Diver and/or Instructor Renewal Program

[DennisS]

I'm a rec diver, as long as I can get air with my card, I'm happy.

 

[200 Bar]

I don't need anymore intrusion into my wallet by anyone, which it all boils down to...Being "Certified" doesn't mean much of anything anyway..I can start my own company tomorrow...There are no Gov't regulations and WE DON'T NEED IT as it is not broken.. Keeping a logbook doesn't mean anything either..When you read on here, "What constitutes a dive question", so they can make logbook entries..What matters is the experience of the diver which you can spot almost immediately when they assemble their gear or how they packed it....PADI has consistently raised my insurance and membership rated for the last 16 years and not given much in return..If I have to get qualified, who do you think would pay for that...They would loose biz, not exactly in their biz plan...If it works for GUE great for them, as they too are a business and subject to the bottom line.....This is a sport/hobby that is soley based on throw away income...Do the math...my two cents hehehe

 

[tomfcrist]

I am a rec instructor

I believe that re qualifications of divers should only be nessecary if they havent been diving for an extended period......their logbook is their passport. Requals are just a way to suck more money out of students and instuctors alike. Mind you I would make more money that way, but if i had to pay a CD for an ITC every 3 years, i would quit doing this job.

 

[Heavy water]

As I recall, you could eliminate 90% of the fatalities if you barred divers over 40. So, if safety is the concern, age is the problem.

I didn't vote as I have no interest in the poll. However, I'm not signing up for recertifying rec divers and that's all I'll ever be.

Richard

How about all the I can do anything under water divers below 40. Thats your high risk factor, Age is not the factor, maturity is.

 

[Heavy water]

IMHO I think the renewal program would work like your local DMV pay for your picture and go! As for me I'm a diver plain and simple I dont need a title.

 

[oly5050user]

I am a rec instructor

I believe that re qualifications of divers should only be nessecary if they havent been diving for an extended period......their logbook is their passport. Requals are just a way to suck more money out of students and instuctors alike. Mind you I would make more money that way, but if i had to pay a CD for an ITC every 3 years, i would quit doing this job.

Like I wrote..requiring a renewal for both instructors and rec divers would increase the costs of doing business and instructors can make more money to a point it would be worth it to maintain proficiency.Many of us treat teaching professionally and expect to be paid for it.If not making money why do it? Just go diving and enjoy yourself and do not bother with teaching.
Make it a requirement it that the instructor who teaches less than 10/15 people a year has to do a refresher semi-annually with a course director/IDC staff instructor .Refresher would include class presentations/confined/open water briefings and swim evaluations/ water skill evaluations. Just like an IE..Those instructors that are actively teaching more than 15 people a year can be exempt,for it shows that they are fairly active in the activity.
For non-pros they can be required to have a refresher if they cannot document any dive activity for 2 years.It can be verified via a log book.Yes they can lie about it but who would they be fooling except themselves.It would usually be obvious when they attempt to assemble their gear and put things together backwards.

 

[Teamcasa]

I'm a rec diver.

I voted for no recertification only because there was no option for continuing education.

Professionals in almost all cases where they are licensed or certified are required to provide some proof of completing a minimum amount of continuing education. Dive instructors should be similarly challenged.

As certified recreational divers, we should challenge ourselves to continuing further our education as well.

BTW, spending time on ScubaBoard should be one of those requirements.

 

[Rhenry]

I understand what you are saying, but I think you might have missed my point. Is PADI the certifying agency for ALL instructors? NO is there more then one agency with more then on set of rules YES. Is there a ONE and ONLY one standard no and there is not a single agency responsible for instructors or for that mater anything else.
What I am sayings is we need a single point of certification that ALL are held accountable and responsible to one certifying authority. Yes we would still have PADI. SSI NAUI, etc etc etc… but they all would be held accountable to the certifying agency. In this respect, if any instructor fails to follow the rules, out he/she go and that person would have to go back to the lone and only certifying agency and have to go thought certification again or what ever punishment deemed appropriate for the infraction.

Yes we have good and bad instructors some are out for the cash and nothing else, some have there own agendas and the list goes on. At the end of the day there isn’t any accountability except in the case of unlawful injury or death, even then it is hard since everyone signs their life away before instruction begins. In short we have a mess of many different interests and not a responsible authority.
Ron

 

[Walter]

What I am sayings is we need a single point of certification that ALL are held accountable and responsible to one certifying authority.

Why? .

 

[Teamcasa]

What I am sayings is we need a single point of certification that ALL are held accountable and responsible to one certifying authority. Yes we would still have PADI. SSI NAUI, etc etc etc… but they all would be held accountable to the certifying agency.

Do a Google search for: The World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC)