Question True requirements to deserve the title of Master Diver???

[TMHeimer]

Sure, that would be nice, but seems unattainable by most, within any reasonable time period. Requiring Rescue as a prereq is a good start...that checks several of your boxes. Requiring fresh water seems a bit limiting; why do you include that? What is different about it? Kelp is very limited geographically, as is ice. Why 7mm and drysuit? By "black water" do you mean night and over a deep bottom (i.e., searching for small critters) or just very low viz? Altitude is very limited geographically; other than depth/computer issues, what is special about that? Why no mention of Navigation? Or shore and boat?

See how hard this is to define?

I agree with all you say. It also comes to mind that one could be a "master diver" in one geographic area or even in one type of diving, and just average or even not so good elsewhere.

 

[boulderjohn]

I agree with all you say. It also comes to mind that one could be a "master diver" in one geographic area or even in one type of diving, and just average or even not so good elsewhere.

That is why this whole question is silly.

Years ago I came up with something I called the "I'm the best I've ever seen syndrome." I created it in reference to a fatal dive in Cozumel involving a dive shop owner, a divemaster, and an experienced diver. These people had a wealth of experience in tropical water NDL dives. I am sure the divemaster had several thousand dives. I would bet the divemaster and shop owner had never seen anyone in their lives who was noticeably better than they were.

They planned a dive to 300 feet on single AL tanks, and it did not go well. The shop owner eventually died of DCS, and the last I heard the DM will never walk again. What spurred my comments was a post by the divemaster, a post which indicated a very shocking lack on knowledge about the dangers and requirements of deep diving, dangers and requirements any early technical diving student would understand. Such a technical diving student might well not be able to handle the intricacies of a Cozumel reef dive as well as they could, but a technical diving student would have known not to attempt that fatal dive.

 

[CRT2]

Perhaps having a Recreational Master SCUBA Diver or Master Recreational SCUBA Diver or Master SCUBA Diver Recreational would help alleviate some of the concerns (PADI,SSI, and etc set their own standards). Since Recreational is in the title, less problematic for the technical community.

 

[brsnow]

Have earned a masters degree or higher degree and also dive.

 

[TMHeimer]

Have earned a masters degree or higher degree and also dive.

Hey, that's me! Now I can wear My MSD hat.....

 

[brsnow]

Hey, that's me! Now I can wear My MSD hat.....

Me too

 

[TMHeimer]

Me too

Yeah, but did you also get the embroidered back pack that came with the cert.? It was good for storing beads at Mardi Gras.

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

@boulderjohn Do you have a link to the incident report/article? I'm trying to figure how anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of diving would go "Yeah, an AL-80 is plenty of air for a 300 foot dive." Like, even assuming they didn't know about MOD, and somehow didn't notice the Navy tables stop at 130 ft for a reason, they would've needed a ridiculously low SAC to have anywhere near enough air on one tank. Like, how on earth does this happen?

 

[Zach The Diver]

I’ve got about 300 logged dives and eligible for “getting” a Master Diver card, which we all know is a meaningless.

Let’s hypothetically change that, tell me what requirements, training, and/or proof of skills would you propose would be required to EARN the deserved recognition of being a true Master Diver. For the sake of our discussion let’s say there are two levels of Master Diver, (1) Recreational and (2) Technical and let’s focus on Recreational for this discussion.

There are three requirements for Master Diver for both levels.

-A propensity to throw away money meaninglessly.

-A burning desire to kick the reef whenever possible and an automatic hostile disposition to anyone who points this out.

-Demonstrable willingness to let everyone else know that you are a “Master Diver” and that you have the morale patch/bumper sticker to prove it.

Meet these three criteria and you will be anointed by the PADI gods themselves.

 

[CRT2]

There are three requirements for Master Diver for both levels.

-A propensity to throw away money meaninglessly.

-A burning desire to kick the reef whenever possible and an automatic hostile disposition to anyone who points this out.

-Demonstrable willingness to let everyone else know that you are a “Master Diver” and that you have the morale patch/bumper sticker to prove it.

Meet these three criteria and you will be anointed by the PADI gods themselves.

That’s harsh! Are you wanting to put PADI and the others out of business - continuing education.