IT SETS RAID APART FROM THE COMPETITION
There are dozens of diver training agencies: at last count, more than one hundred. And while it’d be easy to say we’re the best of the bunch, that would come across as marketing BS and be difficult to prove at the best of times. Every organisation has its fans and its critics. Everyone has their own opinion. What we can say is that we don’t follow the fast track.
Some agencies promise open water certification on a schedule we refuse to match. That’s not because instructors teaching The RAID Way are slow; it’s because their approach is that learning to dive skilfully, comfortably, and safely takes time. While some pick it up quickly, others take longer, and longer is better for everyone. RAID classes are longer, more detailed, more hands-on, and well above average. The results are committed, skilled divers who actually enjoy diving. And producing positive results like that takes time.
Like most outdoor activities, the scuba industry and the related adventure travel industry publish a raft of “performance stats” every year. How many people got certified, how many dives were made, and how much was spent on buying gear? Things you’d expect and topics to keep the accountants happy. However, there’s one statistic that has been kept quiet.
An alarming number of people who earn their open water certification never dive again. A correspondingly significant percentage of the ones who do dive after their basic class do it once or twice, but never bother to do it again. Exactly how many globally, for every agency, every dive shop, is impossible to say. The Business of Diving Institute suggests between 15% and 99%, one year after certification, and somewhere between 50% and 99%, four years after certification! That should be a terrifying wake-up call for the industry. It’s certainly front-of-mind for the marketing department here at RAID, where attrition rates are about half the industry average.
To put things into perspective, golf, skiing, wakeboarding, canoe/kayaking, and a raft of related ‘sporty’ outdoor activities do a much, much better job of retaining customers. And the obvious question is why? Why do so many divers walk away without giving it a chance after making the effort to learn?
A reasonable answer is that many things contribute. Some folks were ambivalent from the start and only signed up to keep a partner or buddy happy. Some, more one would guess and hope, had no intention of making scuba diving ‘their thing.’ They tried it, took selfies on the dive boat, did it for a season or so, and moved on. More power to them… these are what the food industry calls ‘eclectic diners.’ They want to taste something different every time they visit a restaurant. Scuba diving was simply a menu item they wanted to taste. Welcome, it was nice to meet you.
Nope, all this is fine, perfectly acceptable, and normal in most outdoor activities. What is not, are the people who signed up because they wanted to become a diver, but the course was a grave disappointment. They had an awful, sometimes scary, uncomfortable experience. When asked, a significant percentage responded they felt rushed, overlooked, disconnected from the instructor, and threatened.
Again, to quote the Business of Diving Institute, “if we were to cut our dropout rate by half, the dive industry would be growing by 60%, annually!”
RAID’s teaching philosophy — skills-based, focused on comfort, zero shortcuts, and safety as top priorities — has not bought any of the owners the down payment on a Bugatti Tourbillion, but it has produced committed, safe, and engaged divers who are out there having adventures.
We are proud of that, and happy to drive Jeeps, Volkswagens, Toyotas, and our other modest rides to the dive site.