Comments on: Why You Should Avoid Discounted Classes http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/ Building the Next Generation of Thinking Scuba Divers Fri, 18 May 2012 14:19:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Duane Johnson http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/comment-page-1/#comment-1801 Duane Johnson Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:27:05 +0000 http://precisiondiving.net/blog/?p=1291#comment-1801 I couldn't agree with you more JD. I couldn’t agree with you more JD.

]]> By: JD http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/comment-page-1/#comment-1800 JD Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:24:59 +0000 http://precisiondiving.net/blog/?p=1291#comment-1800 I have to also say that it's not important to collect C-Cards. Having more C-Cards doesn't make you a better diver. You have to gdt out there and get wet. Having perfect bouyancy and being comfortable in the water is what makes a good diver. There have been many times when I would just go out in the ocean and work on getting perfect bouyancy and weighting. These kinds of exercises do you worlds of good. A stack of C-cards is just plastic. You need the experience to back all that up. I have to also say that it’s not important to collect C-Cards. Having more C-Cards doesn’t make you a better diver. You have to gdt out there and get wet. Having perfect bouyancy and being comfortable in the water is what makes a good diver. There have been many times when I would just go out in the ocean and work on getting perfect bouyancy and weighting.
These kinds of exercises do you worlds of good. A stack of C-cards is just plastic. You need the experience to back all that up.

]]> By: Duane Johnson http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/comment-page-1/#comment-1758 Duane Johnson Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:57:22 +0000 http://precisiondiving.net/blog/?p=1291#comment-1758 Hi Nick, Just like in marketing, you have to find your niche in regards to scuba training. If a market is over saturated with instructors, an instructor can still succeed by providing his/her services to that niche market. Look at the GUE cave model. There are plenty of cave instructors in the Florida area. However, GUE instructors are still getting much more $$$ than the average cave course. In regards to bundling equipment with classes, I would avoid it. It is hard to determine the real value of the class when the equipment is masking it. Hi Nick,

Just like in marketing, you have to find your niche in regards to scuba training. If a market is over saturated with instructors, an instructor can still succeed by providing his/her services to that niche market. Look at the GUE cave model. There are plenty of cave instructors in the Florida area. However, GUE instructors are still getting much more $$$ than the average cave course.

In regards to bundling equipment with classes, I would avoid it. It is hard to determine the real value of the class when the equipment is masking it.

]]> By: Nick Bostic http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/comment-page-1/#comment-1754 Nick Bostic Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:32:38 +0000 http://precisiondiving.net/blog/?p=1291#comment-1754 Great points all around and I couldn't agree more. A couple of questions though: Do you think instructors in highly competitive (read: over instructor populated) areas are going to kill themselves in the short term by increasing prices if their instruction dictates? What are your thoughts on equipment/training materials bundling with classes? The store I worked for included EVERYTHING in the price of the class. You didn't even have to buy a mask if you didn't want to. It was encouraged, and most did, but it wasn't a requirement. The class price was also significantly more than the competition who didn't include equipment usage or crew packs. If the math was done to figure out the true class cost, the all-inclusive still cost more, but perhaps there was extra perceived value due to everything included. Thanks! Great points all around and I couldn’t agree more. A couple of questions though:

Do you think instructors in highly competitive (read: over instructor populated) areas are going to kill themselves in the short term by increasing prices if their instruction dictates?

What are your thoughts on equipment/training materials bundling with classes? The store I worked for included EVERYTHING in the price of the class. You didn’t even have to buy a mask if you didn’t want to. It was encouraged, and most did, but it wasn’t a requirement. The class price was also significantly more than the competition who didn’t include equipment usage or crew packs. If the math was done to figure out the true class cost, the all-inclusive still cost more, but perhaps there was extra perceived value due to everything included.

Thanks!

]]> By: Duane Johnson http://precisiondiving.net/blog/why-you-should-avoid-discounted-classes/comment-page-1/#comment-1750 Duane Johnson Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:07:05 +0000 http://precisiondiving.net/blog/?p=1291#comment-1750 Hi JD, Agreed. Skydiving is just as dangerous as scuba diving. As Jason has mentioned, by the time these people realize they have gotten a bad class, it's too late. The bad habits they picked up in their courses has now buried itself in their behavior. Bad habits are always hard to break. It should also be said that the most expensive education isn't always the best. So students really need to interview prospective instructors and not take the word of the kid behind the sales counter. Another trend in my area is dive stores giving free dry suit classes with the purchase of a dry suit. In my opinion, the dive stores believe that the education really isn't worth much if it's given away, OR, the profit margin on the dry suit has been increased to cover the cost of the class. Either way, I really dislike this practice. Off my soapbox now. :) Thanks for visiting. Duane Hi JD,

Agreed. Skydiving is just as dangerous as scuba diving. As Jason has mentioned, by the time these people realize they have gotten a bad class, it’s too late. The bad habits they picked up in their courses has now buried itself in their behavior. Bad habits are always hard to break.

It should also be said that the most expensive education isn’t always the best. So students really need to interview prospective instructors and not take the word of the kid behind the sales counter.

Another trend in my area is dive stores giving free dry suit classes with the purchase of a dry suit. In my opinion, the dive stores believe that the education really isn’t worth much if it’s given away, OR, the profit margin on the dry suit has been increased to cover the cost of the class. Either way, I really dislike this practice. Off my soapbox now. :)

Thanks for visiting.

Duane

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