Teaching Mindfully -

Teaching Mindfully: DEMA 2025 Seminar

How to Build Deeper Customer Connections

As dive professionals, we understand that our industry faces the ongoing challenge of divers who don’t feel fully “connected” to the underwater world. This leads to countless individuals leaving diving after their initial certification instead of becoming lifelong, loyal customers.

At this year’s DEMA Show in Orlando, SDI is proud to sponsor a groundbreaking seminar that tackles this challenge head-on: “Teaching Mindfully: How to Build Deeper Customer Connections.” Led by educator, author, and industry thought leader Dr. Alex Brylske, this session explores how instructors can use mindfulness and affective learning strategies to transform students into confident, connected individuals—and in turn, build more loyal customers.

The seminar will explore what Dr. Brylske calls the “great disconnect”—while nearly 87% of dive professionals believe understanding the environment is important, fewer than 23% of divers feel their training prepared them well in this area. Without that connection, diving becomes just another box to check instead of a lifelong passion.

Mindfulness is more than a buzzword. At its core, it is the practice of being fully present in the moment—something uniquely suited to diving, where breath and awareness already define the experience. Applied to scuba training, mindfulness is about giving equal attention to three domains of learning: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. By blending skill mastery with emotional engagement and environmental awareness, mindful teaching cultivates individuals who are not only competent but also motivated and caring, thereby fostering a return customer base.

This is more than just theory or opinion. Peer-reviewed research shows that diver education, based on mindful teaching techniques, can help reduce stress and improve well-being. By slowing down, focusing on breathing, and observing without judgment, divers develop a calmer mindset and a greater appreciation for the marine environment. For professional instructors, this approach isn’t only about student outcomes—it also impacts job satisfaction and retention. Research on conservation-focused teaching indicates that when instructors include environmental and emotional aspects in their courses, they report greater fulfillment in their work.

Moreover, the seminar extends beyond philosophy and research, offering practical strategies that you can apply immediately in your teaching. You’ll learn an easy way to include mindfulness in buoyancy training and discover how to utilize the “flipped classroom” to enhance the environmental education part of your Open Water course. The program will also provide resource lists and practical teaching sequences, giving you ready-to-use materials for your next course.

Ultimately, mindful teaching isn’t just about creating better divers—it’s about strengthening your business. When students leave training feeling both competent and connected, they’re more likely to continue diving, seek further education, and travel with your dive center. In other words, mindful teaching turns casual customers into dedicated community members.

For SDI dive professionals, this session provides a competitive advantage. It’s a way to stand out in a crowded market by offering training that truly connects with today’s experience-driven, eco-conscious generations. Come learn how mindful teaching can help you create not just divers, but passionate ocean advocates and lifelong customers.

Join Us at DEMA 2025

If you’re ready to expand your teaching toolbox and learn how mindfulness can increase both student success and customer loyalty, don’t miss this seminar.

Teaching Mindfully: How to Build Deeper Customer Connections
Orlando Convention Center
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
11:00 a.m. in Room W305AB
Presented by Dr. Alex Brylske, sponsored by SDI