How to go paperless at your dive shop: a step-by-step guide
Going paperless doesn’t have to be a big project. Most of the paperwork at a dive shop is the same three forms: diver details, the medical questionnaire and the waiver. Move those to divers’ phones and the clipboard is gone. Here’s how to do it in a week.
1. List the forms you use today
Gather every form a diver fills in: registration, the RSTC medical questionnaire, your waiver, and any extras for courses, try dives or equipment rental. Note which are required for which activity.
2. Check your waiver wording
Decide whether to use a standard Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk or your own wording, and have your lawyer look at it. SignToDive includes a template in 13 languages; on Pro you can paste in your own text.
3. Set up your shop
- Add your shop name, logo and contact email.
- Check the waiver and the forms divers will see.
- Choose who gets an email when a diver registers.
- Add a staff login for each team member (Pro).
4. Put your QR code everywhere divers are
- At the front desk, printed large enough to scan from a metre away.
- In your booking confirmation email, so divers register the night before.
- On the boat, for walk-ins and last-minute bookings.
- On your website and social media pages.
5. Train your team in ten minutes
Show staff how to find a diver in the dashboard, open their signed PDF, and spot a flagged medical answer or refresher alert. That is all most front-desk staff need.
6. Run it alongside paper for a week
For the first few days keep a few paper forms as a backup while staff and regular divers get used to the QR code. Most shops stop reaching for the clipboard within a week.
7. Keep your records tidy
Every registration is stored as a signed PDF and can be exported to CSV whenever you need it, for your own records or your insurer. Decide how long to keep old paper forms, and store or shred them as your local rules require.
Questions
How long does it take to set up SignToDive?
Most shops are set up in about five minutes: upload your logo, check your waiver, and print your QR code.
What if a diver has no phone?
Divers can register on any device with a browser, including a tablet at your front desk. Keep a few paper forms for the rare diver who can’t.