I’ve been an independent instructor for three full years. During this time, I’ve learned quite a lot about the diving industry. As each year passes, I learn more and more. So I’d like to give a few tips to people who are, or contemplating becoming, independent instructors. These are just a few dos and don’ts that I’ve learned to help you become a successful independent scuba instructor. [Read more...]
A Scuba Diving Christmas List in a Tough Economy
Like many Americans, this year has been very tough for my family. Last year I lost my job as a business manager at Motorola. I became a stay at home dad for our two daughters. This year, my wife lost her job as a career coach at Deloitte and Touche. As of this writing, neither of us have found a steady job yet. I’ve been teaching college classes part time for some extra cash. As Christmas approaches, we have had to make hard decisions as to what kind of gifts we will get the girls. As a parent, you want to give your kids everything, but many times that just isn’t possible. As I’ve thought about Christmas for my kids, I’ve thought about other people who are in a similar, or worse, situation than me and how this affects their diving Christmas season. [Read more...]
Reasons for Using the Upline
I was reading a post on Scubaboard about DIR and the upline. One person argued that DIR divers were forbidden to lay one finger on the upline. I found this comment rather silly. If there is a DIR rule book, I’ve never seen it. So I doubt the argument forbidding DIR divers from using the upline holds much water. As we gain more diving education and experience, we should be moving towards a thinking diver and will start to see that there are some instances where divers to need to use the upline. [Read more...]
How to Attach a Timing Device
Duane Johnson - Tech Instructor
