An Open Letter of Personal Perspective to the Diving Industry by NetDoc

[Omisson]

One piece of "evidence" that seems to be fairly important that has not been revealed are these elusive "standards". I assume they must be written down somewhere in an "official" document. Yet, no one seems to be able to produce them. Are they secret where only those with the right clearance are allowed to see them? I think I understand the purported actions of the instructor. I do not understand the standards. Can anyone provide a link?

They have been quoted over and over again.

You either haven't bothered to read the threads on this or are feigning ignorance.

Either way it's pretty laughable.

 

[Zippsy]

One piece of "evidence" that seems to be fairly important that has not been revealed are these elusive "standards". I assume they must be written down somewhere in an "official" document. Yet, no one seems to be able to produce them. Are they secret where only those with the right clearance are allowed to see them? I think I understand the purported actions of the instructor. I do not understand the standards. Can anyone provide a link?

They are in the Instuctor Manual. That is not so elusive, just not "clickable" to the general public.

 

[demed]

One piece of "evidence" that seems to be fairly important that has not been revealed are these elusive "standards". I assume they must be written down somewhere in an "official" document. Yet, no one seems to be able to produce them. Are they secret where only those with the right clearance are allowed to see them? I think I understand the purported actions of the instructor. I do not understand the standards. Can anyone provide a link?

yawn... diving standards ISO 24801-X, ISO 24802-X and ISO 24803, and snorkeling standards ISO 13289 and ISO 13970 - go fetch them and read me during the xmas holiday downtime

---------- Post added December 19th, 2014 at 08:54 AM ----------

Actually, Page 117 of the current edition 2014 PADI Instructor Manual states, "Register Discover Scuba Diving participants with your PADI Office within 7 days of their experience. Include the participant’s complete contact information for quality management purposes. Use the registration portion of the Discover Scuba Diving Participant Guide, register online or use the Discover Scuba Diving Program Registration Form (10119).

having the contact information and sending questionnaires to 100% of participants are two different things - the point i'm trying to convey is that going to 100% of DSD would be ovekill

 

[The Laconic]

Most overweight the student from the start because it is easier to teach on the bottom, then they have them depend on a BCD to overcome having too much weight and then they do not stress the importance of dropping the weight belt in an emergency.

When I first started diving, I tried to read a lot of incident reports. For me, the single most important lesson I learned was to at least bear in mind the possibility of dropping weights when you're in trouble, and to always drop weights when you're in trouble at the surface (no exceptions come to mind, anyway). But this was never emphasized in my open water course. And later, while I was a DMC, I was (mildly) reprimanded by the instructor for even bringing it up during an OW classroom session.

 

[Zippsy]

?.. For me, the single most important lesson I learned was to at least bear in mind the possibility of dropping weights when you're in trouble, and to always drop weights when you're in trouble at the surface (no exceptions come to mind, anyway). But this was never emphasized in my open water course.

i assume that you mean that it wasn't emphasided by the instructor. I believe dropping weights is emphasized in the manual and video, two other mandatory parts of the course. It sounds like your instructor either didn't do enough to point out this option or that he didn't do it to the level that you expected during the face to face training portion. PADI recently addressed this to some extent by making the dropping of weights (as opposed to just "removing" them)as one of the required skills evaluated. I would guess that other agencies already had or will soon have similar requirements.

 

[The Laconic]

i assume that you mean that it wasn't emphasided by the instructor. I believe dropping weights is emphasized in the manual and video, two other mandatory parts of the course. It sounds like your instructor either didn't do enough to point out this option or that he didn't do it to the level that you expected during the face to face training portion. PADI recently addressed this to some extent by making the dropping of weights (as opposed to just "removing" them)as one of the required skills evaluated. I would guess that other agencies already had or will soon have similar requirements.

Yes, I did mean that it wasn't emphasized by the instructor. (Actually, by the instructorS, as I did Scuba Diver first, then went on to complete OW later.)

The rest of your reply reminds me that I need to familiarize myself with recent changes to the OW requirements--thanks.

 

[Hawkwood]

When I first started diving, I tried to read a lot of incident reports. For me, the single most important lesson I learned was to at least bear in mind the possibility of dropping weights when you're in trouble, and to always drop weights when you're in trouble at the surface (no exceptions come to mind, anyway). But this was never emphasized in my open water course. And later, while I was a DMC, I was (mildly) reprimanded by the instructor for even bringing it up during an OW classroom session.

Well, it's now a requirement in PADI's revised OW program.

 

[redacted]

They have been quoted over and over again.

You either haven't bothered to read the threads on this or are feigning ignorance.

Either way it's pretty laughable.

Perhaps you could post the post # of one of those quoted standards. I have read the entire thread and found no such standards quoted. Just statements of the instructor actions that are claimed to be standards violations.

I'm getting the impression that instructors do not want their students to be aware of the standards they are supposed to follow.

Makes me wonder how trainee questionnaires could be used as a tool to enforce standards if the respondents are not permitted to know the standards!!! I'm not surprised that nobody wants to post the questionnaire.

If established standards were violated, why are there no criminal proceedings against the instructor for wrongful death?

I am seeing one player in this who seemed to recognize that a soft spot in his underbelly was exposed so he bought his way out of more trouble. Sure, he could be completely innocent but made the business decision that this was the best way out. Or not.

I think I'll join Wookie and wait to see where this goes.

 

[The Laconic]

Makes me wonder how trainee questionnaires could be used as a tool to enforce standards if the respondents are not permitted to know the standards!!!

By having the questions be about whether specific standards were followed; for example, "Were there at least X instructors for every Y students?"

 

[Hawkwood]

Or, where you given a copy of the "PADI Discover Scuba Diving Participant Guide"?

Use of the Guide is a current Standard.