Do you have enough Open Water Divers? Our most successful centres at diver acquisition are those that have a proactive Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) programme targeted at securing entry level divers. Thought it was too difficult to run and market? With two simple options it’s actually easier than you think. Time to give it a go!
Discover Scuba Diving made easy
Review the DSD Instructor Guide in the PADI Instructor Manual for further detailed information if required.
DSD in a pool or confined open water.
Are you a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor or above? If so, you can do this.
- DSD participants complete and sign the PADI Discover Scuba Diving Brochure
Conduct briefing
- Help new divers put on and adjust their scuba equipment. Show them how to inflate and deflate their BCDs at the surface.
- Directly supervise new divers as they breathe underwater and swim around in shallow water. When comfortable, take them on tours in deeper water as appropriate.
- Debrief divers
- Promote your PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver Programme
- Register your DSD participants online
DSD Open Water Dive
Do this if your DSD’s want to do more!
- Participants complete and sign the DSD Brochure.
Before the dive a PADI Instructor conducts briefing on equipment they’ll be using; explain risks of diving, breathing and equalization rules, aquatic life, limits of the programme.
Practice the following skills in shallow water with a PADI Instructor:
- Breathing underwater
- Regulator clearing and recovery
- Mask clearing
- Equalization techniques
- Hand signals/underwater communication
- Finally conduct the participants on a tour of the dive site
Credit for PADI Scuba Diver and PADI Open Water Diver courses
If your DSD participants have done the open water dive, it can be credited towards the Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver course – A good incentive for your divers to do more!
Review the DSD Instructor Guide in the PADI Instructor Manual for further detail and information.
DSD Facts – why you should use this programme
While the conversion from the DSD Programme to PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver may differ between domestic markets and resort markets, it has been proven (and it’s still the case) that the proper conduct of a PADI DSD programme brings new customers.
With the introduction of the new DSD experience in 2002 the conversion has increased to 8.5% new divers in main European markets.
In the resort areas, the conversion is lower at between 2.9 and 5%. The difference being that the actual number of participants is much higher by far when compared to mainland Europe.
What needs to be considered:
A DSD experience is the most successful programme to generate new customers, especially if the centres are using freshly certified divers to share their experience at the end of the DSD. It’s within PADI standards to have a PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water Diver helping with the logistics of organizing equipment and other materials used in the programme, motivation and registration at the end of the DSD experience. (They can’t supervise, be used as a certified assistant or in any way conduct the experience or any of its elements.) The registration ratio is very often close to 80% if the emphasis is well positioned (end of the programme).
A closer analysis of German Dive Centres in 2006 has confirmed that the DSD is crucial for the good health of a business. Centres who conducted the DSD experience and actively promoted the Open Water Diver course during the experience found a significant uplift in their business.
In a resort environment, sometimes the programme is only conducted as a fast “benefit” and there is no follow-up being done at the end of the experience. In resorts where the conversion effort is made not only during the experience but also at the end of the programme, the registration into a PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver course is close to 70%.
Have fun, and by using the programme correctly you will create new divers!
For more information regarding the PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme, please contact the PADI Training Department at [email protected]
