When a person signs up for SCUBA classes or trips, they are seeking an adventure into the underwater world. This customer has preconceived pictures of what the aquatic environment is and this is based on movies, pictures, magazines and what is seen on television. The knowledge of interacting and exploring the inner space is why the customer has chosen your class or adventure. The duty of the dive supervisor or instructor is to guide and develop the skills where a consumer can participate in the sport on their own with a buddy. They also are guided in how to evaluate the environment and how to observe the aquatic life. The need which gets overlooked is that of laying a foundation for understanding the aquatic environment, and give divers a general guidance on the importance for protecting the balance in an eco-system, and introduce the consumers to the concept that aquatic life exist at all depths, the depth of sunlight penetration sets boundaries in the water column and the shallower the depth, the more diverse and denser the population of each type of aquatic life. The concept of neutering the diver to seek new knowledge and search for the differences in each level of depth will fulfill this customer with the expectations of the value of the dollar spent for the enjoyment.

Have you ever gone to an amusement park and paid for the admission to get in the gate, then have to pay for each ride to fulfill your desires for enjoyment. Then add the cold drinks, souvenirs and the waiting in the long lines. How do you feel after that day or trip. Will you ever go back and when would you return. How does your trip, class or tour compare. Spend, spend & spend or is the adventure a continuing learning process and you are their to nurture and enhance the enjoyment. Are the desires of the customers perception of SCUBA diving being met or is it falling short with a dissatisfied diver rejecting the sport because of the value received does not warrant the cost. An enhancing tool used by some people is to lay foundation blocks of information where divers can start exploring and recognizing certain parts to this complex puzzle.

These can be generalized and are listed as follows:

1. Sun light is the provider of energy. Algae is the converter of this energy.

2. Depths of the color spectrum set down zones of the algae and coral life. Algae only responds to certain types of light colors or energy waves.

3. The herbafors or plant eaters only graze on certain types of algae and this divides the fish distribution in a water column.

4. Each color zone of depth, whether fresh water or salt will offer different organisms which is either absorber of sun energy, grazer or predator.

5. Diving the different zones, you will find different varieties, colors and shapes of corals, cleaner fish, herbafors fish, predator fish, crusteans, mollusk and other aquatic life. The shallower the dive the more diverse and denser the populations of each type.




These key points can help a consumer observe marine life that they would normally not see and is used in dive briefings and open water dives to stimulate objective planning of dives. Another aspect will help the diver ask questions after observing something, seek books on the environment and this will help return the diver to dive more with you. Is the dive adventure you offer a quick dollar or a social party or an adventure of exploring the underwater world. A helpful application of these building blocks is to set objectives of the underwater tour portion of the open water dives. Brief one dive to observer and point out the different depths and types of algae. Another dive the mollusk and crustaceans or small fish habitat territories or breeding. This emphasis of the different competence of the environment weather fresh or salt water will help establish objectives of each dive activity, develops divers awareness of the potential damage that could be done by not knowing the importantence of each part of the aquatic cycle of life. Do you remember what Project A.W.A.R.E stands for, AQUATIC WORLD AWARENESS, RESPONSIBILITY AND EDUCATION. Take the key points and utilize them in all dive briefings to stimulate interest in the building blocks of exploring the underwater world.




Photo of Monte at Pirates Week Festivale 2008