SDI™ Introduces “HOW TO” on YOUTUBE

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Just one more time…QUIET ON THE SET!… TAKE # 187535498496498749

YouTube Scuba DivingIf you have recently visited our NEW and we believe BETTER and IMPROVED https://www.tdisdi.dev you have seen a myriad of new features that lead to GREAT opportunities. So since our Pro Members and Facilities have been fielding questions from Associate Members just like you, we decided to make using the site even easier than before. Although we have already built an extensive help section on the website, we recognize that videos are easier to follow for many, while reading is best for others; now you both can have it your way – hold the lettuce!

Visit https://www.youtube.com/user/tdisdierdi and check out our first shot.

We will be developing multiple videos over the coming weeks, so keep checking back to see what has been updated.

Here are a few videos we are currently working on for Associate Members and site visitors:

  1. How to create a user account
  2. How to recover your username and password
  3. How to get started with my eLearning course – both by using an access code and without using an access code
  4. How to adjust my settings when using IE 8 or 9 to use the site
  5. How to get a replacement card
  6. How to verify my dive credentials
  7. How to send feedback to the site
  8. How to find a dive center
  9. How to sign up for an additional eLearning course
  10. How do I update my profile
  11. How do I affiliate or un-affiliate with a Dive Center

Let us hear back from you at info@tdisdi.com and tell us what you would like to see next. After all, by now you must realize….special orders don’t upset us!

TDI™/ SDI™ at the London International Dive Show (LIDS)

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Do not miss this provocative and thought provoking discussion

Solo Diving – Coming of age

London International Dive ShowSDI™ was the first agency to launch a Solo diving course and to emphasize the importance of Self Reliance. Although still a controversial topic, many other agencies are now following SDI’s lead and launching courses aimed at creating more self-reliant divers. Don’t miss TDI™ / SDI™ Instructor Trainer Mark Powell’s perceptive take on the subject. If you are an instructor, photographer or just dive with a variety of buddies, you will want to hear what Mark has to say on this topic.

LIDS will be held on the 31st March – 1st April at the Excel Centre, London.

For more information visit https://www.diveshows.co.uk/

For more about SDI™ programs, and to schedule your own Solo Course, please visit https://www.tdisdi.dev

Know Where All of Your Dive Buddies Will Be on March 23-25th?

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At “Beneath The Sea” in the New Jersey Meadowlands Expo Center!

Beneath The SeaIt’s that time of year again… Beneath the Sea is here, and TDI™-SDI™-ERDi™ will be looking forward to meeting with you once again to share with you what is “new and improved” with our agency.

Last year we kicked off with the BTS & TDI’s Tech party. This time around, we would love to do it all over again and ask that you join us. Join Brian Carney, President of TDI™, and the rest of the gang at the Embassy Suites at around 7pm on Friday 3/23 for drinks and light appetizers. But hurry! It is first come first serve, and after all this IS a hungry and thirsty dive crowd!

Invest just an hour of your time, and you will be pleased with the return you get from either of these informative seminars.

  • Members Update- Sponsored by TDI™-SDI™-ERDi™- We will also be doing a Member’s update at La Quinta, just steps from the Expo Center on Saturday at 3PM, if the weather requires a shuttle, we will wisp you away from the Expo Center to La Quinta.
  • Rebreathers in 2012- Sponsored by TDI™- Don’t miss the latest in the industry buzz – rebreathers. Join our seminar “Rebreathers in 2012” and learn all about courses you can take for fun or if you are looking for the right path to become a rebreather professional instructor. This seminar will be at La Quinta, just steps from the Expo Center on Sunday at 1PM. Same shuttle plans are also in place.

To reserve a spot at either of these events, stop by our booth and tell us “I’ll be there!” For more information, contact Cris Merz at cris.merz@tdisdi.com.

We look forward to seeing you at BTS. For more info about the show, visit: https://www.beneaththesea.org/openrosters/view_homepage.asp?orgkey=862

For more about TDI™-SDI™-ERDi™ visit https://www.tdisdi.dev

There has never been a better time to join the TDI™-SDI™-ERDi™ family, ask us how!

It Takes Little Money to Market A LOT!

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It is always a good time to think of ways to grow your business…

Marketing Your Dive BusinessWe have all heard of Guerilla Marketing at one time or another, and you may have even employed some techniques. Hold that thought; now we want you to reach just a little further to grow your business.

Let’s take a brief moment to discuss FREE and low cost marketing ideas to drive more traffic and profits to your store.

A key factor is to maintain visibility; lay out a plan to keep your store in the forefront of consumer consciousness within your client base and, more importantly, the community.

Each day, think how you can enhance your marketing strategies. Be prepared to take even the smallest steps that add up to increased traffic, sales and profits.

Work at establishing deeper relationships with your existing customers.

Think of your store, your staff and services as a brand; are all segments of your business putting out the same message? Build your brand through:

  • Perception – ask your customers “How do you see us?” Is their perception the one you wish to expand on?
  • Product brochure – Do you have a professional looking “take away” that a new perspective customer can take with them? Will it match your look on your web site? Is the message consistent?
  • Packaging – You may think “the manufacturers take care of that”… we’re not talking about that packaging! The “packaging experience” starts when a phone is answered, a customer walks through your door, the way you and your staff is dressed and easily identifiable, down to the name tag on your chest!
  • Brand identity – Now ask yourself what your brand is synonymous to; when people think training, travel, repairs, and equipment purchases, do they think of you? Do all of the identities add or do any of them detract from your mission?

Have a market plan in place (in writing, not just in your head) that identifies:

  • Purpose
  • YOUR Competitive Advantage
  • YOUR Target Audience
  • What YOU stand for
  • The dollars that you plan to spend for marketing, stated as a % of sales. Many suggest you spend 10% of gross sales for marketing expenses in a specialty business, but as you know “there are no magic numbers.”
  • Track everything you do, how much you spend and what return you get. Drop what does not work; continue what does, and look for new ideas to add to the mix.

Spread the word and do not forget some of the more conventional older methods such as:

  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Creative business cards with a call to action & a reward! Think: referrals, etc.
  • Thank you notes to customers that spend a large amount of cash. Set a dollar minimum to trigger cards and stick with it!
  • Gather testimonies, surveys and endorsements

Also utilize new tools available, particularly social media!

Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of tools and techniques exist; set yourself a schedule, adopt one and become proficient with it before you employ the next one.

The most important thing is to TAKE ACTION. A retailer’s greatest competitor is time; don’t waste any of it, and stay focused.

Want to learn more… schedule a visit from one of our Regional Managers; they are always ready and able to help. Behind them they have many resources so please e-mail Cris.Merz@tdisdi.com to arrange a store visit. Visit https://www.tdisdi.dev and see many of the opportunities that await you!

Black Water Training

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Continua a leggere

TEAMS Serving Popular Off Shore Racing and Other Boating Events Take Note!

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ERDI helps you and your Team stay informed

Rapid Diving Speed Boat RescuesPSD Teams serving coastal areas are alerted to pending changes that are thought to be ratified and approved shortly.

Off Shore Super Series (OSS) ANNOUNCES RULE MODIFICATION FOR 2012

The Board of Directors has approved the following rule changes for the 2012 season. These have been sent to the American Power Boat Association (APBA), and we are recommending that they adopt these changes also. This will be discussed and confirmed during the APBA Meeting later this month in Chicago.

OSS OFFSHORE EVENT SAFETY RULES

SIGNIFICANT changes are noted in italics.

RULE 2 – REQUIRED SAFETY FACILITIES

A) In General –It shall be the Race Producer’s responsibility to perform all safety functions and secure all necessary safety facilities in accordance with these rules and the Sanction Agreement.

B) Requirements – Each Race Producer shall be required to provide the following:

  1. Safety Check-off Sheet – Complete and return the APBA Offshore Pre-Race Safety Check-off Sheet to the Chair of the APBA ORC 30 days prior to the event.
  2. Required Personnel:
    1. Race Medical Director – An emergency medical technician (EMT), or local equivalent, shall serve as the Race Medical Director. (Note: This is a minimum standard.)
    2. Emergency Rescue Personnel – A minimum of 8 (eight) certified underwater dive/rescue personnel, experienced and trained in extrication of competitors from race boats, appropriately equipped for course placement at the direction of the event chief referee.
    3. Emergency Medical Personnel – A minimum of six (6) EMT’s and/or RN’s and/or Paramedics assigned for the Pre-Race Morning Physicals. All personnel are required to report to the posted location 30 minutes prior to the posted time of the physicals.
  3. Required Facilities:
    1. Ambulances – A minimum of (2) properly staffed and equipped State Licensed Advanced Life Support (A.L.S.) ambulances for transporting injured APBA racers/crew to a designated hospital/trauma center. The exact number of ALS ambulances to be determined by the Medical and Safety Director in concert with the local race physician and local EMS.
    2. Helicopters – A minimum of one (1) helicopter for Medical Rescue shall be required at all APBA sanctioned offshore races with race courses of 6 statute miles or less. Two (2) helicopters shall be required for courses in excess of 6 statute miles. Helicopter(s) is/are to be staffed by the Medical and Safety Director or his appointee and two (2) properly equipped and experienced paramedic rescue divers experienced in helicopter jumps/rescue. Note: Helicopters are for APBA official use only and may not be used for any type of media, photography or VIP rides.
    3. Medical Rescue Boats – A minimum of six (6) Medical/Rescue boats on the racecourse at all times or more if conditions warrant as determined by the Medical and Safety Director, 4 of which are A.L.S. equipped and staffed. The true number of Medical Rescue Boats required at each race site shall be determined by drawing thirty (30) second response circles on the course map. No segment of the course shall be more than 30 seconds away by medical and rescue boat. Final approval shall be determined by the Chief Medical and Safety Director. Two thirds (2/3) of the required number of medical rescue boats must be A.L.S. staffed and equipped.
    4. Patrol and Tow Boats – A minimum of ten (10) Patrol and Tow boats on the racecourse at all times or more if conditions warrant as determined by the APBA Offshore Chief Medical and Safety Director.
    5. Hospital – An assigned trauma receiving hospital duly notified and equipped.

Speed Boat Rescue
To learn more about further developments visit:
https://www.offshoresuperseries.com/ and https://www.apbaracing.com/

For assistance preparing and scheduling training for your Team contact ERDI
[blogurl]erdi/ or call 207.729.4201

Recent Cruise Ship Grounding on Tuscany Coast Launches Teams into Action

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ERDI pleads with PSD TEAMS to train hard and be prepared

Cruise Ship Wreck Dive TeamsBy now no one in our field is unaware of the demise of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, just yards from the Italian coast. The dangers that it presented to the passengers and crew can be best summed up by the confirmed loss of some 17 souls on the ill-fated cruise.

As the operation moved from search & rescue to recovery, new concerns arose. From the ecological damages to the environment, the ship’s rapping of the ocean floor, as well as the massive amount of fuel on board, it brought back memories of the USA Gulf Coast fuel related disaster. Dangerous work conditions like these require extensive training and teamwork for optimum safety and mission success.

Multiple agencies show CNN how they train for underwater disasters in light of the cruise ship disaster in Italy.

https://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2012/01/26/lok-wian-ca-emergency-dive.cnn

For assistance preparing and scheduling Training for your Team contact ERDI
[blogurl]erdi/ or call 207.729.4201

TDI and Rebreathers – What is Available?

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The choices are many, but TDI™ has something for you!

So you’ve seen them at your local TDI dive center, read about them in diving news or spent some time surfing the internet; what are we talking about? Rebreathers! In particular, Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR); they’re all the buzz! Technical Diving International (TDI) heard that buzz in 1995 with the Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreather (SCR), and then again in 2001 with the CCR. Since 1995, a lot of rebreathers have been added to the approved list for TDI training… so many, in fact, that we thought it was time for a review.

TDI and RebreathersBefore we get into that review, we thought it might be helpful for you to understand why some rebreathers are not on our list. This is by no means a reflection on any rebreather manufacturer. TDI selects rebreathers based on a few things: production of units, user manual and third party testing. That is just a short list of some of the criteria. We have also never authorized the training on “modified” or “homebuilt” units; why is this? For two of the reasons just listed: there would be no user manual to explain how the unit would work with the modifications or as a home build, and there would be no third party testing. The end goal in everything we do including approving rebreathers is diver safety.

The first SCR in TDI’s course list was the Draeger Atlantis. The first CCR unit TDI ever approved was the Inspiration Classic. These rebreathers, in hindsight, were pretty straight forward and not nearly as sophisticated as today’s units. The Atlantis when first released did not even have a PO2 monitoring device; everything relied on a pre-dive checklist that had to be followed. This was also the case with the original Inspiration, however, it did have two (primary and back-up) monitoring devices for PO2. One thing still remains the same to this day, Pre-Dive checklists are critical to a successful rebreather dive… no exceptions.

TDI now has 13 CCR rebreathers on our list; we have come a long way since 2001:

  • Inspiration
  • Evolution
  • KISS (Classic and Sport)
  • Optima
  • MK VI Discovery
  • Megalodon
  • Titan
  • Ourboros
  • Sentinel
  • Pelegian and
  • rEvo
  • Submatrix

Each of these units has their own unique features and applications, and just like open circuit (OC) equipment, each has to appeal to your personal preference. For the first time in many years, we have also added a new SCR, the KISS GEM, along with three other SCRs that we currently offer training for. SCRs certainly have a place in diving; they’re simplistic, light weight and their ease of use attracts a lot of divers.

We are also very proud to announce that we will be adding two more units to our list the Hollis PRISM II and the Hollis Explorer (an active SCR). The PRISM II is an updated model of the PRISM TOPAZ and is now being built and distributed by American Underwater Products (AUP).

So where does all this leave you, the diver wanting to step into the world of rebreathers? It leaves you in a position with a lot of good choices, but ones that need to be researched, which means you get to do some diving! Most, if not all, of these manufacturers put on events that allow you to try the rebreathers, or you could contact a local TDI rebreather instructor and see if they are putting on a “try dive” for the SCR or CCR they are certified to teach.

Where does this leave the already certified SCR or CCR diver? You are also in a very good place. If it has been awhile since you were certified on a rebreather, you should take a look at the new choices and some of the advancements that have been made. These new machines do a lot more than the earlier models and the monitoring devices – some of them full blown dive computers with decompression information and multi gas capabilities – are amazing.

TDI will continue to stay on the leading edge of this rebreather market, and as we do, we will send announcements for the units we have approved. We will also add them to our course offerings and course search engines so you can find them on our website.

To learn more about TDI™ Rebreather Courses visit [blogurl]tdi/get-certified/tdi-diver-level-courses/.

How Did You Come Up with Your Logo?

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A question that most business owners have addressed more than they care to remember!


Life certainly takes some interesting twists and turns; add to it the element of developing a business from scratch and things can get really interesting. As we settled into our new Worldwide Headquarters in Jensen Beach, Florida, the company came just a little closer to its roots! TDI™ was originally founded in Miami, Florida. As boxes stacked around the room started to diminish and a place was found for just about everything, it was time for the “fun box.” If you have experienced a move you know the “fun box,” you just may call it by a different name; it’s that special box that when you start to unpack it, you are unpacking history along with the items inside.

It was late in the day. Some of the staff found themselves exhausted sitting on the floor gathering the energy to drive home. We all watched as Brian Carney, the company’s president who had worked side by side with us all day long said, ”Just one more thing before we call it a day.” The grunts could be heard; the eyes rolled in more than just one head. ”Stay where you are… I got it,” he added. Brian reached into the “fun box,” but what would he reach for? One of the early CCR images… an image of a BIG pelagic from a trip gone by? We all knew the images from our old offices in Maine but this would tell us which Brian’s favorite one was. His hands held a smaller frame than expected, a framed napkin? Yes, it was a framed napkin with what resembled our TDI™ logo.

Brian shared with us how just a couple of years back Mitch Skaggs called him to say, “Hey I just found something going through some of my files that I think you will want. I’ll ship it you”. Even with much prodding, Mitch would not disclose what it was. A couple of days passed and the package arrived, in it the fateful napkin. This, of course, prompted another call to Mitch who explained the history behind it. In 1992, while seated at a kitchen table, Tanya Burnett and Mitch sketched what would become the logo for what is now the world’s largest and most recognized Technical Diving Agency …TDI™. History has a way of grounding us and helping us better understand the path we are on. Obviously this “napkin” has become one of the company’s most prized possessions!

The moral of the story is dare to dream of what can be; also, when you’re dreaming late some evening at a kitchen table, make sure you have something more substantial to doodle on than a napkin…and easier to frame! Who knows how BIG your idea will someday become.

To learn more about TDI™ and its worldwide offices please visit https://www.tdisdi.dev

Have a unique story you’d like to share with us? Send it to info@tdisdi.com with the subject line ARTICLE. Who knows? You may just read it here along with 100,000+ other Tech divers!