“Diving lets me explore the ocean’s beauty, and I’d love to share that with my partner, Brady,” says PADI AmbassaDiver Kayleigh Slowey from the UK, talking about the training agency’s new “Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean Together” recruitment scheme.
“He grew up landlocked, without the sea in his life, and wasn’t always keen on colder waters. But after moving to Cornwall, he found a love for the ocean through surfing and snorkelling.
“Now, getting him certified is the next step, as it opens up a whole new underwater world for us to explore together. I can’t wait for Brady to experience the magic beneath the surface as a PADI diver.”
PADI is encouraging scuba divers to recruit friends and family-members as their dive-buddies with its new “diver-acquisition” campaign, an incentive scheme that enables PADI divers at any level to send out a 15%-off link for the PADI Open Water eLearning course, via their PADI Account.
By using the link, the new recruit in turn unlocks a 30-day trial to the PADI Club for the diver who sent out the offer. Club membership costs US $50 a year and offers access to discounts on PADI’s eLearning programmes and certification cards, a free ReActivate programme and a subscription to the digital version of PADI’s Scuba Diving magazine.
“PADI is investing big in this campaign and we’re encouraging our community of divers, dive professionals and dive-centres and resorts to do the same,” says PADI Worldwide’s chief brand and membership officer Valette Wirth.
‘Glorified excuse'
The training agency is running four mini-campaigns in connection with the referral programme, focusing on the prime reasons for learning to dive, which it says are wellness, connection, education and purpose.
The programme offers PADI professionals an extra incentive to sell more courses by feeding into the PADI Master Scuba Diver Challenge and offering MSD students the opportunity to win a dive-trip to the Maldives.
“There are so many different reasons why I love to dive,” says another UK PADI AmbassaDiver, India Black. “I find it’s a way to ground myself, connect more closely to nature, understand the underwater world better, and it’s a fab mindfulness exercise… but really, it’s a glorified excuse for me to be able to spend the day out on the ocean watching my favourite marine life and pretending to be a mermaid.
“I’d love to refer anyone who’s a little afraid of the ocean. I have spoken to so many people who have said how diving completely changed their view of the water, and I think it’s just such a healing place that everybody deserves access to.
“I’m going to refer my mum Katie though! She’s a little hesitant, but I think it would be so cool for her to give it a go!” Find out more about PADI’s Refer A Friend campaign.
Also on Divernet: PADI EMEA: 2 WAYS TO GROW MORE PROS, WOMEN IN DIVING: ‘WE’VE SEEN THE TIDE TURN’, MASTER SCUBA DIVER CHALLENGE IS UNDERWAY
