Education plays one of the largest roles in the dedication to conservation at a local level. Dive Centers can creatively integrate a wide array of PADI Courses that make it fun, and easy to share their passion for protecting the Ocean. If you were ever wondering some of the best tips and tricks to link conservation courses with your upcoming open water courses, and PADI continuing education training, look no further! This guide is also accompanied by an short webinar, and slide deck with relevant information. 

Step 1: Why Should You Link Conservation Courses?

Linking courses is one of the best ways to boost sales, certifications, and gear purchases. Bringing a conservation course into your existing PADI Training promotes future conservation activities, local diving, and a better diver with the passion for protecting the ocean. Getting the diver is not difficult – keeping the diver is.

Step 2: What Courses Do I Have To Work With?

All PADI AWARE Courses have free instructor and student materials which can be found here: PADI AWARE CoursesThe only cost to teach them is the price of your PADI PIC. All PADI AWARE Knowledge Development Lesson Guides can be taught online via two-way video conferencing instead of in person.We recommend checking out PADI’s instructor led online learning blog for more information on this teaching process. 

Step 3: What Courses Can I Link?

PADI AWARE: Project AWARE SpecialtyProject AWARE Specialty is well suited to live webinar format, and it is a dry course with no dives required. It can be taught completely online. Trick To Linking: Teaching this course alongside the PADI Open Water Diver Course is extremely useful. Consider adding non-diving members of student’s party to the class, as any age can participate. PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris®The PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris® Course takes only a single dive to complete. This course also counts as both a PADI Advanced Open Water “Adventure Dive”, and certification course. Trick To Linking: Teach this course as an Adventure Dive alongside the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course. Consider teaching the Dive Against Debris Lesson Guides online in advance to improve time management, and enhance your experience with the student. 

PADI AWARE: AWARE Shark Conservation SpecialtyThe PADI AWARE Shark Conservation Course Requires two dives to complete. An AWARE Shark Adventure Dive may be completed during the PADI Advanced Open Water Course.  Trick To Linking: You do not need to see sharks to complete the requirements for this course. Integrate dive one into your AOW Courses, with an additional “6th dive” to complete the course.  Consider teaching the AWARE Shark Conservation Lesson Guides online in advance to improve time management, and enhance your experience with the student. 

PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) The PADI PPB Course is one of the most important tools you have to create prudent conservation minded divers. Becoming neutrally buoyant doesn’t just benefit you. It also benefits the underwater world.Trick To Linking: Conduct Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive 1 skills any time during PADI Open Water Dive 2, 3 and 4. Complete the second dive outside the OW course to finish the PPB Specialty. 

We have included a slide deck, and webinar, to help showcase more examples of linking courses as well as creative ways to stay in touch, and share your success

Slide Deck: PADI AWARE Course Linking Webinar: PADI AWARE Course Linking Webinar

The secrets are in the Instructor manual. Reference the linking pages 42-46 in the 2021 PADI Instructor Manual. We encourage you check out PADI’s other conservation courses such as PADI Fish ID, PADI Underwater Naturalist, and PADI Digital Underwater Photographer. To learn how to recover large, bulky or plain awkward items of trash that won’t fit into a simple net bag, teach the PADI Search And Recovery Diver Course. 

Want to promote these courses, and the PADI Decade For Ocean Action in your business? Check out the PADI Mission Hub Marketing Toolkit, and become a Mission Hub today.

The post How To Successfully Link PADI AWARE & Conservation-Related PADI Courses appeared first on PADI Pros.

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