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Friendly-competitor, friend. Unbelievably tragic, and a true loss to our industry.

My original comment was: "As much as I might respect the philosophy behind the teaching, I can't abide any instructor..." I had hoped that it would be abundantly clear that I do not hold agencies responsible for the behavior of individual instructors. Anyone who has ever read any post by me...

As stated, I related this story anecdotally, not because I'm hung up on it. But like the instructor's silence, it spoke volumes about the attitude he fostered among his flock.

I feel compelled to speak anecdotally in defense of Superlyte's comments (only one of the above which needs actual defending): In 2003 I had a GUE Instructor and his students aboard my boat for two days of training dives. On the first day we were headed to Jupiter's Hole in the Wall. I agreed...

My buddy Ethan would agree with you. Here's the full "Ask An Expert: Are Snorkels Necessary" from the August 2009 Scuba Diving: http://www.prodiveusa.com/images/Scuba-AskanExpertAug09-web.pdf

I opted for a stainless Transplate with Venture Wing for 2010. No complaints. What had me pleasantly surprised was that Dive Rite is now including two D-rings on each shoulder strap...when I bought my two Transpacs in 2001, I had to custom order the two D-ring configuration... I have also...

We canceled the afternoon snorkel trip due to the weather -- I was actually wading through calf-deep water in our flooded parking lot -- but the BBQ and evening dive went off without a hitch. The dive on Hog Heaven had top-to-bottom viz, just as the morning dives on the Miss Dania Beach wreck...

This is my original submission to the "Ask An Expert" feature for the August 09 issue of Scuba Diving Magazine, pre-editorial control, on the subject "Are Snorkels Necessary?" The .pdf of the actual article is too large to attach: Thirty years ago I purchased a cutting edge piece of equipment...

I cannot tell you all how grateful I am that this discussion has focused on the merits of entry-level training and has not morphed into the bashing of various agencies and their training standards, as is so often the case in this forum. Since it is semi-relevant to the original inquiry, I'm...

Well, that little thunderstorm/downpour caught everyone by surprise. We offloaded the boat in almost knee-deep water in the parking lot between the dock and the gear room! You should definitely come out next Fourth of July...in the interim, hope to see you on the boat anytime...

We had great dives Saturday morning and afternoon and again on Sunday morning, although the torrential downpour that caught us just as we were entering the Intracoastal on the way back forced us to cancel the afternoon shallow snorkel/dive trip. We still managed to have a great BBQ, followed up...

We'll do a twilight wreck dive on Hog Heaven, then a full night dive on a 30' reef that will put us in very close proximity to the fireworks barge and ringside seats...:42:

Join us for a dockside BBQ, night dive, then enjoy Ft. Lauderdale's fireworks from the water -- the best seat in town...

Don't know why you're waiting until next year -- we offer OW courses every week! And it's summer anyway! Many of the Diver's Direct instructors were trained here (before DD switched to SSI from PADI) but, again, why wait?

I, too, have suffered from migraines my entire life, and went through a period in the 80s wherein they were triggered after nearly every dive (usually in a drysuit). Flonase was prescribed for me as well...I still occasionally get a severe post-dive headache. My primary care physician -- a...

From my article: "There is no question the divers of the 21st century have enjoyed a cultural shift to independent study and online learning. Rather than bemoan the lessening of time in the classroom, instructors should embrace the additional time it provides, to teach where it is most...

Agreed -- it all comes down to the individual instructor and the general vibe you get from your LDS. You may, however, find this item of interest: the "Ask An Expert" column in this month's Scuba Diving Magazine features two differing opinions on the adequacy of today's training standards...

Hope to see you Wednesdays!

Hope to see you on Wednesdays!

Unlike rstofer, I AM an instructor, so perhaps my opinion counts. Although I must agree with fellow instructor String that one should always hear the other side of the story first, there is NO excuse for any professional to lose his (or her) cool in front of a student and resort to...