This thought immediately raised alarm bells with me as substantive dive centre and resort training is available by a variety of non-certification agency institutions, this book addresses these and other issues and is an excellent bookshelf companion.
I understand what he is saying though, and yes, becoming an instructor is the most common method to enter the recreational dive industry. The instructor development course is in my opinion woefully inadequate preparation for dive industry management.
It took me a while to actually start reading as I loaned this excellent publication to numerous workmates, such was their interest in this book - it was a fight to get it back.
So actually reading this book began with a number of setbacks. I soon realised that this was not a romantic escapade into dive centre and resort ownership, this tells it as it is. Indeed, Simon asks if moving into the recreational diving industry is really for you - this is an important question.
The attrition rate among instructors is very high, this high attrition rate is beneficial to the dive certification agencies as they have a new cohort of instructors filling the roles vacated by burnt out instructors and dive centre owners.
Simon himself was a dive centre owner, his advice is fundamental to an understanding of the industry as you need to take a business based approach to dive centre ownership and management. The business needs to be viewed through an objective ideal, not a love of diving but through a keen business acumen and strategy.
Naturally, the love of diving is paramount; customer service is the basis of the industry. Sure, as I previously stated, the financials are important and this is brought about by keen observation of customer needs and desires.
Make no mistake, this is a customer centric business with dive centres and resorts displaying high levels of customer service, this book provides you with the blueprint to plan your dive career.
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