Drop-Out Rate


Outer Bamnks diving on the Great Escape Southern California Live-Aboard Dive Boat

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Posted by Jim Hoffmann on August 02, 2001 at 09:43:35:

In Reply to: Training standards posted by Kendall Raine on August 01, 2001 at 10:22:33:

Kendall, My classes loose anywhere from 10 to 20% if you are talking about from sign-up
to finish. I usually don’t have to tell anyone that diving is not for them, they find that out
on there own. The first pool and the first beach dive (a real skin-dive with full gear)
pretty will does it for most people.
Kendall, the real question should not be how many are certified, but how many stay with it?
The Drop-Out rate has always been the diving industries major problem.
I think one of the biggest reasons for the high ( Industry wide) drop-out rate and the
recession that the dive industry has been in since the early 90’s is the lowering of
standards and shorting of the entry level classes. There have been thousands of certified
divers who never dove after their entry level class because they were not comfortable in
the water. The dive industry has lost these customers forever, because it wanted a
quicker turn around. The dive industry has shot themselves in the foot on this, and needs to rethink what they are marketing.
I don’t know if the pendulum will swing back the other way . We were talking about a 7
dive entry level class in the late 70’s, but that was before DEMA came along with the
grant money to develop the shorter programs we see today.
The main goal for any dive instructor should be, to make their students self-sufficient in the water, it should not be, how quick they can turn around and start a new class.

Jim Hoffmann
NAUI 5888
PADI 6301


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