"Badge chasing lake diver"
Lets not lump all those labels together. While I do agree on the "badge chaser" issue, I do take exception to disdaining "lake divers".
Most of my diving has been in lakes throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado. There is a lot to be learned from diving Texas lakes where visibility is measured in inches, a King Pelican light is a dull glow at 2' and entanglement in trees, roots or fishing line is a constant concern. Complicate this with night, navigation, S&R, PPB, Rescue, Wreck, etc., and many "lake divers" are much more accomplished than many blue water divers.
How about those of us that sometimes dive in rivers/streams? Ever been diving in a river in the Rocky Mountains? Want to talk about a current? Plus the turns and bends with tree roots grabbing at you all the time, in water that may get as warm as 60 degrees but is usually in the 40's. I do this in a wetsuit.
Anyway, I think we can all agree on a few points:
1. Current OW certification standards leave students with an extremely MINIMAL certification.
2. Current agency standards do not place enough emphasis on skill 'mastery'.
3. Current agency standards do not require enough dives for certification, nor enough additional dives at the current level before qualifying for the next certification class.
4. Current societal demands virtually eliminate any hope of changing certification standards for the better. If anything, certification standards will ease in the future due to demands for 'instant gratification'.
5. Agencies will continue the trend of making academics and skills training easier for the potential diver with little or no concern for the impact on safety or the diving professional.
You too, can learn to drive the big rigs in the privacy of your own home. How long before we end up with virtual diving software for the PC and you can just get your c-card in the mail without leaving your desk?
Lets not lump all those labels together. While I do agree on the "badge chaser" issue, I do take exception to disdaining "lake divers".
Most of my diving has been in lakes throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado. There is a lot to be learned from diving Texas lakes where visibility is measured in inches, a King Pelican light is a dull glow at 2' and entanglement in trees, roots or fishing line is a constant concern. Complicate this with night, navigation, S&R, PPB, Rescue, Wreck, etc., and many "lake divers" are much more accomplished than many blue water divers.
How about those of us that sometimes dive in rivers/streams? Ever been diving in a river in the Rocky Mountains? Want to talk about a current? Plus the turns and bends with tree roots grabbing at you all the time, in water that may get as warm as 60 degrees but is usually in the 40's. I do this in a wetsuit.
Anyway, I think we can all agree on a few points:
1. Current OW certification standards leave students with an extremely MINIMAL certification.
2. Current agency standards do not place enough emphasis on skill 'mastery'.
3. Current agency standards do not require enough dives for certification, nor enough additional dives at the current level before qualifying for the next certification class.
4. Current societal demands virtually eliminate any hope of changing certification standards for the better. If anything, certification standards will ease in the future due to demands for 'instant gratification'.
5. Agencies will continue the trend of making academics and skills training easier for the potential diver with little or no concern for the impact on safety or the diving professional.
You too, can learn to drive the big rigs in the privacy of your own home. How long before we end up with virtual diving software for the PC and you can just get your c-card in the mail without leaving your desk?
). I was trying to say that, given the option, I would rather dive blue with an OW blue diver than someone who has crammed dives 1-60 in two months out at Lake Travis.
