Soakedlontra
Contributor
Can a PADI instructor let his/her student diving in a swimming pool and then take him/her on a diving vacation and then teach him/her theory afterwards back home?
Diving first, theory after
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ajduplessis
Contributor
I'm not and instructor, but it would make sense to me to first get the theory done to have an understanding of risk and how to mitigate them. Only after the messages are clear can you take a diver into the water.
My 2 cent
My 2 cent
PADI Instructors are permitted to conduct "Discover Scuba" programs, which involve a very minimal orientation in confined water. Discover Scuba dives can also take place in open water under controlled conditions. I suppose it is possible that an instructor could do these dives with someone on a vacation, and if the person decided to go on to full certification, they would do the full classroom course after they got home. I believe they would still have to do the four OW dives, though; there is a specified set of skills that has to be accomplished on each of the four dives, and in addition, a certain amount of the classroom material has to be covered before the OW dives take place.
OP
Soakedlontra
Contributor
When I heard that the student in question went down to 60 ft. without doing any theory I was a little bit surprised...
Can a PADI instructor let his/her student diving in a swimming pool and then take him/her on a diving vacation and then teach him/her theory afterwards back home?
Standards allow the PADI Intro Dive to be a real open water dive to a max depth of 40 feet. The PADI Intro flip chart is likely the only "required" academics, and with regards to "theory" it really only discusses the minor physics of dealing with pressures on the body's air spaces.
After rudimentary Confined Water training, the not certified diver could make as many PADI Pro guided dives to max depth 40' as they wanted to without any further training, although a "break" of as little as 2 weeks or a change of operators "tomorrow" might require doing the flip chart and CW training again.
I know of many not certified tourists who make ocean dives on nearly every tropical vacation. One of my most regular clients made nearly 20 pre certification dives with me, and neither her dad or I would have had any qualms at me taking her deeper than 40', or through lava tubes, prior to her Jr. OW certification.
OP
Soakedlontra
Contributor
@Halemanō As a way to get more people into scuba diving quickly it makes sense...
Properly conducted, the Intro is a great motivator for prospects that are on the fence about spending the time and money on certification. Even with my "booked in advance for the whole course" students, I prefer to do the first dive mostly as an Intro dive, although completing chapter 1 in the book, 1st Knowledge Review, 1st Quiz and including buoyancy control and alternate use in the initial Confined Water gives me the option of taking a camera on that first OW training dive.
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