Red Flags or Misplaced Expectations?

[berndo]

You are mistaken in much of this. When the dive shop in this thread switched to SSI a dozen years ago, The owner of SSI (Doug McNeese) gave us the history while conducting a week-long workshop...

Then NASDS merged with SSI, taking the name SSI. He moved to SSI headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado. Eventually, he bought out the old SSI owners and took over himself. The old NASDS strategies became SSI strategies. The week-long workshop was all about that.

You got your years mixed up. 2003 was 20 years ago. I worked in Egypt at the time and the new owner and the CEO used to come by our dive shop all the time. The HQ was in Bavaria by 2003 or earlier, it had been sold to an Austrian or German guy called Robert Stoss.
What you're talking about must have been in the 90s or earlier.

 

[Dan G]

I want to make it clear that the shop did not promise that I would get a job after AI. There seem to be some who have responded that think this was the case. Had they promised me a job out of AI and I did not get one, it would have been an easy decision to stop working with the shop towards my OW Instructor Cert.

I posted here because I wanted to hear from others in the profession if my experience was typical or not. I do not want to invest more time, money, or energy into a fruitless pursuit.

I moved to Colorado over 30 years ago to teach skiing. I had experience and an "associate" level certification to teach skiing. Regardless, it was very challenging those first few years to endure. It was hard to get classes/students assigned to me because more senior instructors and those on "contracts" were selected first for classes. I was broke a lot. You really had to "want it."

If, after getting a contract myself, had a new instructor come to me, related a similar experience as I had when I was trying to get a toe hold, and then asked if these experiences were "red flags" I would have been able to explain that this is just how it goes in the industry and many others have had the same experience as I did. And no, they weren't red flags about the ski resort or the national agency that oversees ski instruction at most resorts in the U.S., but just the nature of the beast.

I came here wondering about my experiences so far with working towards being a dive instructor. That is what my origin al post was about.

 

[berndo]

I came here wondering about my experiences so far with working towards being a dive instructor. That is what my origin al post was about.

Your experiences are a red flag but it doesn't really matter as it's just the tip of the 'pro' iceberg.

 

[Cthippo]

But this 3rd party evaluation is exactly what happens with scuba instruction.

How so? I was never in the water with anyone but my instructor on any dive. I got to the end, she handed me a piece of plastic, and I was certified.

 

[tursiops]

How so? I was never in the water with anyone but my instructor on any dive. I got to the end, she handed me a piece of plastic, and I was certified.

Certified as an instructor?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I posted here because I wanted to hear from others in the profession if my experience was typical or not. I do not want to invest more time, money, or energy into a fruitless pursuit.

A friend of mine retired in Panama to open a dive center. He is never open as his welding business is just so much more lucrative. But there are few people whom I have met who are as technically and mechanically gifted as this guy. I don't know your talents, but you may want to consider if you could turn one of your talents into a revenue stream in some area with good diving.

 

[Wookie]

You are mistaken in much of this. When the dive shop in this thread switched to SSI a dozen years ago, The owner of SSI (Doug McNeese) gave us the history while conducting a week-long workshop.

He was the owner of 4 shops in Tennessee that were all associated with NASDS, and the NASDS headquarters was across the street from his flagship store. His stores were doing great because of his marketing strategies, but NASDS was struggling. He bought NASDS, and he kept his scuba shops. As the owner of NASDS, he made his marketing strategies a part of NASDS strategies.

Then NASDS merged with SSI, taking the name SSI. He moved to SSI headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado. Eventually, he bought out the old SSI owners and took over himself. The old NASDS strategies became SSI strategies. The week-long workshop was all about that.

I left the shop right after that and am not fully aware of any changes that have been made in the dozen years that followed.

Having worked in 2 NASDS shops, I agree with this assessment.

 

[Wookie]

You got your years mixed up. 2003 was 20 years ago. I worked in Egypt at the time and the new owner and the CEO used to come by our dive shop all the time. The HQ was in Bavaria by 2003 or earlier, it had been sold to an Austrian or German guy called Robert Stoss.
What you're talking about must have been in the 90s or earlier.

SSI scuba certifications are recognised around the world. In 1999, SSI merged with NASDS reuniting the two organisations under the same umbrella again. SSI was acquired by MARES in 2014.

SSI was founded by Robert Clark in 1970.[1] SSI headquarters are in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it is owned by Concept Systems International, Inc. In 2008, it was acquired by Doug McNeese, owner of the National Association of Scuba Diving Schools (USA) until its merger with SSI in 1999, and Robert Stoss, manager of Scubapro and Seemann Sub. On January 1, 2014, SSI was acquired by HEAD, which also includes the Mares brand of diving equipment, HEAD NV, for €4.9m.[2][3]

 

[berndo]

SSI scuba certifications are recognised around the world. In 1999, SSI merged with NASDS reuniting the two organisations under the same umbrella again. SSI was acquired by MARES in 2014.

SSI was founded by Robert Clark in 1970.[1] SSI headquarters are in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it is owned by Concept Systems International, Inc. In 2008, it was acquired by Doug McNeese, owner of the National Association of Scuba Diving Schools (USA) until its merger with SSI in 1999, and Robert Stoss, manager of Scubapro and Seemann Sub. On January 1, 2014, SSI was acquired by HEAD, which also includes the Mares brand of diving equipment, HEAD NV, for €4.9m.[2][3]

Did you just copy the wiki article? It still says HQ is still in the States. The article is not accurate. Just look at the imprint on the ssi website. They have been at the same adress and run by Guido for over 20 years.
And in "2008 acquired until the merger with SSI 1999" would require access to a time machine.

Im not doubting Johns story but it must be older than 10 years. Sounds like it was in the 90s.

 

[tursiops]

The first half of this has some SSI History.