DivingIDC News - Dive Instructor Training with Des Paroz

Saturday

20Feb2010

United Divers Wins Environmental Achievement Award

Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 4:25PM

I was pleased to hear that United Divers Wollongong was one of three Australian dive centres to receive the Project AWARE Environmental Achievement Award for 2009.

In 2009 the crew at United Divers (a team I am proud to be part of) conducted several key environmental activities:

Beach & underwater cleanup for Cleanup Australia Day
Beach & underwater cleanup for International Cleanup Day
Environmental discussion to the Illawarra Sunrise Rotary Club

In addition, we actively promote the Project AWARE certification card as part of all our courses.

A new activity we've just kicked off is building in a Project AWARE Course into every PADI IDC. This ensures that budding dive professionals get a good overview of the aquatic environment and Project AWARE, and are better prepared to teach this important program.

Congratulations to Suzanne and Leon, and their team of instructors and divemasters, including Richard, Ron, Terry, Edwin, John and Matt for their big efforts.

Des Paroz |

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Environment,

Project AWARE,

United Divers

Wednesday

17Feb2010

PADI TecRec Courses Now Available

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 9:53PM

I am pleased to advise that I can now offer an expanded range of PADI TecRec Instructor Courses.

In addition to the PADI Tec Gas Blender Instructor Course, I can now offer the PADI Tec Instructor and PADI Tec Deep Instructor Courses at participating dive centres.

The PADI Tec Instructor Course prepares suitably qualified candidates to conduct the PADI Discover Tec experience and the PADI Tec 40 Course. These programs provide an introduction to tec diving equipment, knowledge, skills and procedures for divers who are starting into tec diving, or who are curious about tec diving but want to learn more before committing to a full training regime.

The PADI Tec Deep Instructor Course allows the instructor to teach the full PADI Tec Diver Course, including the PADI Discover Tec experience and the PADI Tec 40, PADI Tec 45 and PADI Tec 50 sub-courses. By the complettion of this extensive training, the diver will have a broad knowledge, techniques, skills and experience as an entry level tec diver.

The requirements to commence training as a PADI Tec Instructor and PADI Tec Deep Instructor are extensive. The training program itself is comprehensive, and once completed the requirements to complete certification are also significant. This reflects the commitment in development required to teach tec.

Please contact me should you require further information about qualifying to teach PADI Tec Courses.

Des Paroz |

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Tec Diving

Wednesday

17Feb2010

PADI Deep and Enriched Air Specialty Instructor Course Completed

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 9:43PM

On Sunday I completed a PADI Specialty Instructor Course for 2 candidates at United Divers. Jin and Guy completed the PADI Enriched Air specialty and the PADI Deep Diver specialty courses at the instructor level, preparing the candidates to teach these 2 important and popular specialties. Along the way they also completed the PADI Tec Gas Blender course, preparing them to blend enriched air nitrox mixtures.

Enriched Air is the most popular PADI specialty course, and is an important specialty for every instructor to have as part of their qualifications. Every diver wants longer bottom times, and the use of enriched air nitrox allows divers to safely extend their no-decompression limits, if they follow proper diving practices with the gas.

Every diver feels the need to explore a little deeper, and within no decompression stop limits, the PADI Deep Diver course allows divers to explore down to 40m. After enriched air, the PADI Deep Diver course is the most popular recreational diving specialty.

This package of courses is offered regularly at our affiliated dive centres. Please keep an eye on our Course Schedule, or contact me if you would like to enquire.

Des Paroz |

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Enriched Air Diving,

Specialty of the Month

Tuesday

02Feb2010

EFR & Emergency O2 Instructor Courses at Dive Imports Australia Erina

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 8:30AM

Over the weekend of 30/31 January I conducted an EFR Instructor Course and a PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor at Dive Imports Australia Erina.

All dive instructors should be first aid/CPR instructors for several reasons.

It allows them to offer a complete range of courses to their students
It allows them to teach courses that can make a difference
It provides them with additional income opportunities

The EFR Instructor qualification allows them to teach a range of layperson oriented first aid/CPR courses. Additional training to become an EFR First Aid at Work Instructor allows the instructor to also teach a range of workplace oriented courses that are Nationally Recognised Training in Australia.

Provision of emergency oxygen is a critical aspect of the first aid for an injured diver, as well as for individuals suffering other medical emergencies. By becoming a PADI Emergency Oxygen Specialty Instructor, PADI Instructors can teach this simple and beneficial program to divers and non-divers alike.

Congratulations to Lisa on completing these programs.

Please contact us for more information on these and other training opportunities for dive professionals.

Des Paroz |

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EFR,

Teach Diving,

Teach First Aid/CPR

Tuesday

02Feb2010

Wreck Dive on the Coolooli

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 8:25AM

Last Friday I had a lovely dive on the wreck of the Coolooli, located off the suburb of Long Reef on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

The Coolooli is the scuttled wreck of an old bucket dredge, and has a large number of buckets on a conveyor belt. It is quite a large wreck, and starts at 38m, dropping down to 48m or so. It is a great site for completing PADI TecRec courses such as Tec 45 and Tec 50.

Conditions were good on the day, with temperatures from 17C on the bottom to 22C from the surface down to 35m or so. Visibility was also great down to 35m, dropping off to 5-8m below that. There was some fish life around.

A nice dive for those qualified for tec diving.

Des Paroz |

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Dive Log

Thursday

28Jan2010

DivePhotoGuide.com Launches Free Online UW Photography Tutorials

Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 1:49PM

With The Growth in Popularity of Underwater Photography, A Community of Esteemed Professional Photographers Respond By Developing A Series of Free Online Underwater Photography Tutorials to Help The World Learn About Underwater Photography

In response to the global demand from photographers, scuba divers, surfers and snorkelers around the world, leading underwater photography website DivePhotoGuide.com has launched a highly anticipated free series of comprehensive underwater photography tutorials and guides to help the world learn underwater photography. Never before has there been such a growing interest in underwater photography. Affordable digital cameras have made underwater photography more accessible, and social media has made it easier than ever to share photos with your friends, family and the world.

The underwater photography guides offer easy-to-read tutorials for photographers all levels to learn how to take great underwater photos.

The tutorials are written by professional underwater photographer Jason Heller and DivePhotoGuide.com editor Matt Weiss, along with contributions from several world renowned professional and award winning underwater photographers, such as National Geographic photographer David Doubilet, Martin Edge, and Alex Mustard. Each tutorial includes beautiful underwater photos and equipment set-up shots that illustrate each technique.

Underwater photography can be incredibly rewarding, but it does pose unique challenges and requires an understanding of basic principles and techniques. Beginners will find the Getting Started Guide very intuitive, including the top ten basic principles of underwater photography and how to select your first underwater camera system. Other tutorials include macro, wide angle, super-macro, composition, lighting, surf photography and a number of creative techniques. New and advanced techniques and tutorials will be added on a regular basis.

iPad for Dive Instructors

Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 7:53AM

Following today's launch of the Apple iPad, I am taken by the possibilities for using this device as a key part of the dive instruction experience. In fact, I reckon that the fact that "iPad" is an anagram of "PADI" is more than a coincidence!

Apart from the fact that is one classy looking device, the fact that it can run apps like iWork (including Keynote and Pages) means that it can be used for delivering fantastic presentations. Although Keynote and Pages are Mac formats, these apps can run MS Powerpoint and Word documents.

So a dive instructor can teach small groups (perhaps 1-2 people) informally using this device for our PADI Prescriptive Lesson Guides and other presentations. Or we can hook the iPad up to a display or projector for larger groups.

Its a lightweight device (less than 1kg), and it should be a great device for carry PDF versions of our various teaching tools like the PADI Instructor Manual, PADI Specialty Instructor Manuals, EFR Instructor Manual, DAN Instructor Manuals and so forth (subject to availability of course). I'd like to see PADI release a PDF version of the wonderful new PADI's Guide to Teaching in PDF format. With this device we can have ready access to our teaching materials.

The iPad is designed to have great battery life (10 hours), and an external keyboard as an option. This will allow us to do paperwork onsite once the teaching is done. With Wifi built in, and an option for 3G wireless connectivity, we can also have access to the internet in the field.

All in all this is going to be a great device for many mobile professionals, and for dive instructors who tend to move around to various sites, the potential is fantastic.

I've embedded a copy of Apple's introduction video below. Take a few moments to have a look. It tells the story perfectly.

Des Paroz |

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Sunday

24Jan2010

PADI IE Success!

Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 6:16PM

Congratulations to Lisa and Jin, who completed the recent PADI IDC at United Divers Wollongong, on exceeding expectations at the PADI Instructor Exam in Sydney this weekend. Both did really well, scoring highly on all presentations and exams, and did themselves proud on all counts.

Lisa will be teaching at Dive Imports Australia in Erina after completing her EFR Instructor Course next week, while Jin will be heading off to travel and teach in exotic locations.

Well done Jin and Lisa!

Des Paroz |

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PADI IE

Saturday

23Jan2010

The Cove Movie

Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:46PM

Having missed its limited cinema screening in Australia, I was pleased to finally receive a copy of The Cove Movie. Today I had a chance to watch this movie, and can only say that I am in very deep thought at what I saw.

The Cove tells the story of dolphin hunting and killing practices in the township of Taiji, in Japan's Wakayama Prefecture. It is a rather amazing story, and features shocking scenes of a secret cove where the slaughter occurs. The waters are deep red with the blood of the dolphins, and it is nothing short of shocking to see these creatures slaughtered for what appears to be senseless reasons.

Along similar lines to the fabulous movie, Sharkwater, The Cove investigates the backstory, with interviews with Japanese fisheries officials and renegade council officials from Taiji.

There is amazing footage of world champion free divers Kirk Krack and Mandy-Rae Cruikshank placing underwater cameras and sound recording devices in the middle of the night.

The Cove is a extraordinarily thought provoking movie, and I highly recommend it for all divers and others interested in marine conservation issues. I also think that it is worth watching as you consider the whaling activities currently being conducted by the Japanese in the Southern Ocean.

Purchase The Cove on DVD from Amazon.com (aff.)

Des Paroz |

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Environment,

Marine Life,

Project AWARE

Wednesday

13Jan2010

New PADI Instructor Manual

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 10:29PM

I received a copy of the new PADI Instructor Manual today - the printed version with the binder (picture on right). I've had the digital version since the CD Update at DEMA in October, but getting the printed version really reinforced for me just how much of a great step forward the new manual is.

Printed on 160 half-sized pages, compared to the 1000+ letter sized pages previously, the new manual is compact, simple to navigate and straight-to-the-point. Information on standards and procedures is supremely easy to find, and it really is a joy to use.

Even though all PADI members will receive the digital version free next month, I strongly recommend all PADI Instructors to get a copy of the printed version.

There's plenty of room in the manual for a log book and other notes, and I believe this tool will be a key resources for PADI Instructors in the future.

Des Paroz |

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Dive Training,

PADI

More than Tutorials