PADI Launches eLearning

PADI Open Water Diver Course Online connects customers with dive centers and resorts.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 23 May 2007 - Connecting with PADI Dive Centers or Resorts is even easier for millions of prospective divers because the highly anticipated PADI eLearning® Open Water Diver Course Online went live worldwide on Monday, 21 May 2007.

Introduced to PADI Members last month, retailers from coast to coast are toasting the success of one of the most ground breaking and innovative programs the dive industry has ever seen. Hundreds of PADI Retail and Resort Members in the United States alone have already set up their virtual eLearning classrooms, with many more forward-thinking PADI Professionals linking the program to their websites every day.

“The PADI eLearning program was developed based on hours of interviews, discussions and contributions from PADI Members around the world. The program offers an unparalleled range of significant features and benefits that put PADI Retail and Resort Members far ahead of the competition,” said Drew Richardson, PADI Worldwide President and Chief Operation Officer.

One of the most talked about benefits of PADI eLearning is how easy it is for PADI Members to offer the program. Richardson pointed to company research showing that industry members were willing to try online programs but weren't prepared to obtain advanced web design or programming qualifications. PADI responded to this concern by developing a set up program simple enough that that anyone familiar with a keyboard and computer could easily navigate.

PADI Americas has developed a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign to support eLearning - including feature stories in major scuba diving publications, advertising in both diving and nondiving media, aggressive public relations efforts and more.

“PADI eLearning is an innovative and necessary step into the future of scuba diving,” Richardson said. “It’s important to point out that, while the knowledge development portion of the PADI Open Water Diver course is now available online, the PADI Open Water Diver course content itself has not been altered. Now, it's just more convenient for divers, simpler for instructors, and more profitable for dive centers and resorts.”

PADI Retail and Resort Members can get started by logging on to the Pro Section at padi.com and following the simple step-by-step instructions. Among the program's many features is the ability for dive centers or resorts to customize pages with their logo and build unique email messages encouraging product and travel sales.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course Online is now live. For more details on how to set up your virtual classroom, please contact your PADI Regional Manager or Sales Consultant. To join the world leader in dive education and dive business management, contact the PADI International Resort and Retailers Associations at 800 729 7234 (US and Canada) or +1 949 858 7234, ext. 2260.

Others promise … PADI delivers.