Certification Agency Poll

[jetblast00]

Originally posted by sea nmf

In the end, it is my humble opinion that great instructors and practice make a better diver. However, I'm appalled at what some are suggesting have been lacking in the current classrooms.

I do agree, it is the Instructor that makes the most difference, not the return address on the envelope that a C-card comes in...
Unfortunately, there are probably mediocre instructors in every agency, but, hopefully, that can be countered by the saying that there are very good instructors in every agency also. Teaching is a skill, apart from diving. Good divers can be bad teachers, and vice versa.
Maybe a solution to bad instruction could be students being forced to undergo different 'stages' of certification with different instructors at each stage. The variety could perhaps enlighten the student and, by comparison, the student could say, "I received good instruction here, but not good here", and see the difference for themselves...
Ok, that's not cost effective, and no agency would do it, but..

 

[BigDiver]

PADI advanced open water, and planning on nitrox and rescue

 

[wb416]

Most of my c-cards are PADI... but I'm not too d@mn proud of that at the moment and frankly pretty embarrassed (in light of their lawsuit with Diverlink)...

If this year's training goes as planned, then the only cards in my logbook that will count for me will be TDI and NAUI... the rest can go through the shredder for all I care!

wb

 

[FinMeister]

Before anyone shreds or tosses their PADI card as a show of protest consider this. IMO this action would be more of a slam against the instructor than against the agency issuing the card.

Your instructor is the person who signed off on you, not the agency. Most good instructors, be it in school or scuba, routinely go beyond minimum standards in what they teach.

The card, regardless of agency, represents only a minimum standard for a particular level. Your instructor represents the standard you were actually taught, and by signing your card he/she certifies that you met or exceeded that standard.

Warren

 

[wb416]

Originally posted by FinMeister
Before anyone shreds or tosses their PADI card as a show of protest consider this. IMO this action would be more of a slam against the instructor than against the agency issuing the card.

Warren

Granted, I have no beef with the instructors that are listed on my PADI cards.... but when you show someone your card, they see the agency, not the instructor.... I don't have to have a card in order to value the skills that former PADI instructors have passed on to me. But I also don't care for or need the prejudice and baggage that PADI card seems to carry around with it. I don't feel any special nostalgia to PADI... I got into diving because a friend had become an instructor, not because I felt drawn to the agency...

wb

 

[FinMeister]

cwb,

I understand and respect where you are coming from. Showing one of your other cards will get you air just as quickly in most places as the PADI card will.

Warren

 

[bottom_sucker]

PADI for OW, planning to move forward this year with AOW and possibly Rescue given the high praise it received on other post!

Dave

 

[Lance Gothic]

Brothers & Sisters of the U/W world,
Stone,

Here's some more info for you:

http://www.mtsinai.org/pulmonary/books/scuba/sections.htm

The link came up as a search for National Association of Scuba Diving Schools using Google.

Regards,
Lance Gothic
Shibumi

 

[Dee]

Uncle Pug sent these to me to be included in the poll. I didn't include them because they are a bit more specialized than the others. That's not to say they aren't important, which they most certainly are!

If I'm wrong, let me know!


Dive Rescue International certify public safety divers
&
N.O.A.A. certify research divers

 

[WetDane]

Started SSI, AOW was so scary I brought my own buddy to class dives - then did TDI and wondered if there should not be some math somewhere...

I have now found GUE and these guys actually want me to learn something - THANK YOU.

Big T