Dumbing down of scuba certification courses (PADI) - what have we missed?

[The Chairman]

It appears to me that it mostly boils down to elitism, and I say this with the utmost sincerity. Those who were trained in one particular manner sincerely believe that unless you are trained THEIR way, then you will surely die. I don't buy it and many don't buy it, but it's kinda popular to bash PADI and so they do!

I have yet to see any conclusive data that today's divers are any less safe. I doubt that they can produce it.

 

[NudeDiver]

You have a warped view of who the science diving community is, but then you do seem to like to sound off about things you know nothing about. That's a highly reproducible pattern in your posts, but what the hey ... it's the internet.

Yeah...I've given up trying to know everything. It's a big job - and frankly, I'm not up to it.

 

[Thalassamania]

I have yet to see any conclusive data that today's divers are any less safe. I doubt that they can produce it.

Pete, I just presented some data that points in that direction. And why not do the best that one possibly can? If that's elitism, count me in.

 

[Walter]

It appears to me that it mostly boils down to elitism

No, I'm just tired of making rescues. It's also much easier to learn to dive when you're following a more comprehensive approach.

 

[NudeDiver]

So why not start your own certifying agency, along with like-minded individuals, and outcompete PADI right into the ground?

 

[SparticleBrane]

So why not start your own certifying agency, along with like-minded individuals, and outcompete PADI right into the ground?

Global Underwater Explorers | Global Underwater Explorers

It's everything you mentioned, except they don't strive to "outcompete PADI" -- they don't care about the number of people coming in for training, they only care about producing competent, safe divers. I'm not sure where, but I read something a year or so ago showing that GUE had about 3,000 certifications issued that year, while in the same time span PADI issued ~900,000. I could be wrong, but still...


I'm with Thal -- if "elitism" is being the best you can be, I'm in. Too often do we reward mediocrity in today's society.

 

[NudeDiver]

Global Underwater Explorers | Global Underwater ExplorersIt's everything you mentioned, except they don't strive to "outcompete PADI" -- they don't care about the number of people coming in for training, they only care about producing competent, safe divers.....

Then what's the problem??

 

[The Chairman]

Pete, I just presented some data that points in that direction. And why not do the best that one possibly can? If that's elitism, count me in.

Elitism is elevating the knowledge actually needed from that of a casual hobby to being more of an obsession. It's GREAT if you want an obsession, and ScubaBoard is here to quench that thirst. If you just want to get wet once a year under ideal conditions, it's just plain overkill.

Hiking the canyons of Bryce National Canyon did not necessitate that I knew wilderness first aid, or need to be qualified to teach that class. That would be complete overkill. Yet, it was nice when I came across the guy with Heat Exhaustion to know what to do. Maybe we should REQUIRE everyone that enters our National Park System to undergo an exhaustive week long class in Wilderness First Aid and Survival. You surely don't want to "dumb down" what the casual day hiker needs now do you?

Fortunately, cooler heads have prevailed at the National Park Service, so those imbeciles who have the temerity to actually enjoy our National Park System without the proper training can indeed do so. In fact, I would suggest that very few even knew cpr or basic first aid and yet I saw mostly happy faces save for one red one. Was his life in jeopardy? Not then, but it soon would have been. The best rescue is always one which is avoided.

I do believe that there are a basic set of skills needed to Scuba Dive, and I also believe that the RSTC has a better grasp of what those skills are than the elitists. The standards that I have seen from all of the major agencies meet or exceed those of the RSTC. They are set to be a starting point for an easy entry into our sport. Why make it harder if it's only to boost our ego about what "should" be taught.

 

[Thalassamania]

Oh come on Pete, you know as well as I do that the RSTC is just the lowest set of standards that can be constructed by cutting and pasting the least taxing sections of all the members' individual standards. It is not a cohesive and coherent set of standards design to produce a competent diver.

I guess I just don't understand why anyone on earth would actual strive to get a grade of C- or worse, I can understand that there are people who can't do any better no matter how they try, but I really can't grasp why anyone who is capable of more wouldn't try to do better. I've always tried to do the best at everything I could, and that combined the abilities that I was blessed with let me do the things that most people can only dream of in a Walter Mitty way. If that is elitism, such is life, I'll gladly take the rap in exchange for the things that being an elitist has let me do.

Frankly, my perspective is that most folks who play the "elitism" card just do so out of either jealousy or an attempt at one-ups-manship anyway. When you get right down to it they wonder why someone like me (you know, an elitist butt head) gets to do all the things that they are so much more deserving of. It's because I've spent my life working for the best grade possible and taking the risks ... you want the rewards, you've got to do the work.

 

[The Chairman]

It is not a cohesive and coherent set of standards design to produce a competent diver.

On this we clearly disagree. I don't see the need for the average diver to learn more than the RSTC has to offer. I don't see Scuba Safety or skills slipping either. You don't have to have the skills of John McEnroe to enjoy a game of tennis and to be relatively safe while doing so. I don't need to be a certified mechanic to drive a car either. I don't even have to understand the theory of the internal combustion engine and the thermal kinetics of the braking system to operate my car safely.

Yet, the knowledge is still there for those of us underwater gear heads to get all ga ga over. We get to be all geeky about what we learn, but much of it really does not make us any safer. As you pointed out, just following your computer will make you a safer diver with slower ascents and timed safety stops.