A different take on Master Scuba Diver

[Wibble]

With the exception of authorisations, all certifications are worthless.

Only knowledge matters, not the cards.

Even knowledge doesn't matter as much as experience and one's ability to apply that knowledge to different situations, especially adverse conditions.

 

[kaylee_ann]

IMO, MSD is a waste of money. If you buy the card, it's pointless. No dive op that I know of has the Master Scuba Diver cert as a requirement for any dives. Tech classes don't require it. Literally nobody cares. Do the classes if you want, cool, but what's the point of the extra card for it?

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Back in the day when a scuba instructor was considered to be the highest expert rating, the Master Scuba Diver rating was supposed to be an equivalency rating of experience, knowledge, and skill without having to go pro.

 

[Wibble]

No, not the same. MSD with 5 specialties and 50 dives, Rescue after AOW, no more dives, no more training.

Has anyone ever achieved Rescue Diver without 50 dives? Anyone who has must be incredibly talented.


Was looking for the MSD prerequisites on the PADI website. As ever it's a horrid website that's difficult to find information. However the MSD has been very much downplayed and doesn't appear in their course offerings.

Did find this marketing puff describing how respected you'd be...

Master Scuba Diver

Join the best of the best, the elite group of respected divers who have earned this rating through both significant experience and scuba training.

Join the best of the best in recreational scuba diving and live the dive life as a PADI Master Scuba Diver. The Master Scuba Diver rating places you in an elite group of respected divers who have earned this rating through both significant experience and scuba training. Fewer than two percent of divers ever achieve this rating. When you flash your Master Scuba Diver card, people know that you've spent time underwater in a variety of environments and had your share of dive adventures.

 

[Leatherboot69]

Has anyone ever achieved Rescue Diver without 50 dives? Anyone who has must be incredibly talented.


Was looking for the MSD prerequisites on the PADI website. As ever it's a horrid website that's difficult to find information. However the MSD has been very much downplayed and doesn't appear in their course offerings.

Did find this marketing puff describing how respected you'd be...

I went straight OW>AOW>RD in eleven dives over ten days (including theory and EFR).

 

[steinbil]

On fundies and similar courses - I think there are a range of reasons and motivations to become a diver but not everybody wants to take it that seriously and to become an excellent diver. I’ll put it out there - I don’t want to be an excellent diver. I don’t want to do tec, and I probably won’t do DM (although I like the idea of leading groups, as I do on land) I want to be the best diver I can be whilst having fun and being a safe buddy to my partner (OW and not very confident).

That's quite literally what I learned in my Fundies class. How to be a good and safe buddy to my partner(s). How being proficient in the water makes it fun and safe. How to practice to be the best diver I can be.

 

[Leatherboot69]

That's quite literally what I learned in my Fundies class. How to be a good and safe buddy to my partner(s). How being proficient in the water makes it fun and safe. How to practice to be the best diver I can be.

It’s also what I learned through working towards MSD

 

[TravelGas]

It’s also what I learned through working towards MSD

Which MSD ?

 

[Leatherboot69]

Which MSD ?

PADI, and I think I know where this is going…

 

[scubadada]

I think that I know why there is often an anti-MSD bias.

Calculate a variable [DPC], which stands for dives per certification. In other words, total number of dives divided by total number of certs.

I don't know if this is true or just a stereotype, but I think that there is an assumption that MSDs have DPCs at the low end of the general range.

I think that a diver who really wants to up his or her diving game is much better off pursuing technical training than MSD. And that's true if they never plan to go into deco or dive below "recreational depths" outside of training.

I think that Technical training is a better use of training time and money, because it really isn't about gear or procedures. It's about mindset. It's about making the transition away from the dive plan of "tell the DM when you are at 1500 PSI". It's about approaching every dive by considering the profile, gas, gear issues, decompression stress and potential failure modes well ahead of time. And it may be quicker and cheaper than trying to just get five random cards after AOW/rescue.

This thread is mainly about recreational training, MSD

OK, I'll play, I got MSD in 2005, no PADI training since, SDI solo in 2013
DPC, total dives per certification = 249

I did nitrox in 2002 at 41 dives, AOW in 2004 at 80 dives, Rescue in 2005 at 118 dives, and Solo at 758 dives.