PROFESSIONAL FREEDIVER

PFI Pro News: October 2016

Exciting New Upgrades for Your Instructor Experience!

The PFI home office has been hard at work in 2016 conceiving, developing and implementing a number of improvements to our database infrastructure and education materials to make your teaching experience better, easier and more convenient.

Read all the details below!

NEW DATABASE

You have probably seen the emails from Mandy about the new PFI database, which you can access on your computer or mobile device to do everything from post your courses to certifying your students, all with just a few clicks. This project, which Mandy has been researching and developing with a team of techies for over one year and at great expense, is finally live and running. If you haven’t logged on yet and seen the exciting new options for yourself, please take a look—you’ll be amazed at how this can simplify so many of your previously pesky instructor tasks, and how simple it is to contact your students, edit your instructor profile, and do so many more great things! Click HERE to log in and see for yourself!

UPDATED MANUALS for 2017

We are excited to let you know that we’ve done an overhaul of the Freediver and Intermediate Freediver student manuals and those will be available for courses starting in 2017.

New content and photos and design format made possible by a lot of hard work from Chris Bustad, Shell Eisenberg, and helpful edits from Ted Harty, Ashley Chapman and others. Thank to everyone who took the time to edit and make suggestions so that our student materials will be top notch!

PRE-LEARNING IS HERE!

Speaking of top notch, we’ve also been developing a video and computer based online pre-learning system to complement our in-class presentations and to allow you more time to teach well.

We’ve identified a number of topics that are amenable to being introduced online, and we’ve developed the material and videos and online presentations. The introduction of Pre-Learning into our curriculum should increase student excitement, reduce cancellations and ultimately result in students showing up in class ready to learn, with a base of knowledge on certain topics that will allow you more time to teach to your full potential.

Here's a screenshot from our Equipment Pre-Learning section:

NAUI Update -- Live Webinar with Kirk on October 27^th

After much effort, the training alliance between NAUI and PFI is off and running. At this very moment, there is a class of 6 NAUI Instructors from across Asia gathered in Cebu, Philippines trying to see if they have what it takes to meet the PFI Standard for Excellence in freedive education.

This educational alliance with NAUI offers a world of opportunity to PFI Instructors. Join Kirk Krack on a live video webinar/conference call October 27 at 9:00 P.M. EST to learn the ins and out of this exciting program that’s increasing the value of your PFI credentials.

To access this video webinar to learn more and to ask questions, join in from your computer, tablet or smartphone by clicking:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/637064877

This meeting is locked with a password: pfipro

You can also dial in for audio only on your phone at:
+1 (646) 749-3122,
access code: 637-064-877

PFI at DEMA—Come Join us!

The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) Show is back in Las Vegas November 16-19, 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This awesome trade show has it all with over 600 leading dive equipment manufacturers, travel destinations, apparel wholesalers and service providers.

Come join the fun and help staff the new and improved PFI Booth!

If you’re up for a great time, an awesome networking opportunity and a chance to see the newest and coolest underwater gear, call or email Mandy to let us know. PFI Pros who help staff the booth will receive free tickets to the show and a front row seat to the action that is DEMA. For more info on this year’s DEMA Show, click here

Time to Renew Your Instructor Liability Insurance?

All active PFI Pros must maintain liability insurance in order to teach students. In past years there have been very few insurance companies offering this type of insurance to freedive instructors, but thanks in part to your maintaining PFI’s high safety standards, there is now a second company offering dive instructor liability insurance policies that will pay for your legal defense in the event you are sued and will pay any money damages you might ultimately be found responsible to pay, up to the limits of your coverage.

Witherspoon & Associates, a long-time broker for dive insurance, offers policies through both insurance programs, as described here at the PFI Pro link on our website.

Insurance issues can be tricky and it is important to fully understand what coverage and protection you will receive in exchange for your premium dollars. Witherspoon & Associates are happy to answer any questions you may have about what coverage limits you may want and which policy may be right for you.

CARBON FIBER RIGS for SALE

PFI’s online store is now offering sleek and sturdy carbon fiber rigs for sale to PFI Professionals. The custom rigs are designed to PFI specs and manufactured by Wes Lapp’s company and hand assembled by PFI’s master craftsman Chris Bustad.

You can purchase any combination of pieces to customize your own professional strength rig, from simple single-arm rigs with cleats, to multiple arm, counterbalanced units with clutches. We offer all accessories needed for a complete rig, including, all hardware (pulleys, cleats, eye sockets, carabiners), floats (either traditional inner tube style or Gannet’s industrial strength orange & grey floats). Complete specs will be posted on the PFI store soon, but in the meantime you can contact PFI for details and prices at 866-388-6595 ext. 700.

AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...

Meet the newest member of the PFI Pro family. This is Obie Valsalva, who is a new freedive instructor.

Obie specializes in demonstrating certain disfavored equalization techniques and the difficulty of bringing up air to equalize at depth. Please give him a warm welcome and perhaps a hug when you see him around!