for the money. Most, as you are well aware, would literally make more money shaking the oil out of french fries at McDonalds than they do giving diving lessons. So what on EARTH is their motivation?
The most committed instructors do it because they love diving. They want to share diving. They want people to *become* divers. Speaking only for myself, I teach because I want to contribute my small part to creating safe, competent, interested divers who choose this sport as a hobby for their pleasure and relaxation. I'm sure many instructors would say something similar.
So what part of that involves low-balling your training and keeping you on a leash? None of it.
And there is the rub. As an instructor, working through shops is a double edged blade. You have easy access to students but constant pressure to short change them on their training.
This leads to three kinds of instructors that you often encounter at shops:
1) instructors who choose the shop's stance. They will tell you things like "the course takes X days and after that we'll take you out to make sure you get the experience" . (read, they want to low-ball training and keep you on a leash)
2) instructors who seek a balance. They will say "you'll need at LEAST X days for the training and after that you'll need to anchor those new skills by doing the dives". (read they'll go the extra mile if you will).
3) instructors who say. "The shop aims for A, I aim for B. Depending on your own goals we'll land somewhere between A and B". (read, I want to teach diving, do you want to learn?).
4) there is also a 4th category of what I call "egocentric" instructors who say "I want B, if you don't want B then you're not good enough". You see them (alas all too frequently) on the internet but you're unlikely to encounter them at a shop.
I don't have to tell you which one I am and I don't have to tell you which one every single well respected scubaboard instructor is..... Every single instructor I know who is worth his weight in gold is a #3. Every single instructor I know who I wouldn't let come within 10 metres of my child is a #1.
and now you know based on one simple question, how to tell how the instructor you're interviewing sees the world. Simply ask them "How do you approach this course?"
Part 3: independent instructors.
It's important to understand that ALL of the instructors who are in it for the money are freelancers. The reason is simple. Shops simply can't afford to pay instructors what they're worth. So as as student you need a way to filter out the greedy ones who are in it for themselves from the motivated ones who are in it for you.
This can best be done two ways.
1) ask for references. Instructors who are proud of their results will not hesitate to give references and they'll have a long list ready for you. Instructors who are in it for the money are going to let you call their wife or their best buddy but probably won't give you more than 1 or 2 references.
2) ask them for something for free, like "can I come diving with you on Saturday to see you in the water". Instructors who want you to be a diver will *probably* say, "sure, tag along". Instructors who want to milk you are going to become uneasy with that question.
Part 4: Finally:
In my humble opinion, given everything I've seen and experienced over the last 10+ years as an instructor, I would strongly advise people to seek independent instructors who have good connections than to walk into the nearest shop and ask for a course.
in NO case have I ever seen a shop whose primary interest was the best result for their client. However, if you approach instructors independently then you chances of getting a quality course improve dramatically.
R..
