Lorrainelovesplants
|
diving tuition/weekendsI know this may have come out of the blue, but it came up over the weekend as a result of a chance conversation.
remember i have a large (dirty) unused (except by the frogs) swimming pool, and we were trying to think of ways to use it?
Well, John was 50 at the weekend and as a treat i paid for an afternoons canoeing at Port Quin (five minutes along the road here).
Well, they guy who runs the canoe thing wants to learn to dive, and as John has been diving (and teaching at club level) for 20 years, John has agreed to teach him.
Our neighbours kid also wants to learn as does our eldest.
This prompted the idea of
1. Offering try-dives at our pool and if they are hooked and want to learn, then John will teach them on a one to two basis.
We can use our pool for the pool work, our house for the classwork, and Port Quin for confined open water dives.
He is a member of a club affiliated to SSAC and they cover him for public liability etc, so the insurance/leagl/safety side of it isnt really an issue.
Now there is bound to be a market for it here, but Im wondering if anyone thinks we could possibly get any funding for this (for equipment, for example)
Any suggestions/comments?
|
vegplot
|
I'm not sure about funding but I think it's a great idea. I dive, not as often as I'd like, and training pools are hard to come by. Good luck with the project if it goes ahead.
If you do go ahead and are willing to teach the less fortunate you maybe able to twange the heart strings of divers to donate equipment. There are lot of dive magazine and forum which I'm sure would be only too willing to take an advert or feature for free. PADI magazine 'Sport Diver' is quite keen on this kind of thing and may well be able to help.
|
Jamanda
|
If you do get it off the ground, I'd be a potential punter. I did my Paddy Open Water at my first school, and started my Advanced when I got pregnant. It would be fun to have another go.
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
Spoke to a few friends locally who think its a great idea! The nearest dive schools are Bude and Newquay, so we have a market.
One concern is that we would need to approach planning to get a change of use for the swimming pool and look at paying commercial rates.
Im reluctant to go to our friends the planning, becasue of the ag tie situation, although, the land that the pool is on was bought as a seperate plot (was previously part of the property next door and has a seperate title deed.)
Could possibly start up and just not mention the pool........
|
Helen_A
|
Oooo - I've been fancying learning to dive for ages...
Helen_A
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
Well, since first mooting the idea, word of mouth has spread, and we now have a waiting list of 4!
Because John was trained in Scotland (SSAC) and prefers the 'Rolls Royce' of training, he will teach as per BSAC.
We will be offering pool try-dives for £40 per person (14-17 year old in full time education will get it for £20). Next stage is confined open water intro dive for £40, (or combine the pool intro and open water for about £60. The costs will include air, use of equipment and facilities and transport to dive site.
Tuition will be one to two with on land backup.
We could offer residential 'learn to dive in a weekend' weekends.
|
alison
|
Lorraine, the weekend residential will be a good "shoulder months" business to add to your B&B.
|
IanNW
|
Approach some of the manufacturers as they offer Instructor and school packages at big discounts.
Dry Suits are not exactly cheap, you could also keep a few catalogues from these manufacturers and take orders for any kit the students would potentially want.
I finished my PADI Dive masters a couple of years ago and considerd going self employed as an instructor but the start up cost was to great at the time.
|
Jamanda
|
Will you do PADI open water refreshers?
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
Dont think we will be doing any PADI. I know theyre popular, but this is because they offer to teach you how to dive in a very short time.
John has been a diver for 20 years, and an instructor for 15. PADI is fine if you are going to the Maldives or Sharm to dive for a holiday, but to dive British waters he feels they dont really cover enough.
Also PADI offer teaching for 10 year olds, which we both think is wrong. Putting compressed air into underdeveloped lungs is not recommended!
So, in a nutshell we'll be teaching to BSAC standards.
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
Regarding cost of set up - we have 2 full sets of hire gear for training both in open water and pool situations, so for us the cost is not so great. Getting the pool in condition should be a six week job.
We have contacts for semi-dry suits and will try a deal with a manufacturer for serious students who want to take it further, but for complete beginners we feel that using our gear while they make their minds up whether its for them is the way forward.
|
