Doodle.com is an online calendar system that allows you to set blocks of date for voting.  Then your customers can view the dates provided and cast their votes for their preferences.

This makes it easier to organise groups of people and avoid having to relay backward and forwards between dates and customers.  You can simply email a link to your customers and let them vote.

Take a look by heading over to www.doodle.com and making use of the free system, and check out our sample poll here: http://www.doodle.com/97cb6zxus2gafg8q

Why note use this to have customers vote on their prefered date for a ‘try before you buy event’.

In this article we are going to look at why customers like to try things before they buy them and how you should be taking advantage of this.

So what on earth are we talking about. You are already using it in the PADI training structure with the Discover SCUBA Diving course being a ‘test drive’ for the Open Water Diver course.

Now whilst a lot of people are beginning to purchase products and services online you can still be tapping into some primal human behaviour to encourage people to buy from you.

As humans we physically love to interact with our environment. It’s built into our DNA. If I showed you a red button you would want to push it to see what it did – you know you would! Just look at this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw

In fact some people say that we don’t truly understand something until we have ‘felt’ it with our senses whether it be by sight, sound, touch, smell or taste. So what better way to tempt customers who are unsure about purchasing equipment for the first time or upgrading their old equipment by attending a manufacturer diving day with you.

We have created a ‘How to guide’ for attending a manufacturer diving day with a rental form so that you can capture details of what your customers tried so that you can then make sales on the day and/or after the event plus a new email template.

To get your hands on this must have digital toolbox simply click on the red button below, answer the 60 second eSurvey and you can then start to turn interest into sales. I dare you to click the red button!

On 15th April 1912 the RMS Titanic had a fatal collision with an iceberg and a couple of hours later sank with the loss of 1517 lives. The wreck lay on the seabed at a depth of over 3500 metres until it was discovered in 1985. Rory Golden, a PADI Instructor, has dived down to the Titanic twice in a submersible taking pictures, video footage, laying plaques and recovering artefacts.

Rory is going to be presenting at the London International Dive Show (LIDS) 2012 and this is an amazing opportunity to learn about the history behind the Titanic, it’s sinking and to see how it has fared in it’s final resting place at the bottom of the ocean. We shall also be interviewing Rory to find out what it takes to become an underwater explorer and what adventures he has planned next. So come and join us at the LIDS 2012 to meet him in person and learn more about the world’s most famous shipwreck.

Whilst it isn’t currently possible to dive down to the Titanic without a submersible you may be curious and want to explore new sites beyond recreational diving limits. If this is the case then the PADI TecRec courses are your next step.

We are going to be interviewing Mark Caney, who is PADI Vice President and the Director of the Rebreather Technologies in the PADI Technical Diving Division. We will be finding out about why he became a technical diver and how he sees the future of technical diving developing.

So how do you get a brand new PADI On Tour t-shirt? Come and see us at the LIDS 2012 and you have 2 ways of getting a t-shirt for FREE plus access to a special offer on PADI materials for PADI members:

• We are going to be running a series of exciting PADI presentations in our seminar theatre. By booking AND attending a seminar you will get your t-shirt. Click here to find out more…

• We have set up a VIP PADI Member Area within the PADI Village, where you can book your own personal slot with one of our consultants who will answer all your questions. By booking AND attending an appointment you will get your t-shirt. Click on the ‘Sales‘, ‘Marketing‘, ‘Training‘, ‘Dive Centre‘ and ‘EVE‘ links to find out more and to how book one of these limited spots.

Don’t miss out. There are limited spaces for appointments, seminars and t-shirts available! We look forward to seeing you there!

How do you get a PADI On Tour t-shirt? Well all you need to do is to book and attend one or more of the seminars below which we will be presenting live at the London International Dive Show (LIDS) 2012. You have a choice of:

1. ‘Learn how to ‘blog’ to get more customers and courses‘. Did you know that business blogs have 55% more website visitors – that could be a lot of new divers for you!
2. ‘Learn how to create engaging emails to promote diving‘. Did you know that over 100 trillion emails were sent last year. Do you want to learn how to make yours stand out and get them read?
3. ‘How to use social media to engage your divers‘ Social media is word of mouth on DIGITAL STEROIDS! Are you ready to take advantage of this form of marketing?
4. ‘Is your website working for you?’ - Learn what makes a website effective and how your website could be fine tuned to convert visitors to your site into divers.

By booking AND attending a seminar you will receive a new PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt AND access to the PADI materials LIDS 2012 special offer – click ‘here‘ to find out more.

To book one a seat at one or more of the seminars (and don’t wait around as there are only 15 spaces per seminar) please click on the links below to book your spot:

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:45 ’Learn how to ‘blog’ to get more customers and courses’

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:30 ‘Learn how to create engaging emails to promote diving’

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:45 ‘How to use social media to engage your divers’

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:30 ‘Is your website working for you?’

* Only one PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt per PADI member regardless of how many PADI appointments or seminars you book and attend at LIDS 2012

See the Hollis SMS 50 at a site near you, click here

Today, with the kind help of Hollis, I was honoured to be the first diver inUKwaters to take the new Hollis SMS 50 Sidemount rig for a dive (2 Dives to be precise).  Having used the Hollis SMS 100 for over a year in a variety of environment, I can honestly say that I was really surprised at the evolution that has gone into this product, and how different it is from its predecessor, the SMS 100.

We arrived at Vobster, bright and early for gate opening at 8:30pm. As per usual,John Carlin(PADI Regional Manager) had beaten me to the car park in our usual Top Gear Challenge style drive acrossSomerset, also including a rolling McDonalds pit stop.  I was greeted by the Oceanic / Hollis team and a superb array of technical and recreational equipment ready for customers to try during their day of diving.

The SMS 50 is far removed from the single and double bladder SMS100;  it has now been streamlined, trimmed, and is a far more compact package than its triple digit counterpart.  The rig now features an integrated trim pocket on the neck area, and integrated trim pouched in the kidney area of the wing.  My previous SMS100 rig had these additions, but courtesy of XS Scuba weight pouches added to the webbing.  They’re now redundant in the Hollis SMS 50.

Once adjusted, and rigged for my 7 litres steel sidemount kit, I added on a set of Hollis DC1 & 212 sidemount regulators to complete the package, and then hit the water for the firstUKdive with this setup.

I’ve been sidemount diving for a little while now, having sold my twin set and committed to this route.  Getting into the water for the first time with the Hollis SMS 50 felt familiar; the harness felt taught and placed perfectly on my body, the bladder was unobtrusive, and provided enough buoyancy at the surface to don and doff cylinders. 

Sliding the two cylinders into the water and attaching them via bottom clip and bungee, and routing hoses was simple, with the SMS 50 having no protruding features that would cause difficulty in hose routing.

After a few minutes of familiarisation, and a few fumbling moments locating bungee that was not quite in the same position as the SMS 100, I was ready to head down.

Accompanying me on this dive was John Carlin, my counterpart UK PADI Regional Manager, who was rigged with his 12 litres twin set.  We descended to 6 metres and I made my first adjustment to the equipment.

The bungee attached to this system comes in two parts, held to the back of the harness by a d-ring and a snap clip to the front.  This was replaced immediately with a one piece bungee, straight across the back and bolt snapped at each end, allowing me to tension each cylinder neck, and ‘roll’ the cylinder tight at the bottom clip.

We dropped to 24 metres and carried out the dive with no drama.  Finishing the adventure with a stop at 6m for several minutes whilst we relaxed and I doffed one of my cylinders and guided it in to the shallows for an easy exit.

The second dive on the rig was even better; the minor tweaks from the first dive now being homogenised into the setup, and everything becoming easier and more familiar.

So, my opinion?  I think Hollis have hit a home run here; the Hollis stable now has two great steeds in it;

The SMS 100 for general introduction to sidemount diving (I’ve used it with a single 12 litre, back mounted; a twinset; and a set of aluminium 80s in warm water, and 7 litres steels in coldwater, dry suit and wet suit diving)

The Hollis SMS 50 is now a keener, and more tightly integrate brother to the SMS 100, with more specific features, a lower profile, and more compact package.  Apart from the minor adjustments that most sidemount divers will make; a longer inflator to reach around my midriff being one! There is very little a sidemount diver or sidemount student is going to need to mess around with on this rig to get comfortable, efficient and enjoyable diving.

If the sign of a good piece of kit is that you shouldn’t notice it doing its job, then Hollis have done a great job here; I spent the day diving, forgetting that I had a harness and bladder on.  I’m now waiting for these to arrive at Hollis dealers so that I can head out and get myself one for real.

1. A new PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt*
2. A tea or coffee!
3. Access to the PADI materials LIDS 2012 special offer – click ‘here‘ to find out more

To book one of these appointments (and don’t wait around as spaces are limited!) please click on the links below to book a place:

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 12:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 12:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 15:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 15:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 12:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 12:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 15:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 15:50

* Only one PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt per PADI member regardless of how many PADI appointments or seminars you book and attend at LIDS 2012

1. A new PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt*
2. A tea or coffee!
3. Access to the PADI materials LIDS 2012 special offer – click ‘here‘ to find out more

To book one of these appointments and don’t wait around as spaces are limited – if they are red with a line through then they have been booked already! Please click on the active links below to book a place:

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 10:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 10:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 13:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 13:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 10:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 10:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 13:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 13:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:30

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:50

* Only one PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt per PADI member regardless of how many PADI appointments or seminars you book and attend at LIDS 2012

1. A new PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirts*
2. A tea or coffee!
3. Access to the PADI materials LIDS 2012 special offer – click ‘here‘ to find out more

To book one of these appointments (and don’t wait around as spaces are limited!) please click on the links below to book a place:

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 10:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 12:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 13:30

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:30

* Only one PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt per member regardless of how many PADI appointments or seminars you book and attend at LIDS 2012

1. A new PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt*
2. A tea or coffee!
3. Access to the PADI materials LIDS 2012 special offer – click ‘here‘ to find out more

To book one of these appointments (and don’t wait around as spaces are limited!) please click on the links below to book a place:

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 10:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:10

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 11:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 12:10

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 13:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:10

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 14:50

Saturday 31/03/2012 – 15:10

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 10:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:10

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 11:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 12:10

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 13:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:10

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 14:50

Sunday 01/04/2012 – 15:10

* Only one PADI On Tour 2012 t-shirt per PADI member regardless of how many PADI appointments or seminars you book and attend at LIDS 2012