Reasons why you should not take a course through a dive shop

[theduckguru]

I have no doubt that many shops are run by good people.

However, how many of those people understand the business model they're supporting.

R..

Most are using the business model promoted by the dive agencies and manufactures. It seems most understand the concepts well enough.

 

[soonerwink]

I wish that agencies would provide a website where prospective divers could be able to read reviews on instructors and dive shops. Students and customers could leave feedback on their experiences. This way we could find out a little about safety records and customer satifiscation. I know when I started it would have been nice to have this to be able to do some research. It might have saved me some money and bad experiences with my first dive shop.

 

[toddster541]

Er, yeah. That all seemed pretty obvious 30 years ago. Especially when they started breaking the training down in to half a dozen different courses that you "need" to take, when it used to be just one.

 

[Akimbo]

I wish that agencies would provide a website where prospective divers could be able to read reviews on instructors and dive shops. Students and customers could leave feedback on their experiences. This way we could find out a little about safety records and customer satifiscation...

Overall, your suggestion is a good one and perhaps Scubaboard would be interested? If not, then maybe Angie's List. Granted, there is the potential for abuse but misstatements tend to be corrected fast on a large forum like this.

Good stats on safety records are dicey because accidents are too rare to judge instructors. Great but unlucky instructors could get black-listed because somebody doesn’t know of a heart condition and a great many lucky but dangerous instructors look like heroes.

 

[boulderjohn]

Er, yeah. That all seemed pretty obvious 30 years ago. Especially when they started breaking the training down in to half a dozen different courses that you "need" to take, when it used to be just one.

Here's a slightly different wording:

Especially when they started breaking the training down into a number of courses you didn't need to take unless you wanted to because they covered topics you don't need right away, when you used to have to take and pay for them all in one really long course.

 

[Doc]

I wish that agencies would provide a website where prospective divers could be able to read reviews on instructors and dive shops. Students and customers could leave feedback on their experiences. This way we could find out a little about safety records and customer satifiscation. I know when I started it would have been nice to have this to be able to do some research. It might have saved me some money and bad experiences with my first dive shop.

It's on the nets, so it must be true.

The thoughts of newly certified divers, when crammed into typed posts... the mind reels.

When exactly did you become aware enough of your training to make judgements on that level. It certainly wasn't before you got your c-card in the mail. You see evidence of this right here on SCUBABoard when inexperienced travellers post glowing trip reports about how wonderful their diving experience was on the Cruise Ship in Jamaica.

This thread is the true definition of "moot".

moot

¹ [moot] Show IPA
adjective1.open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point.

2.of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.

3.Chiefly Law. not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.

It's fun to talk about, but given the OP's long term perspective, I'll take it back another 20 years into the 60's.

Diving was taught by independent instructors... I'll bet that 95% of them were back in the day.

Then they bought compressors instead of using the gas station or Fire Department.

Then guys that liked diving decided to become retail merchants. That rarely has worked very well.

Diver0001- Look at the BSAC model. If you don't understand how that worked, read up on it before you imagine how the future could be reshaped.

Look at the demographics of the "dive community". They used to be working class, blue collar, guys with pick-up trucks. They are now driving Acuras. You can be a Luddite and soldier on, tilting at windmills. You will have my support and admiration, but the only way you're going to retire (?) is to sell the entire product in vertical integration marketing. (Training, retail shop, pool, local charters, week-long trips, dive club and....) Gotta do it all to stay alive.

Something might be "better", but it won't sell unless somebody is buying. The large certification agencies know exactly what the mass market wants.

Google the words "Instant Gratification".

But it is fun to talk about.

Especially when they started breaking the training down into a number of courses you didn't need to take unless you wanted to because they covered topics you don't need right away, when you used to have to take and pay for them all in one really long course.

Ooh, don't forget the allure of "patches" designating you as a Master Diver by Log #39. Kind of like a cat and a laser.

 

[rhwestfall]

Here's a slightly different wording:

Especially when they started breaking the training down into a number of courses you didn't need to take unless you wanted to because they covered topics you don't need right away, when you used to have to take and pay for them all in one really long course.

umm..seriously???? Which of the three (now) that was once "one" can you honestly say should be optional: OW, AOW & Rescue?





edit: oh crap, you suckered me in..... I thought I could stay out of this one....

 

[koozemani]

What I believe shops should be (and do) anno 2013 is to offer facilities. Gear rentals, agreements with pools for rental times, sales and consumables (air etc).

Shops should *charge* instructors for organising these services and allow instructors to offer their own courses based on hiring these services from the shop. Discounts and agency interfacing can also be organized by the shop, for minimal overhead.


This way individual instructors can pull as hard as they want on any of the three corners of the time-quality-money triangle and the shop can offer an variety of options for students with different needs.


However, this is a serious paradigm shift for many shops (and instructors) and although I see this happening around me, we haven't navigated this corner yet.
R..

This seems like a great concept. I'm heading in to my Lds tomorrow and I bring this up to the owner or any instructor that might be around to see what their take on this is. I'll post any opinions gleaned.

 

[KevWind]

Well of course the object of a retail operation is to sell. But from the view point of a new diver certified Feb 2011. I would like to say that having taken my PADI OW cert. through an LDS. I felt that the instructors I was involved with were actually concerned that I learn the material and develop the skills first and formost. That said I feel particularly fortunate to have stumbled upon an independent operation (two guys) which A. does not retail any equipment and has no retail store front to keep afloat Ha! pun. I have to admit I really really like their whole approach and will be doing my AOW and Nitrox through them.

 

[wedivebc]

Diver0001- Look at the BSAC model. If you don't understand how that worked, read up on it before you imagine how the future could be reshaped

I suspect Rob is familiar with a similar organization Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia