Does the trip leader have to own the dive shop?

No. A dive center can publish trips led by its instructors and guides, with the leader named on the listing and the center's policies behind it.

Who approves the divers on a leader's trip?

The center chooses per trip. With request-to-book, each booking is approved before money moves, which matters on specialty trips where readiness is part of safety.

Can a leader run specialty trips like technical or DPV diving?

Yes, and that is one of the strongest uses. The listing states the trip's requirements up front, so the readiness conversation happens before booking, not at the dock.

Your Next Trip Leader Is Already Teaching in Your Shop

Every dive operation has people its customers would follow anywhere: the instructor whose students ask where she is diving next, the divemaster who knows one wreck better than anyone. Those people are trip leaders, and they are an underused asset when trips are treated as owner-only. On Openwater, a dive center can publish trips that name the leader running them, including specialty trips like technical and DPV diving, with the same booking and paperwork rails as any other trip.