Green_Manelishi
Contributor
Article should state "Spurred reform in PADI". IIRC, the emphasis on buoyancy skills has always been important at GUE.
Article: How a Small Group of Instructors Spurred Reform in Scuba Instruction
- Thread starter boulderjohn
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How does all these new techniques work in the one 3 hour group pool session that PADI allows where the students get a referral!!! I been teaching diving over 38 years and I still cannot do all the skills with 4 people in 3 hours competently! Can someone give and old salt advise!!! Seems all these new instructors have it figured out?
OP
I am confused--are you saying that PADI only allows students to have 3 hours in the pool for confined water dives? I couldn't do 4 students in that time either; fortunately, I have never been restricted to that.
Whatever the amount of time you are talking about, why do you assume these techniques take longer? They actually take less time than on the knees, because the skills are easier for students to master in that position.
I am confused as well. Are you saying all confined water dives are being done in 3 hours?
FM1520
Contributor
Agree, nothing new here, GUE and UTD have always done it this way. I'm surprised its taken PADI this long or why they thought it was better to do on the knees.
OP
Just to point out a couple of things.
1. Although GUE and UTD have "always" done it this way with introductory open water divers, "always" really means "a couple of years," and they have only certified a mere handful of open water divers since they started their programs. PADI certifies more than 9000,000 new divers a year, and it has been in operation for about 50 years. There is a bit of a difference in what it takes to turn a program of that size around and what it takes to start a brand new program from scratch. GUE and UTD both teach primarily technical diving.
2. The home of GUE is Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida. That shop is owned by the person who owns GUE and Halcyon. By far most of the open water instruction in that shop is done through PADI.
---------- Post added August 5th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ----------
I received a PM pointing out that I added a digit in my previous post--PADI certifies about 900,000 divers per year. I also was in error in that I thought it was 900,000 NEW divers each year, but it is actually total certifications. http://www.padi.com/scuba/uploadedFiles/About_PADI/PADI_Statistics/padi statistics jun2010.pdf.
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Do not be confused all confined water in 3 hour session!!! Happening here in Maryland!!! A course director put it together! One day ,3 hour pool, referral issued!!!
ScubaLeeber
New
Well, it's better than before. Not exactly neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim but far better than in the past where newbies destroyed the reefs with their fins and knees. Jetfins would improve buoyancy considerably due to their design. DIR is still to be thanked for even the concept really. But good show. Glad the masses will be learning better buoyancy. It's the least we can do for our reefs and the future enjoyment of divers.
---------- Post added August 6th, 2013 at 01:55 AM ----------
Some forward progress:
Well, it's better than before. Not exactly neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim but far better than in the past where newbies destroyed the reefs with their fins and knees. Jetfins would improve buoyancy considerably due to their design. DIR is still to be thanked for even the concept really. But good show. Glad the masses will be learning better buoyancy. It's the least we can do for our reefs and the future enjoyment of divers. And for the commenter who said that Jablonski's outfit teaches mostly through PADI, most of us remember the good old days when Andrew Georgitsis was Chief Instructor. Not that it matters but he was SSI, and they were lucky to have him. South African Divers have incredible skills unlike many of us because we don't dive in strong currents regularly...not like what they have. My NAUI Master instructor was awed at his simple ankle adjustments in the currents in Okinawa that kept him motionless while even the experienced and seasoned were working just to keep neutrally buoyant. It's a fascinating sport. Again, glad the masses of PADI taught scuba newbies will be learning better buoyancy skills. I started off with PADI and didn't have a clue as most didn't until GUE came along that we were wrecking the reefs with our poor diving skills. Much obliged to those who insist on better and more refined scuba skills.
---------- Post added August 6th, 2013 at 01:55 AM ----------
Some forward progress:
Well, it's better than before. Not exactly neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim but far better than in the past where newbies destroyed the reefs with their fins and knees. Jetfins would improve buoyancy considerably due to their design. DIR is still to be thanked for even the concept really. But good show. Glad the masses will be learning better buoyancy. It's the least we can do for our reefs and the future enjoyment of divers. And for the commenter who said that Jablonski's outfit teaches mostly through PADI, most of us remember the good old days when Andrew Georgitsis was Chief Instructor. Not that it matters but he was SSI, and they were lucky to have him. South African Divers have incredible skills unlike many of us because we don't dive in strong currents regularly...not like what they have. My NAUI Master instructor was awed at his simple ankle adjustments in the currents in Okinawa that kept him motionless while even the experienced and seasoned were working just to keep neutrally buoyant. It's a fascinating sport. Again, glad the masses of PADI taught scuba newbies will be learning better buoyancy skills. I started off with PADI and didn't have a clue as most didn't until GUE came along that we were wrecking the reefs with our poor diving skills. Much obliged to those who insist on better and more refined scuba skills.
OP
PADI does not have a specific time period only because instruction is standards-based, not time based. However long it takes to get a student through all the required skills is however long it takes.
That being said, I can't imagine how one can get through all the skills with 4 people in 3 hours. I can't even come close to that, and it does not matter if students are on the knees or off the knees. I just completed confined water for 4 people this weekend. With only one exception, every student performed well on the first try at every skill. I am pretty darn efficient in my briefings demos, and debriefings, and I was not anywhere near 3 hours.
Now, because I have to work during scheduled hours at a public pool, I have learned to make the best use of my opportunities. Anything that does not have to be done in the water is not done during our scheduled time. For example, we have to do 5 equipment setups and breakdowns, and I do them on the side of the pool before and after our scheduled times. Whenever there aren't enough people doing lap swimming before or after our scheduled times, I have students do the swimming requirements in the lanes before or after our scheduled times. Even then, I can't do the remaining requirements in 3 hours.
Your beef is with your course director, not PADI, and it really doesn't have anything to do with whether skills are presented on the knees or off the knees.
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