MNScuba
Guest
How could I foget that one...
11. Have Fun!
11. Have Fun!
Expectations of OW certification
- Thread starter jbd
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Scubadude17
Guest
i think having your ow c-card is like getting your permit to drive its so you know what your doing not to get hurt hopefully but its to start gaining the experience needed to take more classes and become a great diver
Choke
Guest
You mean my c-card doesn't give me Navy Seal status and give me access to all areas????
Where's my DM's phone number? I want a refund.
Where's my DM's phone number? I want a refund.
I think a lot has been said on the topic of Expectations of OW certification. One of the problems is that although there are standards of what skills and basic knowledge is to be done in basic training, the agencies did not provide the Instructors with an evaluation yard stick. It?s a matter of the Instructors integrity, will to put more effort in, personal opinion, lack of ability and sometimes outright laziness, and more.
A diver clears a mask once like it was a death defying skill and that?s all, ?material was covered?. Same goes for many other aspects of basic certification training. It?s not enough. I think in the end it should be that a diver in order to be certified should obtain a maximum SAC (Surface Air consumption) of no more than .75 cuft/min (21 L/min) on the last training dive in cold water, and even lower in warm water.
What does it take to achieve that SAC?
Some comfort level, basic effective finning, ease of doing basic skills, some basic buoyancy control, relatively good physical conditioning. That?s it. If it takes extra work with the students, so be it. But God forbid we put more effort, we gota move on to the next class of uninformed consumers.
I am not saying that this is the trend, but?. I?m being politically correct.
A diver clears a mask once like it was a death defying skill and that?s all, ?material was covered?. Same goes for many other aspects of basic certification training. It?s not enough. I think in the end it should be that a diver in order to be certified should obtain a maximum SAC (Surface Air consumption) of no more than .75 cuft/min (21 L/min) on the last training dive in cold water, and even lower in warm water.
What does it take to achieve that SAC?
Some comfort level, basic effective finning, ease of doing basic skills, some basic buoyancy control, relatively good physical conditioning. That?s it. If it takes extra work with the students, so be it. But God forbid we put more effort, we gota move on to the next class of uninformed consumers.
I am not saying that this is the trend, but?. I?m being politically correct.
MNScuba
Guest
Not sure if I agree totally...
There should be a little more to it, but lets be realistic for a moment. Since the comparison of diving and driving are often made, lets start there.
When you get your driver's license, are you tested to make sure you can handle a blown tire at 55 mph or that you can stop effectively in all conditions? No.. you're not. I agree that there should be perhaps a little more in-water training. I have seen people have trouble clearing a flooded mask 4 times in a row, then they do it right one time and that's good enough. But where do you draw the line?
There should be a little more to it, but lets be realistic for a moment. Since the comparison of diving and driving are often made, lets start there.
When you get your driver's license, are you tested to make sure you can handle a blown tire at 55 mph or that you can stop effectively in all conditions? No.. you're not. I agree that there should be perhaps a little more in-water training. I have seen people have trouble clearing a flooded mask 4 times in a row, then they do it right one time and that's good enough. But where do you draw the line?
We draw the line at the point when we send them out to dive we are relatively comfortable with the fact that if their mask floods they will be able to handle it with comfort and not "go home to mama at warp seven".
Sure, certification is a ticket to continue learning, but it should not be a ticket to love the sport and survive the learning curve. Nobody is asking for an Indy 500 driver, but should be able to avoid the oncoming car as they pull out of their driveway, go buy the mild and come back home safely.
Sure, certification is a ticket to continue learning, but it should not be a ticket to love the sport and survive the learning curve. Nobody is asking for an Indy 500 driver, but should be able to avoid the oncoming car as they pull out of their driveway, go buy the mild and come back home safely.
MNScuba
Guest
I can agree with that... 
So how can we make a difference. Maybe it should be a new topic.
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