How to Really Market Your Scuba Instruction Business

Scuba Marketing

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 more...]

PADI’s Go Pro Program, the Final Nail in the Coffin?

By Duane Johnson | Training

Duane Johnson - Tech Instructor

I’ve been receiving many emails and have seen advertisements for PADI’s Go Pro program. Basically, PADI is encouraging more and more people to become Divemasters or move up to Open Water Scuba Instructors. There might even be some kind of reward for instructors and stores to certify more dive professionals. Is this program beneficial to the diving industry or is it doing more harm than good? I feel that this program may be the final nail in the coffin for the diving industry. [Read more...]

Tips to Succeed as an Independent Scuba Instructor

By Duane Johnson | Scuba Business

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...]

What’s in a Title – Scuba Instructor Ratings

By Duane Johnson | Training

When I was going through my PADI IDC, our course director spoke with us at great detail about PADI’s levels of instructor ratings. He said that we should strive to achieve these ratings as it will make us more marketable. For the first two years I was an instructor, I bought into this. My focus wasn’t entirely on producing a great class, but rather collecting numbers so I could move up the ranks of the PADI instructor levels. To this day, those two years were the darkest of my instructing career. They say hindsight is always 20/20, and I wished I would have approached my classes better. [Read more...]

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