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Training at cost

15K views 169 replies 35 participants last post by  GSK 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all
I am a Padi IDCS and DDI (disabled divers international) instructor living in the London/kent area, recently moved back to UK after working in Asia for a few years and looking to form some kind of community/club with like minded divers.
DSD, OW or AOW, RESCUE, DM looking for your next certiification at COST and not profit
or even looking to get a speciality
regular diving at holbrough lakes near Rochester in Kent.
contact
lee
07875545032


Guys with little experience or lack of funds and want to improve and experience more diving but just feel a bit intimidated sometimes by all the all the diving guru. These guys are divers just need a little encouragement in a non profitable environment.
 
#5 ·
Look what I am saying is, forming a new "club" really is the last ditch desperation thing to do....

Only even consider that of you are egotistical....

That aside, look at other clubs, they will have more to offer then you can alone, as to be honest, your qualification level is dime a dozen.... So why should anyone join a newly formed club headed up by you, a warm water diver who can only teach basic PADI courses....

And before you say snything, don't bite my head off, just saying how it is....
 
#6 ·
So why should anyone join a newly formed club headed up by you, a warm water diver who can only teach basic PADI courses....
He's 'moved back to the UK'...just because he's worked in Asia doesn't mean he might not have trained and taught in the UK before going...

And as to starting his own...why not... there arn't many PADI orientated pure clubs, although wasn't there someone on here trying to start something similar in Kent in the past year or so?
 
#7 ·
I'm PADI trained and would welcome a local club that trained its members without charging a fortune for it (I know that's the business model blah blah), but I'm too lazy to drive to Kent for a club and I'm fed up with the viz in holborough but it's alright for check dives etc.
Good luck to you mate
 
#12 ·
He's a man and a van, so can work pro or amatuer his call.

Dont see anything wrong with sticking a toe in the water to see who bites and maybe setting
up a club or turning it pro later. Quite clever in a way that being amatuer he gets past many
forums advertisers rules and by training for free, creates enough of a carrot to get the core
going.
 
#14 ·
Mr Senior Member
Thank you for your Anal input
First off all no one is trying to reinvent the wheel, the second thing is that is why i am trying to for a comununity/club because of anal divers like you in UK
Having lived and work in Asia for the past 2 years makes me a warm water dive Bullshit, you have no idea just a typical British diver who think there the best because they dive in UK

Very quick to put your two pence worth in, in fact i was a BSAC instructor for 10 years until i left UK and realised how small BSAC is outside UK

So really MR Senior Member, before you make a anal comment check the facts,,
As for joining a club
I AM A LEADER NOT A FOLLOWER
 
#20 ·
Just a thought, but if he's a PADI instructor, teaching PADI courses, even in a club environment, he's going to have to charge for it to cover his costs... Does that excuse him from HSE and all of the other "professional" issues?

If doing it for peanuts, even if making a loss, doesn't that still make it professional?

How does BSAC get around this and where is the dividing line?
 
#22 ·
Just a thought, but if he's a PADI instructor, teaching PADI courses, even in a club environment, he's going to have to charge for it to cover his costs... Does that excuse him from HSE and all of the other "professional" issues?

If doing it for peanuts, even if making a loss, doesn't that still make it professional?

How does BSAC get around this and where is the dividing line?
If he's getting paid for it it comes under the HSE guidelines.

BSAC instructors (in fact any sporting instructors, be in diving or badminton) are allowed to cover their expenses but not earn anything. If you teach for a BSAC school and earn money, then you are covered by the HSE guidelines in exactly the same way as you're considered to be "at work".

Earning, by the way, covers a multitude of sins fro payment in kind to cold hard cash. I examined a PIE/TIE and taught an OWIC this week and claimed mileage and air fills and that was it. Gave up a days work so in reality, teaching these courses costs me money. But I do it for the Love of Teaching cos it's fun :)
 
#21 ·
I'd find the people first and see if you can generate interest in forming your little community. There's a little community right here- YD divers not only type together but dive together. There are lots of PADI instructors out there all with the same desire, many of whom have sadly had to sell their vans or gone bust cos the market out there is pretty competitive.

A bit of advice, though. I'd be careful how you talk to potential "community members" on a public forum. Calling UK divers Anal on a UK forum makes you sound like a complete bell-end, even if you aren't and will immediately alienate the 1000s of users here on YD. First rule of talking to customers- never tell them what you think of them!

I know Neil and he's a Lovely Bloke.
 
#25 ·
Woz I know Neil and he's a Lovely Bloke.[/QUOTE said:
Thanks,

And as anyone can read (see my profile) or Knows me, I'm hardly what you would call a UK diver, after having spent most of my dive time over in Asia Pacific, and now in Central Europe...


Anyhow, is this guy a tool or what?? You offer advice gained from experience, gained from working and living in many parts of the world, and he refuses to accept it and downright insults you....

Im Deutsch, we sagt dis mann ist ein Dussel.....

N
 
#27 ·
Ohh and agree with the others.

If you've just moved back to the UK, then get to know the local divers and dive scene, from there find the local clubs and groups, from there find out what people want, from there find how you can fit in...

For example, I now live in Germany, I'm a TDI / SDI instructor, but that's small fry here in Germany, as Tech training is Gue or Gue...

That aside, there are a LOT of VDST or CMAS clubs out here, and a lot of expats. Hence, I dive with about 6 of the local dive clubs for free, im considered "accepted" by the locals, and now I teach the locals on a "at cost" basis, while keeping the expats happy with training they know about.....

N
 
#28 ·
Can we carry this on on Friday please? It has the makings of a really good one. Rudeness, willy waving, BSAC vs PADI. HSE for non-profit. This could be awesome. Not today please, the weather is nice for a change, might even get in the sea.....
 
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#31 ·
yes just moved back to the UK, but that doent mean i never have taught here in UK!, still involved with 5 clubs as a FRIEND ONLY BASIS and offer a helping hand when called upon at no cost,, although they are charging the students :)

Diving is for every one "PADI QUOTE" and sure it is,, however there are divers out there who just cannot afford the costs or training courses, Im reaching out to these guys who want to learn but funds are limited.
 
#33 ·
So your club Lee, what will it cost me and what do I get?

I'm expecting web site,weekly pool session, weekly lectures/meeting room, proper dives (not over the lake), club holidays, loan of club kit, xmas dance and socials. Do you have a RIB or compressor? Training, I expect to pay only for my own costs, not to contribute to someone elses.
 
#37 ·
Thanks for clarifying the HSE thing Woz - if PADI, need HSE even if making a loss. If teaaching BSAC in a club environment and not for profit, not required, if BSAC and for profit, required....?

I think that's right, on the basis that BSAC the club (and hence the branches) are NFP but PADI is a commercial organisaton thru and thru...?
 
#40 ·
To get back on track, I am very intrested! Buying my first house has me temporarily skint, so I could do with some nice cheap instruction.

If others don't like what your offering, thats fine. But why they feel the need to insult or start an argument with you is beyond me.

Keep me updated!

Sent on my phone using tap tap tapatalk
 
#43 ·
Sounds like a great idea Lee, best of luck with setting up a NFP Padi club. I'm sure that it will generate a huge following locally as we are blessed with 3 inland sites within 10 miles of each other. There are a lot of newly qualified divers looking to further their experience and qualification levels, this would create a great community/club environment in which to do this. I can see a few problems with you becoming unpopular with the inland sites for offering the "at cost" option. What would "at cost" be, Just course materials, fills and site entry? I am not being critical of your intentions but there seems to be a distinct lack of NFP Padi clubs and there must be a reason for it.
 
#44 · (Edited)
A major stumbling block is the pool hire. 3rd party insurance cover is required.

The Padi instructor can be covered (and I guess his students) whilst training in an at work situation.

But in a true members club cover is usually obtained as part of the BSAC/SAA/SSAC affiliation fee.

To obtain a separate policy is prohibitivley expensive.

There is nothing to stop padi qualified divers joining a bsac branch. They can dive within their qualification and continue their training under the BSAC scheme.

Our branch fee is £30 per qtr (plus bsac £50 PA), you get a monthly magazine,pool session every week, training at cost, free loan of kit, social functions, website, facebook group, club holidays, Rib dives ( 2 ribs) at £15 per day, free pool air, 3rd party liability insurance. 2 members have holiday homes in the westcountry and run w/e's with free accomodation. We meet weekly in a golf club bar. Have free use of a meeting room. Free use of a function room. We have one RIB at a marina on the South coast, wreck dives when ever the weather allows. Another small rib on a trailer, you can borrow it for expeditions. We arrange hard boat dives once a month. Club has been running nearly 50 yrs, we have £5k in the bank, 6 sets of aqualungs, plus many spare tanks, O2 set. blah blah blah -

All quite typical of a BSAC branch
 
#147 ·
A major stumbling block is the pool hire. 3rd party insurance cover is required.

The Padi instructor can be covered (and I guess his students) whilst training in an at work situation.

But in a true members club cover is usually obtained as part of the BSAC/SAA/SSAC affiliation fee.

To obtain a separate policy is prohibitivley expensive.

There is nothing to stop padi qualified divers joining a bsac branch. They can dive within their qualification and continue their training under the BSAC scheme.

Our branch fee is £30 per qtr (plus bsac £50 PA), you get a monthly magazine,pool session every week, training at cost, free loan of kit, social functions, website, facebook group, club holidays, Rib dives ( 2 ribs) at £15 per day, free pool air, 3rd party liability insurance. 2 members have holiday homes in the westcountry and run w/e's with free accomodation. We meet weekly in a golf club bar. Have free use of a meeting room. Free use of a function room. We have one RIB at a marina on the South coast, wreck dives when ever the weather allows. Another small rib on a trailer, you can borrow it for expeditions. We arrange hard boat dives once a month. Club has been running nearly 50 yrs, we have £5k in the bank, 6 sets of aqualungs, plus many spare tanks, O2 set. blah blah blah -

All quite typical of a BSAC branch

Wow - sounds to me like you are getting done by my standards.

So you pay club fees and get something to read whilst taking a dump
You get air (who dives air thats cheap)
You train in a swiming pool - ewwwww
You then pay extra just to go and do the thing you was supposed to be doing in the 1st place!

Plus you have to put up with being in a bsac club with all the rest of the bull crap

Sounds like a lame deal to me im affriad - not every one's cup of tea.

Syndicates are the way forward. You just nead to know the right people and be the right person.
 
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