...Have the SCUBA training agencys gone to far? There seams to be a specialty for just about everything you can do while diving. ...it's the over zealous training agencys I have an issue with.
One certification Agency sliced up the diver training course in the late 60's and made OW, Advanced and Rescue courses to be offered separately. They added some content, but the 'Diver course' formed the basis of these programs and subsequently content was eliminated from their basic/OW course. This accomplished two major things:
1. It allowed a person to become a 'certified Diver' in less time and with less expense.
This appealed to people who wanted certification cheap and quick. The definition of what it meant to be a certified diver changed. The end result however, was that diving equipment sales greatly increased; one underlying reason why this change had occurred in the first-place.
2. The advantage for the Agency was that instead of processing one certification, their potential income (from a similar scope of training) increased by 300%.
Tripling business income could be seen as nothing else but a good business move. This Agency gained great advantage over its competition, which it still maintains today.
Not wanting to sit on its laurels, it applied this logic to other areas as well. They invented the specialty card and as you've mentioned, there's a specialty for everything. This results in more 'certifications' and more profit for the Agency, LDS and Instructor. Brilliant!!!
Have Agencies gone too far? From my perspective absolutely! Diver training standards have fallen to a degree where solo diving has become popular (or at least accepted). No longer can you reasonably expect competence from another diver, or for that matter an Instructor.
When your 'certified' Buddy may not know how to swim, or have any idea in how to do a submerged rescue, it's difficult to gain confidence. It seems that these are largely requirements of the past. In any case, the person can always come back for more training. Ching Ching
It is however hard to blame an industry; which like others is designed to maximize profits. Greed (good business) rules the day. It's also hard to blame the Clients. They don't know what they don't know and don't want to pay more, if they can get it for less. What 'it' is however, cannot be defined by their knowledge or experience. They often just trust the LDS. Welcome into the training system...
The idea of value has all but disappeared from our Society. People however seem to love badges. It somehow makes them feel accomplished. It meets a need, as they desire to feel safe and competent performing the activity.
All in all, I think most of it is a big scam... Divers do not require many of the courses they take today. A course is only one method of learning. Although it's quite often the most convenient method for many.
I recommend that people learn through a dive club and not an LDS, if this is available. From my experience, the training tends to be more comprehensive and less expensive for the Student in the long-run. Mentors are available and often numerous.
