Precision Diving

If you are an independent scuba instructor, then you may be finding it very frustrating to attract new students. Many new instructors who set off on their own will go through this. The dive stores get more and more students, while we are freaking out about where we are going to get the money to pay our insurance and agency fines (err fees), let alone to put food on the table. I know my first couple of years as an independent instructor were very nerve racking. I did everything I could to get my name out there, even started this blog to promote myself. Little did I know that it was easier than I thought if I put forth enough effort in the right direction. Read the rest of this entry →

Every year I sit down and look at the previous year’s diving. Based on that analysis, I try to set some diving goals for the new year. At the beginning of last year, I wanted to have longer bottom times. I was able to average 50 minutes for recreational dives. I was able to push a few technical dives to 25 and 30 minutes of bottom times. After looking at my personal diving over the past couple years, I’d like to take another class. Read the rest of this entry →

This past weekend was the 2010 Our World Underwater scuba diving show in the Chicago area. This show and expo is the biggest in the mid-west. Normally I do not go to the show as it has become more of a social event rather than a trade show. But Ben McGeever of Dive Xtras was bringing the X-Scooter to the show, so I asked if he needed any help staffing the booth. So I volunteered a day to help him out. Read the rest of this entry →

One of the most difficult skill new (and some experienced) divers have is learning how to clear their mask. There are many reasons why people have difficulty. A primary reason for this difficulty is because many people are not conscious of their breathing. That is, many people do know know that they breath in and out of their noses in addition to their mouths. While this post is not going to go over the mechanics of mask clearing, it is to give people some guidance on how to overcome their difficulties learning this essential skill. Read the rest of this entry →