Does PADI offer intro dives?

[Adventure-Ocean]

This question is directed more at the instructors out there. I was captain on a large boat that took out intro dives with the Japanese tourists. They'd supply them with gear including aluminum 50's. They's set up a rope system down around 15ft so as the diver was brought down, they'd stand on the bottom and hold this rope around chest high and watch the fish swim by. The diving crew would chum the water. The customer would stay there a half hour or so then individually be brought to the surface. These people have never had a snorkel in their mouths let alone a regulator.

This service took a lot a attention from the company divers. All of which were certified to at least advanced open water.
It was a good business that would see from 50 to 100 customers per day.

I wondered if there was a criteria for introductory dives put out by PADI or NAUI or did this company create and develope it on their own? Any of you give introductory dives?

Adventure-Ocean

 

[theskull]

Standing on the bottom??! Abhorrent! Even if the bottom is not sensitive. There is a PADI Disvover SCUBA experience that has training standards. Quick & easy, and would, unfortunately, allow standing on the bottom. :-(

theskull

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Sounds like a good way to get people killed. Neither PADI nor NAUI, or any other agency I am aware of would sanction something that dumb. There are standards for what are known as Discover or Try dives but this doesn't meet the requirements for any of them. I'd say this was based on gullibility, the ability to not pass on the dangers of diving, ability to sell snake oil, and greed.
And the company divers were as little as AOW? Wow. That takes guts and gall.

 

[crosshairs]

An advance open water diver has no business taking ANYONE that is not certified our for a dive..a DM cant even do it within standards........this "business" is certainly not operating within PADI standards...

 

[boulderjohn]

Standing on the bottom??! Abhorrent! Even if the bottom is not sensitive. There is a PADI Disvover SCUBA experience that has training standards. Quick & easy, and would, unfortunately, allow standing on the bottom. :-(

theskull

The Discover Scuba Course requires a classroom session and a training session in a pool or pool like conditions before taking students into the open water. The academic session includes a section on being sensitive to marine live. According to the OP, these people had never had anything in their mouths before, so if that is correct, then there is a violation of those standards right there. Next, standing on the bottom while the waters are chummed may not be a direct violation of standards, but it certainly is a contradiction of what they were supposedly taught in the classroom. It can't be taught by a mere AOW diver. Finally, the numbers are beyond the standards. So, even if the people were claiming this was a PADI Discover Scuba Event, it is a violation of standards and not anything like what the course is supposed to be like.

 

[Keith.M]

The whole scenario sounds kind of strange and fishy.

You were the captain of a large boat taking out these Japanese tourists. You know all about the gear and the rope system in use. How the "divers" were brought down, how they stand on the bottom and how they are brought individually back to the surface.

Yet, you don't know if there is any agency affiliation or if it is a made up business model?

This question is directed more at the instructors out there. I was captain on a large boat that took out intro dives with the Japanese tourists. They'd supply them with gear including aluminum 50's. They's set up a rope system down around 15ft so as the diver was brought down, they'd stand on the bottom and hold this rope around chest high and watch the fish swim by. The diving crew would chum the water. The customer would stay there a half hour or so then individually be brought to the surface. These people have never had a snorkel in their mouths let alone a regulator.

This service took a lot a attention from the company divers. All of which were certified to at least advanced open water.
It was a good business that would see from 50 to 100 customers per day.

I wondered if there was a criteria for introductory dives put out by PADI or NAUI or did this company create and develope it on their own? Any of you give introductory dives?

Adventure-Ocean

 

[tursiops]

The Discover Scuba Course requires a classroom session and a training session in a pool or pool like conditions before taking students into the open water.

Well, not quite. The "classroom" can be the beach or even a boat. the "training" can be hanging on a rope or a ladder off a boat. Then they can swim with the instructor (not a DM, certainly not an AOW). From the Instructor Manual:
"If participants will go on an open water dive, and shallow water for skills practice is inaccessible, an instructor conducts the skills session from a boat, dock or other surface support station by using a descent line, horizontal bar or platform that is within 2 metres/6 feet of the surface. The ratio is 1:1 when using the descent line option."

 

[Adventure-Ocean]

You were the captain of a large boat taking out these Japanese tourists. You know all about the gear and the rope system in use. How the "divers" were brought down, how they stand on the bottom and how they are brought individually back to the surface.

Yet, you don't know if there is any agency affiliation or if it is a made up business model?

My job as captain of a 60ft boat is to safely operate the boat from the dive site and back to the dock. I was paid to be the captain. The company that chartered the boat daily set up the service and brought in bus loads of tourists. It would be unfair of me to say nothing was taught to the guests before they enter the water. They may have all met at their hotel pool for a short instruction. I don't think so but maybe.

Since no water activity starts until the boat is secure and engines off I had more than enough time to swim around and watch the operation. Why would I care if it's sanctioned by PADI, NAUI or any other company? What they were doing was not against the law and they make very good money. These city folks from Tokyo get to go "scuba diving" and see a lot of beautiful tropical fish swim around them. The AOW divers were certainly good enough to assist one diver at a time until they were secured on the rope below. This company was then and is now very concerned about the reefs and ecology. They would not have these people destroying any life.

Just to make it clear, they did not dive 50 or 100 at once. We worked all day and took out 2 or 3 trips a day. I also would add that this service has gone on very successfully for years and probably still is.

I was curious about the PADI, NAUI thing and I appreciate your responses. Adventure-Ocean

 

[Montana Diver]

"Trust me dives" is probably what concerns most divers here. As a certified diver, I am responsible for the safety of me and my buddy. Need the buddy in case I run out of air.

Too many operations are focused on providing a service without factoring the safety for all concerned. Part of the rescue class ask the question, if I assist will I be placing myself at risk. The answer to this question nearly all of the time is YES!

AOW divers don't know what they don't know. The risk of this experience you describe is way to high for me.

I'll pass on volunteering for this one.