Dive training agency RAID has announced Zero FEe-Membership* to all its professional members and dive centres, in a move it hopes will give the more-established training organisations serious pause for thought.
As many will no doubt be aware, the industry norm is to charge instructors and dive centres an annual fee to do business with them. However, RAID – relative newcomers on the block when it comes to dive training – has offered something new and unique in the diving marketplace. The diving world is still reeling from the ravages of COVID-19 and its impact on the adventure travel industry, and so not charging a fee to teach for an agency has far-reaching benefits.
In a statement, Steve Lewis, Director Diver Training (Worldwide) said: “The power of zero membership is a paradigm shift and shows you are appreciated for being a diving professional and supporting this agency.
“Some will say that this is a race to the bottom, but nothing could be further from the truth. Membership has become a major hurdle to new instructors entering the market and existing instructors remaining in active status and solvent. By having no membership fee at RAID, we have future-proofed the agency as this initiative does not only work for the pandemic, but also for many other global economic issues.
“The scuba industry looks to Dive RAID International for innovative leadership, and this radical move is a definite game changer and unprecedented.
“Many agencies talk about business support, but we feel that some form of financial support is what is needed to help our members to succeed.
“As we move into a new year, with new norms, and a new outlook, RAID will continue to deliver the best business support for our members, while helping them provide safe, inclusive, and technologically innovative dive training in a class of its own.”
RAID Zero FEe-Membership is the latest initiative from the industry’s lead innovator and follows its FREe-Learning programme and other business-support programmes released in 2020. FREe-Learning opened all RAID academics to divers, dive pros and dive centres free of charge, and issued a wake-up and follow us call to the industry.
Contact info@diveraid.com or your local RAID Regional Office for full details and for instructions on how to remain in status for 2022, or cross your instructor membership or business over to Dive RAID International.
*To maintain active status in 2023, RAID instructors will be required to certify five (5) divers during 2022. Should this not be achieved, instructors will be required to do an online update which will detail all the changes at RAID during the past year.
