Is learning from PADI that bad?

[nimoh]

I can agree with that.

I am in no way arguing that all standards in GUE are "higher" when compared with any other agency. Some are, some are not, and some are as you say just different.

On the point of swimming 30 feet backwards, I am a little split on this (even though I am the one that brought it up lol). I think the idea is that in cave diving you may need to back out of a dead end, but it seems to me that if there is enough room to do a backwards kick, then there is enough room to turn around. So while I agree that it is a higher standard, not sure when you would even need to do it for 30 feet around corners. On the other hand, if you practice backwards kicks to the point of being able to navigate a 30 foot course, then you can probably move 5 feet with one or two kicks while it currently takes me about 3 or 4 kicks. Then again, I think it would also be pretty cool to be able to swim backwards as effortlessly as swimming forwards

 

[Edward3c]

At what point are divers "allowed" to dive with who they please?

From the moment they first get in the water, there are only a few countries where its law to have a diver certification.

 

[iguana751]

All I know from my personal experience taking courses from PADI and SSI is that the worst PADI instructor I dealt with was about as good as the best SSI instructor I dealt with.

The last PADI shop I dealt with adds a lot of material from their RecTec program to the PADI rec courses they teach. That is why I went with them, for the added information that is not in normal rec courses.

 

[Keith.M]

From the moment they first get in the water, there are only a few countries where its law to have a diver certification.

Tongue was firmly in cheek.

 

[DCBC]

Where do you get this MUST from?

There is no law that says a BSAC Ocean Diver (OD) has to dive with another BSAC buddy. When ODs go abroad on holiday (sorry vacation) they will dive with whoever is appropriate at the time.

Additionally, as far as I'm aware all elementary certified divers are to dive under some sort of supervision (for Dive Manger read trip organiser/operator, Dive Master/Guide) and in conditions they've already encountered.

BSAC has specified that the Ocean Diver is "competent to conduct dives" under the conditions specified (Ocean Diver - British Sub-Aqua Club). The removal of the word must, does not change these conditions. If these conditions are not met, the diver does not meet the criteria.

---------- Post Merged at 07:07 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:48 AM ----------

...More than 20 years ago, DCBC left PADI in a disagreement and has been blasting them ever since.

That's right John. I'm only person behind the growing reputation of PADI...

 

[Edward3c]

BSAC has specified that the Ocean Diver is "competent to conduct dives" under the conditions specified (Ocean Diver - British Sub-Aqua Club). The removal of the word must, does not change these conditions. If these conditions are not met, the diver does not meet the criteria.

Competent yes. These are the conditions AFTER award of Ocean Diver, not during training. There is no UK law preventing two Ocean Divers going off and diving – we don’t encourage it, but it happens.

As I understand it from your postings; you would ADD additional components to the course syllabus, just because you feel they’re good to have. That is the type of instructor BSAC do not want. Award the certification then teach the additional components, better still enrol the individual onto the next course (Hum! that’s getting to sound like …)

However, there is one major difference, it’s rare for one instructor to conduct all the lessons of a course and to sign-off the certification – ‘sign-off’ falls to our Branch’s Lead Instructors.

Kind regards

 

[Easdem]

My ONLY gripe about diver certifications, and I'm sure this is the case regardless of agency is that an instructor can't say "No you're not certified" or "no, you need more pool time" or "you did not pass the AOW, you got lost on the 100 foot out & back portion of the required navigation dive."

As an instructor, you are allowed to withold certifications for any faliure to meet standards.

 

[boulderjohn]

who owns GUE?

I believe JJ is the president, but didn't know there was an owner, just curious

I was referring to JJ, of course, and I really didn't think before I gsve him a title. I don't know if he owns it in the sense that SSI is owned (and it is).

 

[rivers]

As I understand it from your postings; you would ADD additional components to the course syllabus, just because you feel they’re good to have. That is the type of instructor BSAC do not want. Award the certification then teach the additional components, better still enrol the individual onto the next course (Hum! that’s getting to sound like &#8230


Kind regards

but the difference is SD doesn't cost anything beside the £40ish for the student pack (if you've paid your club dues)...

 

[boulderjohn]

That's right John. I'm only person behind the growing reputation of PADI...

Actually, while you were gone, things were pretty darn quiet in that regard. Even Thal left the topic alone for the most part. On ScubaBoard, at least, it would probably be fair to say that yes, you are the only one. Of course, once you get going it seems like there is a real flood until people realize it is just you posting incessantly.