Open Water Training at Blue Grotto

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Imbodie

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
473
Reaction score
95
Location
Sunbright, TN
# of dives
I'm a Fish!


A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread was moved out of a different thread because it was off topic in that thread.
I attended the FWC meeting along with TJ to represent the NSS-CDS. In attendance were the representatives and heads of PADI, TDI, NACD, IANTD, KUR, the IUCRR, and DAN.

Representatives and heads of PADI..... the same organization that openly OVERLOOKS teaching deep in an overhead environment for one of their golden children who cranks out a LOT of OW and ADV OW students?

Not sure I would want them representing the cave/cavern diving community....

Sorry, I'm glad there are steps being taken to keep Eagles Nest open.... I'm not totally sure why Buford is being brought into this issue, but then I don't know the history. But I do know that I would rather pay the day use fees to dive Buford, Why you ask?? because really two trips a year for me is more than enough.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Representatives and heads of PADI..... the same organization that openly OVERLOOKS teaching deep in an overhead environment for one of their golden children who cranks out a LOT of OW and ADV OW students?

Not sure I would want them representing the cave/cavern diving community....

Please tell us about this, who is the golden child and what is that child doing?
 
Representatives and heads of PADI..... the same organization that openly OVERLOOKS teaching deep in an overhead environment for one of their golden children who cranks out a LOT of OW and ADV OW students?

Please tell us about this, who is the golden child and what is that child doing?
I would like to know these circumstances as well. I have never heard this accusation.
 
Please tell us about this, who is the golden child and what is that child doing?
American Pro Dive.... SINCE you asked.... and the location is Blue Grotto.... Owner threw a FIT when I refused to do an Adv OW for a student because it was an overhead environment to get the required depth... had me call PADI (already knew what they would tell me) and they were like NOPE we would NEVER tell anyone they could do that... but BG had a PADI rep in (John I think, before he retired) that gave them a "waiver" because APD did so many certs there and it was only a "little into" the overhead... The problem is a LOT of instructors are doing it , not just APD because of the "waiver" from PADI which I am sure was given but is not valid. It is a double standard that needs to be FIXED...

I know there are not a lot of options for deep in N Florida, but then that is why I LOVE Hudson Grotto... I LOVE diving at BG but I will never teach an Adv OW class there... and really its only benefit for OW checkout dives is the platforms. Not a lot of touring to do for students between checkouts.

Sorry for the diatribe.

Tim
 
I would like to know these circumstances as well. I have never heard this accusation.
Probably because I am the ONLY one that would throw a fit about it.... PADI needs to start refusing ADV OW certs that are completed at BG or send out emails to all instructors that teach in Florida stating that it is NOT approved to teach deep at Blue Grotto and then ENFORCE IT... No one group should get special consideration for something that could be detrimental for a diver...
I have seen new divers freak out at Troy Springs because they got under the overhang and couldn't go straight up... and that is not nearly the overhead that is presented at BG.
Tim
 
American Pro Dive.... SINCE you asked.... and the location is Blue Grotto.... Owner threw a FIT when I refused to do an Adv OW for a student because it was an overhead environment to get the required depth... had me call PADI (already knew what they would tell me) and they were like NOPE we would NEVER tell anyone they could do that... but BG had a PADI rep in (John I think, before he retired) that gave them a "waiver" because APD did so many certs there and it was only a "little into" the overhead... The problem is a LOT of instructors are doing it , not just APD because of the "waiver" from PADI which I am sure was given but is not valid. It is a double standard that needs to be FIXED...

I know there are not a lot of options for deep in N Florida, but then that is why I LOVE Hudson Grotto... I LOVE diving at BG but I will never teach an Adv OW class there... and really its only benefit for OW checkout dives is the platforms. Not a lot of touring to do for students between checkouts.

Sorry for the diatribe.

Tim
I also refuse to teach at Blue Grotto. Full stop.

Not because it isn't appropriate for some levels, but because it is NOT an appropriate OW training site when students are always allowed and encouraged to go in the overhead with no overhead or barely any diving experience. I just don't want to be there
 
It's been sometime since I inquired about waivers and what I recall is they are granted to instructors, not facilities, and were good for a year.

This BG. waiver discussion should be split off.
 
A year or two ago someone started a thread on ScubaBoard about a site in Arkansas (IIRC) that is a popular site for dive certification. A dive shop that does AOW there apparently does not do the required deep dive, and it tells the students that they are not required to do the deep dive for AOW because they have a waiver from PADI because the site is not appropriate for deep diving. As the thread went on, it turns out the site was completely appropriate for deep dives, and others do it there. The poster further said that the students are told specifically how to answer the surveys they get after the certification so that they fact that they are not doing the deep dive is not revealed. They are told that they were instructed to do it that way by PADI.

I contacted the regional representative for PADI, and he told me there are no waivers for the deep dive requirement anywhere in the world. He asked me to get the name of the shop. The SB poster refused to give it--he was connected with the shop in some way that I don't recall, and he did not want to get into trouble.

It is not always clear who is giving the OK for something.
 
I contacted the regional representative for PADI,

John - will you do this again?
 
American Pro Dive.... SINCE you asked.... and the location is Blue Grotto.... Owner threw a FIT when I refused to do an Adv OW for a student because it was an overhead environment to get the required depth... had me call PADI (already knew what they would tell me) and they were like NOPE we would NEVER tell anyone they could do that... but BG had a PADI rep in (John I think, before he retired) that gave them a "waiver" because APD did so many certs there and it was only a "little into" the overhead... The problem is a LOT of instructors are doing it , not just APD because of the "waiver" from PADI which I am sure was given but is not valid. It is a double standard that needs to be FIXED...



Sorry for the diatribe.

Tim

It is indeed a double standard that needs fixing. Either BoulderJohn will contact PADI about this or I will and ask for specific guidance.

I would also never consider teaching AOW in there because of the overhead, cavern is good there. Open water would suck, I think...just like Ginnie.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom