Bowers Rating


Pro Instructor	David Small
Assistant Instructors	none
Other Assistants
Max ski time with Pro	100%
Other specialties	Dave teaches primarily Barefooting,but also Trick Skiing, and Slalom on request
	2000 RATING	2004 RATING	2009 Rating
1. Upfront Interaction with Pro	not rated	not rated	2.5
Dave is a bit slow to return calls, but he will eventually get back to you. We're rating him lower than others because he doesn't have an assistant to answer questions.
2. Stresses Safety	not rated	not rated	3.5
Dave stresses safety in the boat, but didn't take time to ask any of our students if they had any conditions that would limit them on the water.
3. Warm-up Routine	not rated	not rated	5
Dave was an instructor an Ron Scarpa's before opening his school. Dave's stretching routine is very similar. Why mess with a good thing?
4. Pro Enthusiasm	not rated	not rated	5
Dave is always very positive and upbeat with his students.
5. Availability of smooth Water	not rated	not rated	5
Dave has a good mix of lakes and canals to take you to to almost guarantee good water, even on the windiest of days.
6. Teaching Technique	not rated	not rated	5.0
Dave is fairly laid back. More like hanging out with one of the boys. He has a good sense of humor and gets along with everyone. He's a bit soft spoken, and add the British accent on top of that, so you might find yourself asking him to repeat himself a few times. But he doesn't seem to get bothered by it. He's got a great eye for the details.
7. Does pro ski for you	not rated	not rated	2.5
Dave is in the same position as all the other coaches that operate schools on their own. He can't afford to get injured, and liability insurance is escalating year over year. If he's out with a group of skiers and he trusts someone to drive, you might find him jumping in the water for a set. But don't go expecting it.
8. Informative on phone	not rated	not rated	2.5
Dave is informative on the phone when you finally get in touch with him. But he has no assistants or automated messages to assist you if he doesn't answer. As Dave's business grows, we're sure he will want to hire an assistant. At a minimum, he should have hotel information and a Q&A section on his website.
9. Food	not rated	not rated	3.5
Dave will take his students to lunch each day. He typically chooses something like Subway.
10. Pro Shop	not rated	not rated	1
Dave does not have an on-site pro shop or on-line pro shop. We know he's working on something, and will update this review if and when he lets us know things have changed.
11. Boat Cleanliness	not rated	not rated	4
Dave keeps his boat wiped down and in good order.
12. Web Site	not rated	not rated	3.0
Dave has a nice looking website. It has some basic information, but could use some regular updates, a Q&A sections, a recommended hotel section, and a testimonial section. It's tough making updates to a site when you're a one man band. So the website usually get's pushed down the priority list.
13. Was the instructor on time	not rated	not rated	5
Dave was right on-time with all the students we sent to his school. He has a more laid back atmosphere. If he has a group that wants to sleep-in, he will go with the flow, but still make sure everyone gets plenty of skiing.
14. Time Management on the water	not rated	not rated	5
Dave keeps the pace going in the boat. He makes sure everyone gets at least 2 sets in the morning and afternoon.
15. Wake on Boat	not rated	not rated	. 4
The inboard Malibu Response is nice, but not quite as nice as the outboard Sangers or outboard Flightcrafts, and not quite as much room.
16. Does the Pro mention their sponsors	not rated	not rated	. 4.0
Dave doesn't push his sponsors on you, but you always know who his sponsors are because he makes sure to wear there apparel, hats, and ski gear. He always seems to know when to wear his sponsor's logos.
17. Does the school carry the right type and amount of Ski School Insurance			1 for 2009
David did not know his level of coverage. He claims to have coverage through a policy back in the United Kingdom. He does require students to sign a liability waiver prior to skiing. When we pressed him for more details, his comment was "I don't own anything anyone would want to sue me for." We advise that you verify his coverage before attending his school.
Total Possible Points	not rated	not rated	85
Total Points Received	not rated	not rated	63
Overall Rating			(3.706)
In Summary: Dave is at the infancy of his ski school business. He's were Keith St. Onge was 7-8 years ago when he was getting started in Tampa. Dave has some long days and a lot of travel in front of him to get his school to the same level as Ron Scarpa, KSO, and the others. But, he's got the right personality and most importantly the skill to pull it off. He'll be able to improve his BFC score with some minor improvements, especially on the insurance coverage side. We expect to see bigger numbers from him in the coming years.