Dive world is better off with tougher courses?

[RiverRat]

Statistics are funny and really can be misunderstood unless you know the whole population they represent and how they were normalized.

Yep for sure. But I think most of us would agree that a better job could be done right up front. That would knock down all of the numbers to some degree.

 

[freediver]

Statistics are funny and really can be misunderstood unless you know the whole population they represent and how they were normalized.

Yes and did you know that 57%, no check that, 62% or maybe 65% of statistics are made up on the spot?

 

[SNorman]

Do the dive shop/instructor who notices that a student isn't ready for the checkout dives go and say,"sorry but you're going to need more pool time. Come back next week and don't forget it's going to cost you more since it's extra days."

I know of somebody whose instructor did just that, at no extra charge. In my class, there were two young kids who were told they did not pass the OW checkout dives and needed to redo them. I'm not sure what happened, but our instructor made it clear to us that extra classes would cost us $$$.

 

[SNorman]

It's funny, the same arguments are made by motorcycle riders about rider training and licensing. You can get yourself into more trouble buying a brand new sport bike with no training than going SCUBA diving after getting certified by PADI

The main question is really, should we have the freedom to do that?

 

[Hank49]

You can get yourself into more trouble buying a brand new sport bike with no training than going SCUBA diving after getting certified by PADI

The main question is really, should we have the freedom to do that?

Let's hope so.

 

[The Kraken]

A tougher course does not, in and of itself, make for a better diver.

If a diver is certified through a very stringent course, but doesn't dive for a number of years, then that edge is lost, and s/he is no better equiped to handle him/herself in an emergency than is a new diver, and probably less so.

The one and only sure thing to making a good diver is diving.

the K

 

[agilis]

It seems to me that the fairest way to revoke certifications would be on a random basis, through some sort of lottery system. As certifications are revoked, an equivalent number of persons from the untrained general population would be given advanced certifications, perhaps using voter registration records and at least one other method that would prevent illegal aliens from being unjustly excluded.

 

[Leisure Pro Brett]

This is a tough question with so many facets to explore, my favorite is how can you revoke somebody’s cert that was sold to them as lifetime? I suppose that you could change the system from this point forward, is that necessary, well I don't want to be the person responsible for that.

 

[Tigerman]

There was one person in my OW class that did not get certified either despite not failing the theory or required water skills..
He was simply not comfortable wearing all the gear and suits when he got down in open water and was politely recommended to get more comfortable in the water before he should start SCUBA diving. He did of course get a disappointed, but followed the recommendation not to "graduate" the class. I do not know if he has gotten certified yet tho.

 

[MikeFerrara]

A tougher course does not, in and of itself, make for a better diver.

A more thorough course makes for more proficient diver at the time of certification.

If a diver is certified through a very stringent course, but doesn't dive for a number of years, then that edge is lost, and s/he is no better equiped to handle him/herself in an emergency than is a new diver, and probably less so.

You can't lose what yopu never had. All else being equal, the more proficient the diver is before the period of inactivity, the more proficient they will be after being inactive for a while. How many centuries do you think that a good cave diver would have to stay out of the water before they couldn't get through an OW skill evaluation?

We don't have to look far to see that most divers are being certified at an extremely low skill and comfort level. We just don't need to worry about what's going to happen to their skill after a period of inactivity because they don't have any skill. Nothing from nopthing is nothing...0-0 = 0

The one and only sure thing to making a good diver is diving.

the K

Nonsense, I know plenty of divers who have been doing lots of diving for lots of years and they still suck. Practice does not make perfect...perfect practice makes perfect. Often divers who are taught poor technique just keep practicing the same bad habits over and over and never improve.