The Winter Challenge

Make sure you and your PADI Dive Center have a busy winter with lots of diving courses and activities to keep your divers active and happy.
Background:
One of the most successful ways to keep in contact with your old students and customers is to meet them personally, face to face. The next best way is “old fashion” talk to them.
We have several very good examples on the results of “calling” old students and customers, does it work? Definitely, since this is not cold calling (such as telephone sales from different companies) you and your Dive Center already got a positive relationship with the student/customer it is one of the absolute most successful way to “know what your customers want and to get them diving”.

The goal is to book 1 student / day (at least).

How?
1. Get a contact list from your PADI Dive Center Manager with name, phone number and e-mail from students and customers. (In Denmark, make sure your Dive Center got the student/customers approval to contact them)
2. Make sure you got a schedule of courses and activities.
3. Grab a pen and a paper.
4. Start calling from the top of the list.
5. Tell the result on the PADI Nordic Tribe Facebook site.

If you are a PADI Member and not part of The PADI Nordic Tribe, please send a request for membership.

EVE Webinar

Join us for a Webinar on November 11

Meet & Learn - Improve Business - Tips on using EVE - Idea Sharing - Networking

Title: The EVE Users' Group

Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010

Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM PST (Pacific Standard Time, California. USA)


After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.


System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer


Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/981168993

Recognition

The following PADI Dive centers and PADI Members are recognized for outstanding work.

Honorable Mentioned: IRRA Perth Scuba s36034 /PADI Asia Pacific
The Dive Shop s35132 /PADI International Ltd.
Sport Time s9132 /PADI Europe
Tamperen Sukelluskeskus s31021 /PADI Nordic

Honorable Mentioned: Individual Member Vincent Callagahn #480005 /PADI Asia Pacific
Yasser Abdelrehim #207249 /PADI International Ltd.
Ramona Christeleit #982012 /PADI Europe
Fredrik Lövstad-Waldegren#73185 PADI Nordic

Gratulations to Tamperen Sukelluskeskus in Finland and PADI Course Director, Fredrik Lövstad-Waldegren, Sweden.
Picture: Top Jussi Sila, Tamperen Sukelluskeskus, below: Fredrik Lövstad-Waldegren.

PADI and Rebreathers

At the recent Eurotek conference in the UK, PADI released more information about its plans with rebreathers.

Mark Caney, Vice President, Rebreather Technologies in the PADI Technical Diving Division gave a presentation on the coming range of courses. The courses will be introduced at some time during 2011 and consist of both recreational courses under the PADI name, and a range of technical courses which will form part of the TecRec range.

Caney emphasised that courses were still in development, and so subject to change, however indicated the likely layout of the courses would be as below.

Although some credit will be given for anyone who has completed the recreational courses before entering the technical range, there is no requirement for them to do so, as PADI is treating the two styles of diving quite differently.

When asked which units would be approved for these courses, Caney explained that PADI would be designating two categories of rebreather; a Type R for recreational diving, and a Type T for technical diving. A Type R unit will have a high level of automation but relatively limited diver controls. (The Poseidon MkVI Discovery was mentioned as the only unit in production at present meeting these requirements). A Type T will have a wider range of controls for the user but will require significantly more discipline and training on the part of the diver in order to use them in the technical diving envelope. (Most of the current production units could meet the Type T requirements; however, PADI is considering requiring some form of third party testing of rebreather designs prior to approval as this technology is so new and relatively complex).

Caney suggested that if any instructors are planning to take advantage of these new courses that they should start to gain experience with rebreathers, as PADI will be expecting new instructors to show that they have acquired a significant amount of experience diving a given rebreather before they can teach others how to use it.

Keep yourself informed: Check The TecRec Blog.

Pro Night at Dykterminalen Lund

On last Thursday we had the pleasure to conduct a PADI Pro Night at Dykterminalen Lund.
The evening was well attended by divers from the south of Sweden. The focus of the meeting was on Rescue, Divemaster and Instructor training with explanation on why? How? And the possibilities to move on in to the diving business these educations will lead to.
If you and you are interested in setting up a Pro Night at your PADI Dive Center, please contact:
Regional Manager, Mikael Mox Moberg

5 new instructors in Iceland

Thursday 14th of October 2010 5 new instructors became certified in Iceland.
The OW dives were conducted in the lake Kleifarvatn.

From left to right: Trond Skaare (Examiner), Aron Bjarnason, Magnus Sveinsson, Kevin Martin, Louis Kotze and Erlendur Bogason.

PADI Nordic wish to congratulate you, and all the best for the future work in the diving industry.

TecRec TMX 45 and TMX 50 Distinctive Specialties

PADI Technical Consultants have written a TecRec Distinctive Specialty to introduce the use of trimix when diving shallower than 50m.

The primary reason for using trimix at these depths is to reduce narcosis. Whilst many divers are happy to dive on EANx or air to 50m, others are not. In challenging diving conditions reducing narcosis can be desirable to almost all divers.

This is an optional course which can be taught to PADI Tec 45 and Tec 50 qualified divers to enable them to use trimix with a minimum of 21% Oxygen and a maximum of 20% Helium to make dives within their current TecRec certification depth limit with a planned decompression not exceeding 20 minutes.

The course utilises existing PADI course materials and content to introduce divers to trimix use within the limits described above. Students complete some self-study, a short knowledge development session, practical application and two dives using trimix.

The pre-requisite to teach these courses is to be an existing PADI Tec Trimix Instructor. The Instructor Distinctive Specialty application fee includes the course outline and a powerpoint presentation. Suitably qualified instructors will then become PADI TMX 50 Instructors and will be able to teach both TMX 45 and TMX 50 diver level courses.

For further information or to apply please contact your local PADI office:

European Shark Week

Take Action During European Shark Week - Write to Your MEP
The European Union contains some of the largest shark fishing nations in the world, yet its finning ban is the weakest.
Now is the time to strengthen the ban. Your voice and your actions during European Shark Week, 9 -17 October, will make a difference.

During European Shark Week, Project AWARE is calling on all European Union citizens to write to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) asking them to press for a stronger EU finning regulation and add their name to the Written Declaration. This declaration calls on the EU Commission to deliver a proposal - completely prohibiting shark finning on-board fishing vessels.

How will this happen?
When EU citizens and shark advocates rally support from a majority of MEPs. Their role in closing loopholes in EU finning regulation is vital.
Time is not on our side when it comes to vulnerable shark species.

What can you do?
Write to your local MEP asking them to sign the Written Declaration on the EU Finning Ban!
1. Find your MEP contact details. Just click on your country to see the contact details of its MEPs.
2. Send your own letter or use our downloadable template. (For more info you can read the “Quick Guide to Writing to MEPs”)
3. Send Project AWARE a copy of your letter and a copy of your MEP replies to info@projectaware.org.uk
With tens of millions of sharks killed each year, shark finning contributes to an extraordinary waste of resources, unsustainable shark mortality and serious decline in shark populations. Sharks are vital to keep ecosystems in balance and as divers we know that an abundance of marine life and in particular, shark species, makes excellent diving. As shark populations decline, the severe consequences to the underwater world will also make the global dive sector suffer financially and hit the economies of resort-based diving destinations.
Thank you for taking action for shark conservation.

The King of Sweden comes snorkling with DIVE.IS!

31.08.2010 -

In late August DIVE.IS had the honour of taking Carl XVI Gustav, King of Swe- den snorkeling in the clearest waters on this planet. The King came to Iceland on a private fishing trip with his friends and used the opportunity to explore Silfra with us. David and Tobi enjoyed themselves royally with his majesty...

Read more about DIVE.IS on:
http://www.dive.is/Diving_Iceland.php?page=News

Member and DC of the Month

We are happy to announce the winners. Congratulations will go to Jeff Gordon MI-#192525/PADI Americas, and learntodive.co.uk s3702/ PADI International Ltd. Both will be profiled on the PADI Pros site, along with the honorable mentioned listed below.

Honorable mentioned: Individual Member
Mark Burns #257172 / PADI Asia Pacific
Dave Moulson #603455 / PADI International Ltd.
“Balky” Jose David Balcazar Melgar #973403 / PADI Europe
Ben Bos #955214 / PADI Nordic
Honorable mentioned: IRRA
International Scuba s18314 / PADI Americas
Exotic Malpascua Island Diver s6341 / PADI Asia Pacific
Balkysub s799290/ PADI Europe
Dykkerhuset s5251 / PADI Nordic

Picture: Ben Bos, N.O.W Dive, Denmark.

EVE Users

Join us for a Webinar on October 14

Meet & Learn - Improve Business - Tips on using EVE - Idea Sharing - Networking

Title: The EVE Users' Group

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2010

Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM PDT (Pacific Day Time) California, US.


After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.


System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer


Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/745731720