BSAC training

[Edward3c]

Nitrox as well if I'm not mistaken?

It is, but using air tables. Its not until Sports Diver training that Nitrox Tables/Computer are introduced.

 

[dbulmer]

Ah that's good to know.Are BSAC 88 tables taught at Ocean Diver or is that a part of the Sport diver curriculum?

 

[Edward3c]

Ah that's good to know.Are BSAC 88 tables taught at Ocean Diver or is that a part of the Sport diver curriculum?

Both the BSAC 88 Air and Nitrox Tables are introduced in OT4, the theory lesson "Planning to go Diving". Further training is given in Sports Diver on decompression planning, altitude implications and Nitrox mixes.


Kind regards

 

[clownfishsydney]

I am yet to come across a BSAC diver who was not competent. In fact, most have been very good divers.

 

[DevonDiver]

I've met a few very incompetent BSAC divers. GENERALLY, the standard is high. I'm not sure whether this is attributable to a higher quality of instruction or syllabus... or whether it is simply that club based divers maintain a much higher frequency of diving. I'd skew towards the later.

 

[dbulmer]

Andy,
I agree with you.

It is not the agency which counts but regular practice of the training they received and that's more likely with club based divers irrespective of any agency.

 

[DCBC]

I've met a few very incompetent BSAC divers. GENERALLY, the standard is high. I'm not sure whether this is attributable to a higher quality of instruction or syllabus... or whether it is simply that club based divers maintain a much higher frequency of diving. I'd skew towards the later.

I think that the foundation of any training begins with the training philosophy of the Agency. Although I'm with CMAS and not BSAC, I had the responsibility of establishing the CMAS Canadian National Standards. At that time, I did an extensive review of the various diving training systems and found BSAC's training philosophy very similar to that of CMAS International.

I agree that the BSAC Standard is high, but like every Agency, how the Instructor chooses to apply this Standard can be a failure point. As a Club Instructor, my program is scrutinized by my peers within the Club. I think the Club system is superior to many programs that are run through a LDS, where the owner can influence training by the establishment of policy. The LDS is in the business of revenue generation, but Clubs are usually happy with just getting along with volunteer Instructors. Employees cannot help but be influenced by their employer to a certain degree... Being paid to do a job is different than doing the same job for the shear pleasure of doing it and for the love of the Sport. Some LDS Instuctors have the same passion, but I think that it's more commonly found in a Club setting.

 

[dbulmer]

DCBS,
Disagree with you a wee bit. Where I disagree is that the foundation of any training begins with the training philsophy of the agency. Of course that matters but in my SAA club training (UK CMAS) it was the people who trained me that made the difference - the SAA standards were adhered to but the people who trained me (note more than 1 person) wanted me to understand what I needed to be able to do to dive with them as divers.

All of them are what we call technical divers and it was their mindset that influenced me in my own diving. I made many mistakes along the way but I'll always be the novice to them no matter what I do

The main benefit of club training in my opinion lies in how club members can map out your weaknesses as a diver and a means to improve them - the agency provides a framework but it's the individuals who provide the actual knowledge and training to achieve whatever diving goals you might have.

As DD said, you have to be wary of club politics and not every club is a good match for a specific person.

 

[DCBC]

...Where I disagree is that the foundation of any training begins with the training philsophy of the agency. Of course that matters but in my SAA club training (UK CMAS) it was the people who trained me that made the difference - the SAA standards were adhered to but the people who trained me (note more than 1 person) wanted me to understand what I needed to be able to do to dive with them as divers. The main benefit of club training in my opinion lies in how club members can map out your weaknesses as a diver and a means to improve them - the agency provides a framework but it's the individuals who provide the actual knowledge and training to achieve whatever diving goals you might have.

I understand where you're coming from. Definitely the Instructors (and Club Divers) contribute to a Student's training. The OP's question however is directed at the certification Agency. I understand that in the case of BSAC, it's difficult to separate the BSAC training system from the Club environment in-which it develops.

I do however believe that if BSAC is involved (or any training Agency for that matter), it provides a modus operandi for training; the method. Diver training is analogous in a way to baking a cake; you follow a recipe. Certainly some Instructors can do more than others (Instructors are not created equally anymore than Chefs), but they are guided by the same recipe (Course Training Standard). If the recipe is wrong and it's followed, everyone will likely experience a poor result. I suggest that BSAC has an excellent recipe that with the exception of SSAC and CMAS; isn't followed by the other training Agencies.

 

[Oldbear]

As I follow along this thread and reflect back to my own BSAC/PADI training the most extraordinary experience (non-PRo Level training) I had was with BSAC. Not saying my training was neither good nor bad with PADI as it was both depending upon the course (primarily a reflection to the instructors); but the PADI training was definitely commercially organized.

With BSAC (in Kuwait) the Dive Officer set the tone of the courses and in my case it was great. Once I got into the PADI “Pro” courses, I saw the same type of commitment that I saw in my BSAC club. For my BSAC instructors diving was their passion and this came thru in their instruction. My PADI AI instructors were also non-full time instructors and again very passionate about diving and this shown thru in the training.

I would also like to clarify that just because an instructor is a volunteer/part-time instructor does not automatically make them an exceptional passionate instructor, nor vice versa, that full-time instructors are not passionate about their jobs. This just so happened to be the case for me in most of my past training.
As I follow along this thread and reflect back to my own BSAC/PADI training the most extraordinary experience I had was with BSAC. Not saying my training was neither good nor bad with PADI as it was both depending upon the course (primarily a reflection to the instructors); but the PADI training was definitely commercially organized.

With BSAC (in Kuwait) the Dive Officer set the tone of the courses and in my case it was great. Once I got into the PADI “Pro” courses, I saw the same type of commitment that I saw in my BSAC club. For my BSAC instructors diving was their passion and this came thru in their instruction. My PADI AI instructors were also non-full time instructors and again very passionate about diving and this shown thru in the training.

I would also like to clarify that just because an instructor is a volunteer/part-time instructor does not automatically make them an exceptional passionate instructor, nor vice versa, that full-time instructors are not passionate about their jobs. This just so happened to be the case for me in most of my past training.