For dive centres

Digitising a dive centre, step by step

Most attempts to digitise a dive centre fail not on technology but on sequence: everything is switched at once in the middle of the season, the team is overwhelmed, and two weeks later the paper is back.

Step 1: check-in, and nothing else

Check-in is the only process every single guest goes through and the one that is still mostly on paper. That makes it the best ratio of effort to effect. Everything else - till, accounting, booking page - already has some kind of solution at most centres, even if it is a spreadsheet that works.

Step 2: the pre-arrival email

Once check-in is digital, move it forward. A link in the confirmation email, a week before arrival, costs nothing and halves the work at the desk. Guests who arrive finished only need reviewing.

Step 3: daily planning

Only once guests and documents are digital does planning pay off: trips, groups, tanks, rentals. The reason for this order is mundane - a trip list is only as good as the guest data underneath it.

Step 4: the things you have only been guessing

Who dives how much with you, which gear is out how often, how many guests are stopped by the questionnaire. Numbers like these are a by-product of the first three steps, not their purpose.

The one sentence that matters

Do not throw anything away before the new thing carries. Paper and digital check-in may run side by side for a season. It costs almost nothing and takes the fear out of it for everyone on the team.

The four mistakes

Starting in peak season. Switch when there is time, not when the place is full.
Everything at once. Changing check-in, planning, rental and billing together gives you four new sources of error instead of one improvement.
Without the team. The person at the desk has to like it, or the paper wins. Let them do the first test check-in.
Introducing something that needs explaining. If a guest needs instructions, the process is not finished. Test it with a real guest, not with yourself.

What it costs in time

Creating an account and deciding what you ask takes a few minutes with Diver ID; after that your QR code is ready. There is no installation, no training and no payment details to enter - the first 20 guest check-ins are free, which is enough to find out on real guests whether it suits you.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I start when everything needs doing?

With check-in. It affects every guest, it is the last big paper process, and it can be changed without touching your till, bookings or accounting.

Do I have to change how we work?

No, and that is the point. Whatever you asked on paper, you ask digitally afterwards. The process stays, the sheet disappears.

How long does setup take?

A few minutes for the account and settings, then the QR code is ready. Allow half a day if you want to bring your house rules and agency forms in at the same time.

Try Diver ID for free

Your account takes a few minutes to set up and the first 20 guest check-ins are on us. No subscription, no base fee, no payment details required.

Create your centre account Watch the check-in process