PADI Africa "Bush Telegraph"

PADI Scholarship - How proud can you get!

2012-02-09T01:08:00.003+02:00

Follow the steps of three Mozambique individuals, who worked tirelessly to become PADI Professionals via the PADI Scholarship Scheme.

Please Contact Peter Driessel, Regional Manager at peter.driessel@padi.com for more details of the PADI Scholarship Scheme

EVE User Group – PADI Europe, Middle East and Africa

2012-02-09T01:00:00.002+02:00

2011-10-13T08:52:00.012+02:00

Big Shark Shout-out October 15-23

2011-10-05T14:36:00.001+02:00

BIG SHARK SHOUT OUT OCTOBER 15 - 23
It’s time to pull out all the stops for sharks!

During Big Shark Shout Out week, Project AWARE Foundation, volunteer divers and shark supporters around the world will rally to protect sharks before it’s too late. PADI Pros and their student divers form a unique, collective voice that can help change the fate of vulnerable shark species.

Coinciding with Shark Alliance’s fifth annual European Shark Week and Project AWARE’s Give Sharks a Fighting Chance signature campaign – we’re calling on European Union (EU) fisheries ministers and parties to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to protect sharks from overexploitation.

What will you do during the Big Shark Shout Out?

Collect signatures for two vital petition efforts: the UnFinished Business petition to close loopholes in the EU Finning Ban and the Give Sharks a Chance petition to protect vulnerable shark species worldwide.
Teach the new AWARE Shark Conservation Diver Distinctive Specialty course.
Fundraise for sharks and create a local wall of support. Be the first of 10 to raise 200 ($, €, £) for shark protection and receive an AWARE shirt!

Organising for the Big Shark Shout Out is easy with the organizer kit. It has everything you'll need to make your shark support something to shout about

　
NO SHOUT TOO LOUD FOR SHARKS!

PADI’s Tec Revolution Starts Here!

2011-08-18T00:21:00.000+02:00

Prepare yourself to teach PADI’s Recreational Rebreather Courses which are due to launch imminently. Whatever your current rebreather credentials you are welcome to take part. Make your life less complicated by becoming 100% PADI!
How can you prepare?
The first step is to attend one of the global events that PADI Staff will be conducting especially for Instructors and Instructor Trainers to become PADI Rebreather Instructors or PADI Instructor Trainers for these courses. There’s also time to prepare by building your number of hours on your selected unit in order to meet the course pre-requisites.
Whether you’re planning to be a PADI Rebreather Instructor or Instructor Trainer you will have the opportunity, as part of the global events, to familiarize yourself with the PADI rebreather courses and how to apply the PADI system to rebreather diving, plus the opportunity to network with industry experts and other rebreather users.
Simply view the initial schedule below of recreational rebreather programs that PADI Pros’ can attend. Spaces will be limited so make sure you register early!
Download the registration forms here, contact your local PADI office, or visit the Pros’ site for further details.
Recreational Rebreather Instructor, Instructor Trainer and Instructor Crossover Global Course Dates

Dates	Location	Program	PADI Office

7-8 September 2011	Gothenburg, Sweden	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
7-8 September 2011	Gothenburg, Sweden	Instructor Trainer	EMEA
9-10 September 2011	Gothenburg, Sweden	Instructor Course	EMEA

12-14 September 2011	Bristol, UK	Instructor Course	EMEA
15-16 September 2011	Bristol, UK	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
15-16 September 2011	Bristol, UK	Instructor Trainer	EMEA

1-2 October 2011	Rancho Santa Margarita, USA	Instructor Crossover	Americas
1-2 October 2011	Rancho Santa Margarita, USA	Instructor Trainer	Americas

10-12 October 2011	Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt	Instructor Course	EMEA
13-14 October 2011	Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
13-14 October 2011	Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt	Instructor Trainer	EMEA

24-26 October 2011	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Crossover	Asia Pacific
27-28 October 2011	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Trainer	Asia Pacific
27-28 October 2011	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Course	Asia Pacific

7-9 November 2011	Orlando, USA	Instructor Crossover	Americas
7-9 November 2011	Orlando, USA	Instructor Trainer	Americas
10-12 November 2011	Orlando, USA	Instructor Course	Americas

14-16 November 2011	Germany	Instructor Course	EMEA
17-18 November 2011	Germany	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
17-18 November 2011	Germany	Instructor Trainer	EMEA

5-7 December 2011	Maldives	Instructor Course	EMEA
8-9 December 2011	Maldives	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
8-9 December 2011	Maldives	Instructor Trainer	EMEA

13-15 February 2012	Philippines	Instructor Course	Asia Pacific
16-17 February 2012	Philippines	Instructor Crossover	Asia Pacific
16-17 February 2012	Philippines	Instructor Trainer	Asia Pacific

20-22 February 2012	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Course	Asia Pacific
23-24 February 2012	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Crossover	Asia Pacific
23-24 February 2012	Sydney, Australia	Instructor Trainer	Asia Pacific

26-28 March 2012	Malta	Instructor Course	EMEA
29-30 March 2012	Malta	Instructor Crossover	EMEA
29-30 March 2012	Malta	Instructor Trainer	EMEA

13-14 May 2012	Orlando, USA	Instructor Course	Americas
15-17 May 2012	Orlando, USA	Instructor Crossover	Americas
15-17 May 2012	Orlando, USA	Instructor Trainer	Americas

Details of how to become a Tec Closed Circuit Rebreather Instructor and Tec Instructor Trainer will be announced shortly.

‘How to Guide’ for exhibiting at shows

2011-08-04T14:48:00.000+02:00

‘How to Guide’ for exhibiting at shows

by John Carlin

This has been written as a basic guide to be used by individual/groups of PADI members or individual/groups of PADI dive centres to exhibit at exhibition events (at both diving and non-diving shows).

There is a working example for each step (in red with links to example documents where appropriate) which has been taken from the PADI and Irish Diving Stand at The Adventure Weekend (2011) in Dublin, Ireland.

Where to begin?

You have either decided to exhibit or have been approached by a show organiser to take part in a show. What should you do first?

1. Research

Before you put down that deposit you need to ask some questions. Are you going to be able to get a Return on Investment (ROI)?

Check out the shows history. What are the show’s target numbers and the demographic of visitors that will be attending? Don’t be afraid to ask questions and request this information from the show organiser prior to giving them any payment details. They should have this as a pack for an exhibitor as well as the costs for you to attend and all the exhibitor requirements.

PADI and Irish Diving Stand example:

The show organiser sent an exhibitor proposal pack which outlined the reasons to take part and the expected visitor numbers and their profiles. The expected 30,000 people and the average visitor profile with the target requirements for the 8 participating dive centres on this project so we moved to the second planning stage’

Click on ‘The Adventure Weekend Show – Exhibitor proposal pack’ link to view this document.

2. Planning

Now you have decided to attend you need to start planning. Regular exhibitors will often spend 6-12 months preparing for a show. It is advisable for you to attend other similar types of shows to make notes of exhibits (including non-diving stands) that were successful and those that were not - and most importantly why not?

You may want to use the show to attract new business and raise your profile. You need to make a list of goals and objectives for the show. These need to be ‘SMART’ – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. You need to have clear goals such as predefined target number of leads or sales. You may simply want to spread the word about your dive business and this can still be measured using social media with for example the number of ‘likes’ and ‘tweets’ about your stand or business.

All goals need to be quantifiable such as 100 sales or leads a day - otherwise how do you know if the show has been a success. By having these you will be able to compare the success of one show against another.

3. Stand design

The visual impact your stand makes at the show is vital. You need it to tell a story about your business and why people should come and talk to you.

The stand will act as a shop window for your business. At a show you have only 3 seconds to capture that passing person’s attention. Your stand should have a strong and clear graphic message.

The text you use should be minimal and clearly identify who you are and what you offer. Try to use bullet points to summarise your key messages and remember to keep these messages above 1 metre (think about people’s line of sight as they are walking round).

Most importantly use some cool graphic pictures to symbolise what you are offering - divers looking at the camera are great as people are narcissistic and will want to imagine themselves as the person in the photograph. Bright colourful images can say a thousand words and will make you stand out from the crowd and capture people’s attention.

Once you have the imagery and backdrop set up, you need to think about the layout of the stand itself. To attract the maximum number of people to your stand you need to make sure it is open and there are no barriers restricting access or creating a bottleneck. Try to keep the marketing areas towards the back of the stand so that your staff can attract new foot flow at the front and engage with the passers by.

Is your stand exciting and unique? Is it more than just a 2D stand? If you can have special attractions such as online demos, visual and audio presentations this will make your stand interactive will be a great talking point for your staff to engage people. If you can get this right you will be memorable and stand out from the other hundreds of exhibitors at the show.

Lighting can make or break stand. Effective lighting can create an impact and draw people in whilst ineffective lighting may mean you fade into the background of the show. It can be inexpensive and you can even play with the direction, intensity and colour of your lighting.

Practice putting the stand up and taking it down before you get to the show. It will give you an opportunity to see if it looks and works, how long it takes to set up and will give you time make any necessary modifications.

Location, location, location. Whilst that sounds like something and an estate agent would say it is important to think about the location of your stand at the show. You will pay more for prime spots but you need to think about the flow of people through the show. Is it worth paying a little more not to be tucked away in a corner? It doesn’t matter how cheap your stand is if the visitors cannot easily find you.

Whether you have a prime spot or not the height of your stand can make a difference. Some show organisers will allow you to build up to 6 metres high and remember you don’t get charged any extra for using this space! Having extra height on your stand will make your clearly visible in an exhibition hall and can mean you tower above everyone else drawing in the crowd.

4. Competitions and marketing incentives

If you are not able to make direct sales on the day then you need to think about competitions or marketing incentives. You need to give people a reason to give you their contact details so that you can do some permission marketing either during or after the event.

The prizes need to be relevant to the products and services your business offers as well as the target audience – the type of the people who will be attending the show. Are the prizes you will be offering cool enough for that person to spend 5-10 minutes of their time talking to you and then filling in the enquiry sheet just to be in with a chance of winning? It is important to factor the cost of these prizes in to your total show budget.

If you can create a competition that is drawn several weeks or months after the show it means that the people who gave their contact details are more likely to read any promotional information you send them afterwards as it will be anticipated and relevant.

5. Recruiting show staff

As important as the stand itself are the people who will be working on it. You need enthusiastic and friendly staff who are comfortable working in a ‘show’ environment. The staff need to be busy participants with a ‘can do’ attitude and not just be bystanders. This means that they will have to have no fear in stepping to the front of the stand or even in to the aisle to give a friendly smile and start up a conversation with a complete stranger. They must be the type of person who does not take the frequent rejection you get at shows personally. Remember if your staff are excited about your products and services then people will sense this and this enthusiasm is contagious and it sells.

Have you heard of ‘Selling the Sizzle and not the Steak’? This is an old sales saying that tells us about human nature. A modern analogy is when it comes to buying a car. Most people don’t just buy any car, they buy a model they may trust, a model that might make them feel sporty, a colour they like and/or a car that has a stereo system that makes them feel like they are in a concert hall. They aren’t just buying a car to get from A to B – they are buying one for the experience and this is why car sales people always try to get you to test drive a car.

Lets equate this back to SCUBA diving. We didn’t do a PADI Open Water Diver course because we were told how many classroom/swimming pool sessions there were did we? We wanted to become a SCUBA diver to visit an exciting new world. Diving is exciting so don’t get your staff to chase after people with clipboards and leaflets. Get your staff to remember why they started diving. The staff need to think of their own first positive SCUBA diving experience, how it made them feel and why they love diving. They can use this to develop an emotional connection with the person they are speaking to and they can talk about how diving enables you to meet people, go places and do things.

Get your staff to talk about their own local diving experiences so people can see why they should go diving with your business. It helps to have a video or PowerPoint presentation to show people on the day what they can see once they are qualified (see the positive assumption you are already using!).

The show staff need to be polite and well presented - staff uniforms can make them look smart and stand out from the crowd as the people to go and talk to. Some product knowledge is important but those first few minutes of talking to a new person is all about setting the scene finding out what the persons needs and interests are. After that the front line troops may want to hand over to a more specialist colleague.

Manning a stand is long, hard work and you will need to plan regular breaks in to your show schedule. Show days can be over 12 hours and that is a long time to be standing on your feet and talking to people. Plan to have enough staff to cover the ones who are on a break which may mean you need more staff than you first thought.

You need to make sure that you have fully briefed the staff about the goals and objectives of the show. It is worth having a staff briefing prior to the show and then a briefing on the day. Don’t assume everyone knows how to work on an exhibition stand. Role play can be useful and get the staff to use open ended questions such as ‘what type of water sports are you interested in’ where the visitor has to give more than just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.

The staff need to be aware of any marketing initiatives or competitions as well as the individual/team targets for the event. You need to realistically calculate the average time needed to engage each person, explain the competitions and marketing incentives and finally obtain contact details for the follow up promotional communications before you set your show targets for your staff.

It may be useful to have a show ‘code of conduct’ form which they sign which includes the summary of the show times, a break time rota, dress code and their roles.

Try to have a de-briefing at the end of each day which allows you to say thank you and if they will be working on the stand the following day this will help to motivate them again or make any changes and/or correct any problems.

Some general things to avoid when working on a stand are to; not eat/drink on the stand, try not to sit and work on a laptop and don’t use your mobile telephone on or near the stand.

6. Press releases

Did you know that over 90% of all exhibitors fail to take advantage of press and promotional opportunities? Contact your show organiser to ask what is on offer.

When producing a press release try to encapsulate the story about your business in the first sentence. Remember if it is in a show booklet people scan these very quickly as they walk around. The press release you send in should have your contact details, business name and stand name.

Some shows have guest speakers coming in to give talks. Although it cannot be used as a direct sales pitch you can highlight how cool SCUBA diving is and then answer questions at the end and point them in the direction of your stand.

Some shows have big screens so put together a 30 second video clip or a series of PowerPoint presentation slides which uses the imagery of your stand, has details of any competitions or marketing initiatives and contains your stand location.

7. Social Media

It is important to consider the use of Social Media not only to promote that you are attending the show but also to gain new customers. For example you may design a Facebook Fan page to advertise your stand at the show. You can then invite your existing friends, family and customers to ‘like’ which will raise the awareness of your presence at the show.

The Facebook Fan page also allows people to ‘check in’ and ‘like’ your stand (you may wish to have a raffle draw each day for a prize for the people that do this) and is another place for them to find out more information about you.

A Facebook Fan page can also be programmed to have an entry page which changes to ‘fan’ page with more information when a person ‘likes’ the page. Remember when a person ‘likes” your page, they are making a connection to it which is be displayed in their profile and news feed for all their friends to see.

8. Leaflets

This is a commonly abused and misused resource. How many shows have you been to where you have walked down an aisle and had leaflets pushed into your hand? What have you done with them? In most cases they are dumped into bins or made in to paper aeroplanes or screwed up and thrown at people!

By visiting different shows you will see stands with uncomfortable staff who use leaflets as props because they don’t want to talk to people as they may be nervous or lack product knowledge.

Successful exhibitors use their stand display to capture people’s attention first and then engage them with their staff and any interactive stand attractions they may have. The leaflet should only be presented at the end once you have made a sale or obtained the visitors contact details for permission marketing.

A well thought out leaflet is used to illustrate a particular product or service of specific interest to that visitor and contain your contact details. It is used to remind them of the emotional connection you made with them when they came to your stand. It should tip them over the edge to contact you after the show to find out more or to buy the product they were talking to you about.

Big generic leaflets advertising everything you offer do not work – people will see this as a form of spam and it will end up in a rubbish bin. Think of the leaflet in the same way as you did designing your stand. The text needs to be minimal (bullet points if possible) and it needs to have colourful images that describe the product you are offering and will connect with the person attending the show.

The images, quality of the paper or card as well as the shape of the leaflet can make a big difference to a person’s decision to retain the leaflet for future reference.

9. Permission marketing

Once you have spent all this time and money going to a show what are you going to do with all of that information?

The first thing you have to do and this is required in the planning stages is to decide what type of information you need from someone to create a successful follow up marketing initiative once the show has finished. Don’t depend on your memory – a few words scribbled on the back of a leaflet or business card is not enough after the show is over as you will have talked to hundreds of people.

You need to create a show enquiry form which is easy and quick for the staff to fill out and records not only their personal information, contact details and their interests. Remember if it takes too long to fill out people will walk away.

It is important to get as many details as possible though and the competitions or marketing initiatives you are offering should give them enough reason to register all the details you need.

You also need to have pre-prepared your follow up marketing letters, emails or other communications before the show starts. Remember these people will be expecting the contact from you and if you leave it any later than 48 hours after the show it will be too late. If you leave it too late you are likely to be ignored and all your money, time and effort has gone to waste.

Each of the promotional contacts in a ‘warm touch’ campaign (where you keep contacting a interested party with information about your products over a period of time until they sign up) needs to have a different feel or look.

For example if you are planning to send a series of promotional emails, each individual email you have created needs to have a different header and a slightly different text content. This helps to prevent the interested show visitor feeling like they are being spammed if they don’t sign up after the first round of your promotional emails.

Once you have all these completed show enquiry forms what do you do with them? You need to record the information into some form of database (EVE is excellent for this).

Time needs to be factored in for the data entry. If possible get a trusted staff member to sit quietly away from the stand on a laptop to enter the information from the enquiry forms in batches during the show. This will mean you are not left with the unenviable task the following day to enter in the information of hundreds of visitors, maybe thousands if you are lucky!

Once the information is in a database (such as EVE) it will help to manage the specific follow up marketing according to that person’s registered interests. It will also help you to measure the effectiveness of the show and investigate the numbers and the demographics of the people that visited your stand.

How the leads are allocated and followed up is of great importance and should be planned well in advance. Did you know that over 70% of exhibition enquiries are never followed up! The most successful results follow from calls that made from show visitors within 5 days of the show finishing. It is essential that you avoid the post-show wind down and input the show data in to the database as soon as possible.

Remember make the follow up contact as soon as possible after the show reminding them who you are, why you were at the show and what they registered their interest for. These are known as ‘Hot Leads’ so strike before they cool off, forget about you and your stand and get excited about something else.

10. Measurement

Having planned and executed a stand at a show, how do you know whether it was successful or not?

It is important after the show to record how every new customer finds you. You can do this if you are an EVE user by using the ‘Enquiry Source’ on the details section of the customer record. By monitoring this information you can record not only how many enquiries you received but more importantly how many you converted and the value of each customer.

Although most enquiries will come soon after the show, if you have a program of promotional contacts (it is important to include an unsubscribe option) over a period of time it is essential you continue to record all new enquiries.

This will help you to determine not only if the show is worth attending again, whether your plan/execution was successful and if you need to budget more or less for the next show.

Good luck with your next show and please don’t hesitate to contact your PADI Regional Manager and the PADI Marketing Department if you have any further questions. If you would like an example as to how the above was applied to the Irish Dive Show, please send me an email and I will forward you the examples.

PADI Tribe Now 20 Million Certifications Strong and Growing

2011-08-04T14:23:00.000+02:00

Countdown to 20 million diver certifications is celebrated with a trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef aboard the MV Spirit of Freedom.

The PADI organization expects to reach a major milestone before the end of third quarter 2011 - its 20 millionth diver certification. To celebrate this occasion, PADI Regional Headquarters around the world are sponsoring the “Countdown to 20 Million” campaign, which will award the diver who earns the 20 millionth certification with a trip to dive Australia’s Great Barrier Reef aboard the MV Spirit of Freedom. The PADI Instructor issuing the 20 millionth certification, as well as the affiliated dive centre or resort, will each also receive a trip to this natural wonder of the world.

“In 1966, Ralph Erickson and John Cronin had an idea about a better way for people to learn to dive. That the PADI organization has grown from the two of them to more than 20 million testifies to the power and wisdom of their vision” says PADI Worldwide Chief Executive Officer Brian Cronin. “It also shows how a mutual passion for diving unites the PADI family around the world. Twenty million certifications only happen because PADI professionals lead diving. I salute their achievement.”

The Countdown to 20 Million campaign includes a comprehensive public relations effort coupled with promotion in PADI digital media outlets and a daily, updated countdown counter at padi.com.

Tourism Queensland has graciously provided the land and air portion of the prize packages to the Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest reef system and one of the natural wonders of the world – including roundtrip airfare to Cairns, Queensland, Australia, four nights accommodations and excursions to explore the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest, a Cuddle a Koala Experience and an Aboriginal Cultural Experience. The MV Spirit of Freedom is generously sponsoring the dive portion of the prize package, which includes a three-day, three-night liveaboard adventure to iconic dive sites like Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs, plus a low-level reef flight between Lizard Island and Cairns. The diver receiving the 20 millionth certification will receive a prize package for two and the certifying instructor and affiliated dive centre or resort will each win a trip for one.

“Each of the 135,000 PADI Members around the world not only share a passion for diving and the underwater world, but influence and lead diving in the local community,” says PADI President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Drew Richardson. “It’s this leadership, backed by passions, interests and convictions, that magnified John and Ralph’s concepts in to a global movement of literally millions of people who identify with PADI. As PADI Divers travel locally and internationally, they look for PADI Dive Centres, Resorts and Professionals because they are reassured by the common connection that unifies us as a family or tribe.”

Visit padi.com for details regarding the Countdown to 20 Million Diver Certifications contest. For additional information, email marketing@padi.co.uk

PADI - The Way the World Learns to Dive®

Teaching the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Speciality Course

2011-06-21T17:01:00.000+02:00

Teaching the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course

From the Training Bulletin

PADI's Peak Performance Buoyancy course is PADI's second most popular specialty after Enriched Air. The recently-updated materials incorporate advances in technology (such as the the unique buoyancy control demands of technical diving / CCRs) - as well as cosmetic changes.

Teaching Tips for Peak Performance Buoyancy

Use the new PPB Instructor outline (part no. 70236 rev. 2011) to offer three buoyancy training options:

a buoyancy clinic in the pool
an adventure dive
the two-dive specialty course.

Begin by dialing in the student's weight at the surface. The student should float at eye level while holding a normal breath and having an empty, or near-empty BC. Be sure to have a variety of weights nearby to make adjustments. It's important to repeat this exercise at the end of the dive when the student has 750-500 psi.

The next step is to have the diver fine-tune weighting by positioning and distributing weights for different applications, for example:

A wall dive: head-up, feet-down position (weights placed towards the middle of the back).
Taking photos: slightly head-down, feet-up position (position weights towards the chest away from the hips and/or adjust tank position tank higher or lower in the BCD).
Using a CCR: rebreathers should be at minimal loop volume and the top of the diver’s head should float level with the surface.

Have divers try different weight configurations while performing simple skill challenges. Some supplies you may find helpful to have on hand:

Hula hoop(s)
Ankle weights
Rope
Toypedo
Small plastic toy
Underwater camera

Suspend the hula hoop in the water using the rope and weights and have divers swim through it. Or, suspend a plastic toy in the water and have divers hover next to it / take photos of it. Challenge divers to throw the toypedo around without touching the bottom (while hovering or swimming).

Don't forget to repeat the buoyancy check at the surface (described above) at the end of your confined water session.

We recently published a PPB teaching tips article in the Surface Interval e-newsletter. Read the complete Surface Interval article. Additional game and skill practice ideas are included in the new instructor guide (product no. 70236 version 2.0 from 2011)

Did You Know...?

You can integrate the PPB specialty into the Open Water course. It requires some additional skills and one extra dive.* See page 33 of the 2011 PADI Instructor manual for details. Please note, you may only integrate one specialty course with Open Water.

2011 instructor manual page 33

You can also introduce the PPB adventure dive after dive four of Open Water.* Most new divers need a little extra buoyancy practice and you can start them on the path to adventures in diving. In a recent reader survey, PPB ranked as one of the top four adventure dives.

* There is a limit of three training dives per day. You can only add the PPB dive if the student completed (at least) OW dives one and two on the previous day.

New PPB PADI Specialty Materials

2011-06-21T16:27:00.000+02:00

New PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Materials Now Shipping

The Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty provides a trifecta of benefits for the diver: conserve air, lose weight, and protect the marine environment. "PPB" is also PADI's second most popular specialty after Enriched Air. Email subscribers may need to click through to padiinstructorinfo.com to view the images below.

PPB crewpak - product no. 60177
(now with 50% less neon)

It's been more than ten years since we added PPB to the PADI specialty roster, and the new materials include some useful updates. There is a new student manual (we only had a booklet before) and an completely updated DVD (now with 50% less neon in the wetsuits).

New PPB instructor guide - product no. 70236

There is a new instructor guide (product no. 70236). It's not mandatory to switch to the new guide, but there are two sets of knowledge reviews in the new student manual and only the new guide has both sets of knowledge review answers. Similarly, you may continue using the prior version of the student materials.

About the PPB Knowledge Reviews
Knowledge Review Part I is the same as the Peak Performance Buoyancy section of the Adventures in Diving manual. The answers can be found in the PPB instructor guide or downloaded from the PADI Pro's Site (Curriculum - Exams and Assessments - Adventures in Diving)

There is a second set of knowledge reviews in the new student manual. The answers are only available in the new instructor guide.

What Else is New?
The new student materials and instructor guide include useful information about buoyancy training for students using rebreathers.

The new materials are available starting today. Contact your PADI Sales Rep or order online from the PADI Pro's Site. Here are some useful part numbers:

Revised PPB instructor guide: part no. 70236

New student crewpak: 60177. Includes:

New PPB student manual: 79315
Revised PPB student DVD: 70858

PADI Announce the soon to be launched eCard

2011-06-14T18:39:00.000+02:00

As a 2012 membership renewal benefit all PADI Members will receive a free PADI eCard for their highest core level (including Course Director and IDC Staff). The PADI eCard is an electronic version of the PADI certification card.

The eCard will be available for diver replacement cards in fourth quarter 2011. Initially, the eCard will be available through Replacement Card Online only. Divers obtaining a replacement card will have the choice of an eCard, a plastic card or both. In addition, PADI Members can use PIC Online credits to sell eCards to existing PADI Divers through the Online Processing Center on the PADI Pros’ Site. PADI Members can then utilize the power of smartphone technology when certifying divers.

PADI eCard is hosted, managed and displayed using the PADI App, initially accessible on Apple, Android and Blackberry smartphones, but development for other operating systems will follow. Security of the eCard is a primary concern, so PADI has integrated features such as QR coding (a specific, two-dimensional code) to make authentication straightforward and easy.

PADI eCard development demonstrates PADI’s commitment to positive identification certification cards and sets a new bar for delivery, embracing environmental stewardship by reducing the amount of plastics, paper and transportation used to deliver certifications to divers, for those who choose to use it.

How to Use Groupon Voucher Website as an Effective Marketing Strategy

2011-06-13T15:36:00.004+02:00

Are you familiar with websites such as “Groupon” (group coupon), “Living Social”, and “Spreets” (spread the word on the streets)? These are deal-of-the-day websites, offering great discounts to customers based on a minimum number of sign-ups for each deal. Maybe you’ve even bought vouchers yourself?

This is one of the fastest growing online shopping markets, and is estimated to be worth millions of dollars in revenue each month. Many PADI Dive Centres have advertised on these websites and following their experiences, we would like you to consider some key points, before you dive in. This is a rapidly developing marketplace and this article is now in its 3rd revision, to reflect the changes that have taken place over the last few months, specifically with regard to Groupon.

It’s crucial for your business to get this right first time!

Although any advertising that gets customers through your door is great, it’s important to recognise that the web-savvy consumer these sites attract can be your ally or your enemy. Give them a really positive experience and they’ll advertise you for free via social media like Twitter and Facebook etc. Give them a bad experience or poor customer service and they’ll tell ten times as many people! A discount deal must never result in a sub-standard course!

What is the Real Marketing Value of this for a Dive Centre?

The obvious and immediate value is bringing large numbers of new customers into your store – but this does not automatically generate income. The percentage discount you have to give and the substantial cut taken by the websites means that you will not make a profit from the voucher sale alone, some centres have in fact made a loss. Minimise the risk to your business by planning your strategy in advance. The real long term value comes from converting voucher customers into regular divers, up-selling courses, merchandise and dive trips to them, and retaining their business in your club.

It’s essential that you do your homework first, and have a very clear understanding of your overheads, before you advertise a discount voucher. There are costs in time, effort and resources that must be planned for. Work backwards - start with what you can deliver and let that dictate what you offer!

Initially, most dive centres were advertising DSD experiences only, however since Groupon stopped supporting DSD offers in the UK in March 2011 some centres have successfully run vouchers for Scuba Diver and Open Water Referrals. While offering more expensive courses at a discount presents a higher risk, with careful planning it can be very successful, and the crucial considerations are the same. During May 2011 Groupon has re-introduced the DSD option, but only as a “sidebar” promotion, in association with higher value course offers.

The essential areas to consider are as follows:

1.) Customer Service

2.) Overheads

3.) Scheduling

4.) Add-on Sales

5.) Commitment

6.) Follow up

1. Customer Service

It may seem like a golden sales opportunity, but before you get carried away with the hundreds of people you could sign up, make sure you can realistically handle them and give them all a great experience.

To have a fighting chance of converting voucher customers, you need to have the scope for delivering really effective customer service at each point of contact – that is when they first phone you, when they come in to the centre to dive with you, and following up with them after they’ve completed the course. You need to have a schedule for this in place in advance – waiting until the phone starts ringing is too late!

After the deal goes live, the phone will ring constantly for a couple of days, and you may have a stampede come through the door too! (Even with higher value deals, dive centres have still received hundreds of customers.) Having a designated member of staff to cover the phone during this period is essential – it allows you to give consistent customer service to the callers, while avoiding any confusion or mistakes over what is booked in the diary. It will also mean minimum disruption is caused to your staff, existing customers and courses that are running at the time.

2.) Overheads

Before deciding how many vouchers to offer and at what discount, work out your costs and maximum ratios for each of the following:

Teaching materials - DSD booklets or OW required materials

Staffing – the logistics of teaching large numbers or multiple groups are complicated, you will need someone to organise and control the flow of people. Instructor to student ratios should allow for that excellent customer service you want to provide, and you also need people to manage the bookings, admin, air fills, gear fulfilment and effective follow up with the customers.

Pool Costs – If you don’t have exclusive use of an on-site pool, the rental and fuel/travel costs to get there must be accounted for.

Admin – regardless of the course you’re offering, there will be extra office time to account for, whether it be registering the DSDs or managing a sudden rush of referral paperwork.

Air Fills and Gear – the number of cylinders and the amount of rental gear you have will dictate how many people you can accommodate, so hiring extra gear or extra staff to speed up turn-around may be a consideration, depending on your planned schedule. Allow also for extra wear and tear, spares, loss or damage etc.

Academics – available classroom space and the teaching tools (computers, DVDs etc) will also effect how many people you can accommodate.

Open Water trips – if you’re offering the Scuba Diver course, all costs associated with the logistics for open water dives must be included too.

Work out how many vouchers/people you can take based on the immediate cost you can afford to absorb, as there may be a delay between the course and re-couping the voucher money.

Some sites pass on the money for the voucher sales after the deal has closed, making you responsible for handling any refunds, cancellations etc. Others withhold the money until after the vouchers are used, and there will be a time delay between you running the course and reclaiming/receiving the money for it.

When costing your promotion, factor in the immediate expenses without relying on the voucher money to cover it in the short term!

3.) Scheduling

When scheduling courses or experiences make them work along side your regular business and existing schedule, or give people sufficient warning of schedule changes so that it doesn’t damage your core business or alienate your regulars. Do not be afraid to limit the times available to the voucher customer, so that it works for you rather than swamping you.

4.) Add-on Sales

If you are offering discounted OW Referrals or Scuba Diver, up-selling to the full Open Water certification is the key factor if you are to make any profit. Add-on sales such as mask, fins and snorkel sets are also where you will make a profit. Sell the concept of the deal as a lead into the full OW course, and orientate the customer to this progression from first contact with the wording of your advert. Sell your local diving experience. (If you are doing referrals, refer the student back to your centre, so they complete their training with you.) Price your upgrade to OW so that the combined income from the deal and the upgrade gets you close to your original pricing for the full course.

For DSD offers, consider sales opportunities in the small detail, for example offering customers the chance to buy their own regulator mouthpieces, (for use with your rental equipment,) or their own mask, fin and snorkel sets, rather than offering big discounts on the full OW if they go on to train with you. Remember, once they have taken up the deal, up-selling future courses at an appropriate price and converting them into regular customers is best for your business. Discounting on full courses can reduce the perceived value of the training, where offering additional items in a combination deal will add value instead.

It is essential that your advertisement makes it clear what is and what is not included in the deal.

Adding hidden costs to the existing deal will alienate this customer, and may cause them to demand a refund. If a high percentage of voucher customers demand a refund, you can be blacklisted by the website and be banned from offering future deals. This is in addition to the negative publicity it will cause for your business locally and via social media, which can be very damaging.

5.) Commitment

Depending on the site you advertise with, there will be differences on your contractual obligations and how the voucher money is calculated:

*Be aware of exclusivity clauses, and ensure you are prepared to honour any restrictions on advertising your centre through other websites.

*Make sure you are fully aware of how the VAT on voucher sales is being calculated by the website, and what amount the value is being calculated from.

*Be aware that you can dictate the maximum number of vouchers available, as well as the minimum. Having a cap on the number offered can also add perceived value to your deal and future deals if you do it again.

6.) Follow up

If you wait until all the vouchers have been redeemed before you start contacting the first customers, you will have missed the boat!

Hopefully a percentage will sign up for more immediately, especially if the up-sell deal is dependent on them making a commitment during the course, however it can be difficult to spend quality time with everyone when you’re dealing with groups and a few potential divers may slip though the net.

You already have their interest – now make use of it! The value to your business of each new diver and their future training/diving career makes it worth scheduling some extra time for your staff to call them afterwards, and spend a few minutes talking about their experience, the courses you offer, social events at your centre etc. Following up with each person individually within a couple of days is the best way to capitalise on their enthusiasm, and gives you another opportunity to get them involved, even if not as part of the original deal.

To learn more about successful follow up methods please contact your Regional Manager. Peter Driessel: peter.driessel@padi.co.uk, +27 82 570 5763.

Facebook Tip - #10

2011-06-11T07:13:00.002+02:00

Geo-Location Rewards

Facebook Places Check In, Google Places, and Foursquare all offer your customers or potential customers the opportunity to check in at your shop or centre. They’ll only do it if there’s something in it for them (although Foursquare awards you points for a check in, and Mayorship for repetitive check-ins).
Use this functionality to reward loyal customers, encourage friends to visit, and build awareness of your brand. Facebook offers many opportunities for promotion, here are a few examples for marketers:

1.Offer discounts for check-ins
Directly offering discount to the visitors who check-in on Facebook when they are in your shop, or have repeatedly visited a number of times. If you want them to physically walk into your store, place a ‘secret code’ somewhere in your store. If they don’t enter this code when they check in, they don’t get the points.

2.Giving tasks to your customers
The check-in function allows a ‘treasure hunt’. For example, within a set period of time, visit a certain number of coastal dive sites. If you sync this with a trip you’re running to these dive sites, you’ll expect increased signups. Or have your referral customers check in at the airport when leaving for holiday, and when they come back to receive a special offer. You then know when they’ve returned from completing their Open Water Course and can email or phone them to find out how they got on (and sign them up for some local diving or a repeat holiday).

3.Attendance tracking
When people check in at your centre for each confined water session, knowledge development or open water dive, reward them with a point. When they’ve checked in each time, it appears on their Facebook wall, giving you free publicity to all their non-diving friends. If they follow through and check in for each visit, then reward them with a special offer.

Facebook Tip - #9

2011-06-11T07:12:00.000+02:00

Turn Your Facebook Page into a Lead Generator
You want to capture potential customers and have a way of contacting them in future, or entice them along to your store to take advantage of special offers? Here are some suggestions:

A. Add an enewsletter sign-up link

Give FB users the option to join your email list. Constant Contact and Mail Chimp have free Facebook apps that add an e-newsletter sign-up link to your page.

B. Ask a Facebook Question….
In the same spot where you’d post a status update, you can ask a question or create a poll.
For example:

What type of fins are better: blades or split?
To our female divers: how do you feel about pink dive gear for women?
What is the most useful specialty to have?

(Remember, your opinion, or the opinion of your instructors is less important than having your customers engage in dialogue with you).

C. Always write back
If a customer takes the time to engage you by someone writes on your wall, or posts a picture, acknowledge them with a friendly reply. It seems obvious, but not everyone does this.

D. Offer a Facebook-exclusive promo
Facebook users expect special deals for “Liking” you on Facebook. Here are some promo ideas to maintain their loyalty:

2011 Unlimited air fill card for £200
“Unlimited” sounds scary to a business owner, but studies show consumers vastly over-estimate how much they’ll use something that’s unlimited. Curb your risk by offering this to the “first 10 callers – limit one per person”

Are you (or your gear) in need of a Tune Up?
Like us on Facebook and get 2-for-1 scuba review or regulator service. Invite your friends to “Like” us for a 2-for-1 Discover Scuba Pool Experience.

June special – Enriched Air Class £99 with 10 sign-ups
Run a Groupon-style promotion among your Faceboook fans. Using the example above, if 10 people sign up and provide their credit card information, the deal is “on” and the discount stands. Use your Facebook wall to post updates on how many more sign ups are needed to tip the deal.

Facebook Tip - #8

2011-06-11T07:11:00.002+02:00

Inexpensive Facebook Ads – The most bang for your buck (20 different adverts for 20 different demographics)
Google Adwords were allthe trend around 12 months ago. Now everyone is competing for the same keywords; meaning the price has risen. Facebook receives more hits than Google (March 2010 Facebook overtook Google as #1 site), and Facebook is being used more and more for content searches.
Facebook responded to Google Adwords with Facebook Ads. This is similar in concept, and on the same pay-per-click basis as Google, but more powerful.

Facebook allows you to choose the demographic you wish to display Ads to (Facebook has the biggest database of consumer preferences worldwide). These aren’t just limited to Age, Sex, and location. You can specify to people who have birthdays arriving, who have particular ‘likes’, or within a more detailed demographic using the Facebook Ads tools.

To get started, visit the Facebook Ads Section, click ‘Create an Ad’ and have a play around. It won’t cost you anything to discover how many 18-35 year old male windsurfers there are in your area that have a birthday today…and if there’s lots, you can create a specific advertisement for them…and then target the over 55 female golfers in you area also?

Once you’ve found a particular demographic you wish to advertise to, create an attractive advert that speaks to this particular group and let it run. You’ll pay on a per-click basis, so you’ll need to be sure that a high percentage of users are going to sign-up or purchase from you (have a look at this eBook (Seth Godin link) if you need help with that).

Facebook Tip - #7

2011-06-11T07:09:00.000+02:00

Drag Facebook content to Your Website

So far, in the previous 6 articles, you’ve had to play on Facebook’s terms. Anything you’ve done is inside Facebook and you’ve been constrained by Facebook’s layout. Now it’s time to start harnessing some of Facebook’s features and embed them inside your website.
How about a list of testimonials on the front sidebar of your website, you’ll never have to update them if they’re linked to your Facebook wall or discussion group. This is relatively simple to implement, but it will require you to have access to your website (not the Divemaster who once programmed your site 3 years ago before leaving for Mauritius!).
The Easiest way to get started is to use the Facebook Like Box, but for more advanced techniques, contact the PADI Marketing Department or your PADI Regional Manager (peter.driessel@padi.co.uk).

Facebook Tip - #6

2011-06-11T07:08:00.002+02:00

Don’t forget: Facebook pages get ranked in Search Engines as well
Your page name, along with its contents will get crawled by any search engine (including Google) and therefore some form of SEO is worthwhile.
The ‘About’ box on your Facebook profile is the best place to put keyword dense wording about your centre (remember to keep it readable to humans), and will assist with the ranking of your page relating to the keywords included in the text.
If you can’t see the ‘About’ box on your page, simply click the “Write something about [YourPage]” link in the area under your page profile picture. There’s a 250 character limit to this text, so you’ll need to choose your words wisely.

Facebook Tip - #5

2011-06-11T07:07:00.001+02:00

Spread the word

The previous articles showed you how to setup your presence on Facebook, but many of your customers will first come into contact with you through regular mailings, postal drops, and your website page or forum.
Make sure you are using the Facebook ‘like’ button on your blog, website, and email links, and include the Username for your Facebook page in all correspondence with customers and potential customers.
You can use the Facebook username on email signatures, written correspondence of any kind, business cards, Christmas cards, congratulatory emails, sales receipts, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Most people use the recognisable Facebook icon to link through to their Facebook profile, and all of these can be accessed and downloaded from Facebook directly:http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like/

Facebook Tip - #4

2011-06-11T07:06:00.003+02:00

Facebook Page Images (that square picture in the top left of your page profile).
The great news is, that picture doesn’t have to be square and boring. The image is limited to a width of 200 pixels, and a maximum file size of 4Mb! but other than that you can do what you want with it. I’d recommend keeping the file size low in order to speed up loading, and try not to creep past 500-600 pixels tall or the image will scroll off most users’ screens.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, then check out these cool examples of business pages taking the profile image customisation to the extreme;
1. http://www.facebook.com/gap
2. http://www.facebook.com/psdtuts
3. http://www.facebook.com/urbanoutfitters
4. http://www.facebook.com/mostfamousmonkey

Facebook Tip - #3

2011-06-11T07:06:00.000+02:00

Get yourself a Facebook username that points to your business page.
Vanity URL, Username, Facebook Shortname, there are many different ways of describing this feature of Facebook. One thing is for sure though; it’s a quick and easy way to point people straight to your marketing message from outside Facebook.

It makes sense to choose a name close to your business name, and then start using this in all of your communications with customers. To get started, head along to www.facebook.com/username and follow the instructions.
Remember:

A Facebook URL is like a username; once it’s taken, it’s taken and no one else can have it (without court proceedings of course!).
Choose a similar name to your business to help consumers identify you and aid you in Search Engine Listings. Choosing generic names such as ‘scuba diving in XYZ’ is likely to get revoked by Facebook and undo all your hard work.
You’ll need at least 25 people to ‘like’ your page before you can choose a username / short URL for it. So get inviting.
Don’t forget to use the link in your marketing collateral and email messages.
Once you’ve chosen a username, you cannot undo it. It’s linked to your page forever (really forever) and you cannot unlink the name. So choose wisely, sleep on it, think again, then make your decision.

Facebook Tip - #2

2011-06-11T07:02:00.001+02:00

Understand why people ‘unlike’ you.
In today’s pick up/put down culture, fans of your Facebook presence (your business page, see the previous article), can ‘unlike’ you in an instant. This effectively cuts the brand awareness and permission you have gained from that customer or consumer and stops you from communicating through Facebook in the future.
Worse still, it stops you being promoted to their friends through their profile, remember, they’ve raved that they’re a ‘fan’ to their friends as soon as they clicked ‘like’, so now you have a dialogue with their non-diving friends also.
So why do people ‘unlike’ your brand? Here’s some insight provided by DreamGrow (http://www.dreamgrow.com/why-people-unlike-on-facebook), and backed by the recent ExactTarget research conducted on Facebook (direct download: http://www.exacttarget.com/Resources/SFF8.pdf)

After clicking the ‘like’ button 51% of the consumers surveyed say they expect the company to send them at least a marketing message. The problem is that 40% say they didn’t expect to receive marketing messages from the company. The 9% left over didn’t know what they expected!
This poses a big problem for you as a business, because you’re going to have to make a tough decision on which side of the fence to sit. Do you use the ‘like’ status as a sign that people want to hear from you or not?
I’d say that you start sending marketing to those that have ‘liked’ your business, those that don’t want to hear the message are going to leave, but so what? So, there are 40% of the ‘likers’ that are upset that you’ve sent them something, either the message you’ve sent is wrong, or they didn’t want to listen in the first place.
Next up is the statistic that 44% of men equate “liking” a brand with permission to send marketing messages, while 55% of women make this connection. Interesting findings, and indicates that women may be more susceptible to your marketing messages via Facebook than men, but not by much.
The top 3 reasons that people click the ‘unlike’ link on Facebook:

The company posted too frequently (Facebook 44%, Twitter 39%)
Too much marketing posts and I needed to get rid of some of it (Facebook 43%, Twitter 41%)
The content became repetitive or boring over time (Facebook 38%, Twitter 52%)

The news isn’t a great deal different for Twitter; with ~27% of people following a brand just to receive a one-time special offer from them; something we’ll discuss a little more in the next article.

Share/Bookmark

Facebook Tip - #1

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000+02:00

If your Facebook presence is a ‘profile’ and not a ‘page’ you are at risk of losing it.
If you are using a Facebook Profile for your business, you are in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service Agreement and therefore it can be deleted at any time by Facebook. Guess what? That also means you’ll lose all those connections you’ve spent forever making and friends that have joined you and ‘friended’ your profile.
Stop using a Facebook profile for your business page. Pages are for Business, profiles are for individual people (groups are for collections of people with a shared interest.
At the top of your Facebook business page next to your business name does it say “Add as Friend” or “Like”?

If it says “Like” then you’re operating a page.
If it says “Add as Friend,” you’ve got a profile, not a page and are violating Facebook’s Terms of Service Agreement.

Facebook have kindly created a useful tool to help you migrate your profile to a page.
If you have a Facebook presence as a business on Facebook it should be as a Page, not a Profile. Make the switch now and reap the rewards that are about to follow in subsequent articles. For an example of what can be achieved on your Facebook page, take a look at the PADI Islands example page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123553170992499

Project AWARE Re-launches 20 Year Organization

2011-06-10T17:37:00.002+02:00

Just when you thought scuba diving for the ocean planet couldn’t get much better. The re-launch of Project AWARE Foundation, on June 8th, World Oceans Day, changes everything you thought you knew about diving for a cause.Project AWARE is flipping the switch on an unprecedented global movement of divers acting in their own communities to protect the ocean planet. Divers are on the leading edge of ocean protection. We are ocean heroes – numbering in the millions – across the globe. And together, our everyday actions can have really big results.

Join the movement - Create a visible profile in the Project AWARE My Ocean community. There you can create a local conservation blog, photo and video gallery, as well as map your local conservation initiatives, submit data, manage ocean events and more.
Battle the big two - With so many conservation issues converging on our ocean planet at once, Project AWARE is zoning in on two where scuba divers are uniquely positioned to directly affect real, long-term change – shark decline and marine debris. Visit www.projectaware.org for all new tools and resources to help you get started and lead the charge in your local area.
Be a Dive Geek - Throughout 2011 Project AWARE will have fun contests and hold inspiring action weeks to rally your energy and support for the cause. Collecting and reporting data is critical to Project AWARE’s work. And advocating for the most effective ocean policies is central to making progress. Embrace your inner dive geek and seek to take the adventure of diving to more meaningful depths with your divers and students.

What’s New?

An exciting, new online community – one where divers around the world combine their efforts online and offline for environmental change.
New programs and specialty courses – focused on two major ocean issues where divers can have a direct impact – sharks in peril and marine debris.
New, savvy tools and resources online – to help you maximize your ocean protection efforts and conservation goals.

And much much more …

Member Forum - Saudi Arabia

2011-06-01T11:39:00.000+02:00

2011 Saudi Arabia Forum Schedule

You are invited

Over the last 12 months PADI and the dive industry has continued to evolve, bringing changes and new opportunities.
The Member Forum provides an ideal opportunity to stay current, explore what is new within the PADI system, and how it can help you to develop as a PADI Professional. It’s also a great place to find out what is new in the marketplace and to meet up with other PADI Pros’.

Date: 07 June 2011
Country: Saudi Arabia
City: Jeddah
Venue: Sofitel Jeddah, Al Hamra, Palestine Street, Jeddah (966) 2 660 2000, (hotel number for directions only.
Time: 19h00

Registration is on the day at the Forum prior to commencement. There is no charge for attendance at the Forum.I have posted this on my Facebook Profile and it would be great if you liked it, this would give me an indication as to whether you will be attending or not: facebook.com/peter.driessel
The Forum will be conducted by:
Peter Driessel, Regional Manager for Africa and the Middle East. Peter can be contacted on (27) 82 570 5763 or pjdpadi@iafrica.com

2010, Ranking, RRA Ranking, Southern Indian Ocean Islands and Cape Verde

2011-05-11T16:59:00.000+02:00

Here are the final results for the 2010 Entry Level, Adventures in Diving, Rescue, Speciality Course and Total Rankings based only on the maximum number of each certification. Good luck for those that really took the competition to heart and raised themselves by several levels to get to that next higher spot. We will once again be running this competition in 2011, from May you will be receiving this information on a monthly basis, please note that Total Certs exclude DSD's:

Southern Indian Ocean Islands and Cape Verde:

Madagascar
Mauritius
Reunion
Seychelles
Cape Verde

Madagascar

Entry Level	Store Name
1^st	Scuba Joker
2^nd	Tropical Diving

Adventures in Diving	Store Name
1^st	Scuba Joker
2^nd	Tropical Diving

Rescue	Store Name
1^st	Scuba Joker

Specialties	Store Name
1^st	Scuba Joker

All	Store Name
1^st	Scuba Joker
2^nd	Tropical Diving

Mauritius

Entry Level	Store Name
1^st	Sun Diving LTD
2^nd	Easy Diving Centre, LTD
3^rd	Scuba Systems
4^th	Orca Dive Club Mauritius
5^th	Paradis Diving
6th	Explorer Diving World
7^th	Atlantis Diving Centre
8^th	Blues Diving Centre
9^th	Nemo Diving Centre
10^th	Diving World (S3585)

Adventures in Diving	Store Name
1^st	Sun Diving LTD
2^nd	Blues Diving Centre
3^rd	Paradis Diving
4^th	Easy Diving Centre, LTD
5^th	Orca Dive Club Mauritius
6^th	Diving World (S3585) and Tamarin Ocean Pro Diving LTD
7^th	Dive Dream Diving Centre
8^th	Diving World - Le Canonnier
9^th	Diving World (S3305)
10^th	Scuba Systems

Rescue	Store Name
1^st	Dive Dream Diving Centre
2^nd	Sun Diving LTD
3^rd	Explorer Diving World and Orca Dive Club Mauritius
4^th	Anahita and Diving World (S3305)
5^th	Dive Dream Diving Centre
6^th	Dive Sail Diving PTY LTD and Remora Diving Centre and Scuba Systems and Blues Diving Centre and Diving World - Le Canonnier and Nemo Diving Centre

Specialties	Store Name
1^st	Dive Dream Diving Centre
2^nd	Remora Diving Centre
3^rd	Atlantis Diving Center and Blues Diving Centre
4^th	Diving World - Le Canonnier
5^th	Dive Sail Diving PTY LTD and Explorer Diving World
6^th	Sun Diving LTD
7^th	Dive Sail Diving PTY LTD (21414) and Scooba-Doo Maurutius and Diving World (S3305)and Blues Diving Centre and Pierre Sport Diving LTD and Dive Sail Diving PTY LTD (35505)

All	Store Name
1^st	Sun Diving LTD
2^nd	Easy Diving Centre, LTD
3^rd	Orca Dive Club Mauritius
4^th	Paradis Diving
5^th	Scuba Systems
6^th	Explorer Diving World
7^th	Blues Diving Centre
8^th	Atlantis Diving Center
9^th	Diving World (S3585)
10^th	Dive Dream Diving Centre

Reunion

Entry Level	Store Name
1^st	Abyss Plongee
2^nd	G.C. Plongee

Adventures in Diving	Store Name
1^st	Abyss Plongee
2^nd	G.C. Plongee

Rescue	Store Name
1^st	G.C. Plongee
2^nd	Abyss Plongee

Specialties	Store Name
1^st	G.C. Plongee

All	Store Name
1^st	Abyss Plongee
2^nd	G.C. Plongee

Seychelles

Entry Level	Store Name
1^st	Seychelles Underwater Centre
2^nd	Big Blue Divers
3^rd	Eco Center - Watersports & Nature Tours
4^th	Blue Sea Divers
5^th	Cote D'Or Octopus
6th	Dive Resort Seychelles
7^th	Angel Fish Dive Cetre
8^th	Azzura Pro Dive Centre
9^th	Silhouette Cruises
10^th	North Island Company LTD and Desroches Island Dive Centre

Adventures in Diving	Store Name
1^st	Seychelles Underwater Centre and Big Blue Divers
2^nd	Seychelles Underwater Centre
3^rd	Dive Resort Seychelles
4^th	Blue Sea Divers
5^th	Eco Center - Watersports & Nature Tours
6^th	Silhouette Cruises
7^th	North Island Company LTD and Desroches Island Dive Centre
8^th	Fregate Island Private Resort
9^th	Azzura Pro Dive Centre
10^th	Diable Des Mers Diving Centre and Angel Fish Dive Center

Rescue	Store Name
1^st	Seychelles Underwater Centre
2^nd	Cote D'Or Octopus and Eco Center - Watersports & Nature Tours
3^rd	Big Blue Divers
4^th	Dive Resort Seychelles and Blue Sea Divers
5^th	Angel Fish Dive Center and Silhouette Cruises
6^th	Azzura Pro Dive Centre and North Island Company LTD

Specialties	Store Name
1^st	Seychelles Underwater Centre
2^nd	Eco Center - Watersports & Nature Tours
3^rd	Cote D'Or Octopus
4^th	Blue Sea Divers
5^th	Big Blue Divers
6^th	Angel Fish Dive Center and Silhouette Cruises
7^th	Dive Resort Seychelles

All	Store Name
1^st	Seychelles Underwater Centre
2^nd	Big Blue Divers
3^rd	Eco Center - Watersports & Nature Tours
4^th	Cote D'Or Octopus
5^th	Blue Sea Divers
6^th	Dive Resort Seychelles
7^th	Silhouette Cruises
8^th	Angel Fish Dive Cetre
9^th	Azzura Pro Dive Centre
10^th	North Island Company LTD

Cape Verde

Entry Level	Store Name
1^st	Caboverdediving
2^nd	Underwater Cape Verde

Adventures in Diving	Store Name
1^st	Buccaneer Diving
2^nd	Southern Cross Scuba

Rescue	Store Name
1^st	Caboverdediving
2^nd	Underwater Cape Verde

Specialties	Store Name
1^st	Caboverdediving
2^nd	Underwater Cape Verde

All	Store Name
1^st	Caboverdediving
2^nd	Underwater Cape Verde

Legend:

Entry Level:
Junior Scuba Diver
Scuba Diver
Junior National Geographic Open Water Diver
National Geographic Open Water Diver
Junior Open Water Diver
Open Water Diver

Adventures in Diving:
Junior Adventure Diver
Adventure Diver
Junior Advanced Open Water Diver
Advanced Open Water Diver