FB posting - standards violations - how many can you pick out?

[Marie13]

I read this whole thread (to this point).

Marie has a point: Those pictures look like a train wreck in the making.

Wookie has a point: They were all consenting adults who have access to information as we all do (with the click of a mouse). It's their life, why should I care what or how they dive (as long as my money isn't used to recover their bodies). I am not against suicide; if you need it, do it (just make sure your family members have money to pay for the psychological counseling that said suicide will incur on their part). Dive and let Dive.

Here is my point: I now know why industry pros don't think my certs are worth a dam*. Between the OP's pictures and Wookie's certification experience, who could possibly think those cards mean anything. Add to that my experience with my AOW instructor.

What a klusterfoxtrot.
m

PS: If you have trouble understanding the metric and imperial systems at the same time, I seriously wonder about your cognitive capabilities; both are easy.

@markmud

I also posted this as a cautionary tale for future tech students. Read the damned standards. I know where to find the TDI ones. Not sure about the other agencies. Standards say 150ft max and instructor wants you to dive to 185ft? Speak up. Gear needed is going to be in the materials. If it’s all talking about doubles and you’re diving a single tank? Stop and think. Speak up.

Read on your own. Mark Powell’s two books are my go-tos. Don’t be a sheep. Find a mentor, even an online one, who is not a cowboy.

 

[Wookie]

@markmud

I also posted this as a cautionary tale for future tech students. Read the damned standards. I know where to find the TDI ones. Not sure about the other agencies. Standards say 150ft max and instructor wants you to dive to 185ft? Speak up. Gear needed is going to be in the materials. If it’s all talking about doubles and you’re diving a single tank? Stop and think. Speak up.

Read on your own. Mark Powell’s two books are my go-tos. Don’t be a sheep. Find a mentor, even an online one, who is not a cowboy.

This is critically important. I failed this lesson. If that was the message, I apologize. I thought you were dissing an instructor.

 

[Marie13]

This is critically important. I failed this lesson. If that was the message, I apologize. I thought you were dissing an instructor.

Apology accepted - this time.

I was making an example of him and his cluster of a class. Those guys all seemed to be cowboys from their pics and FB posts. The gal, I’m not so sure about. She looked pretty stressed out in the photo of her.

Some people need to be shown an over the top example of a cluster to make them pull their heads out of their arses. You can’t fix stupid, but hopefully the ignorant can be educated. Hopefully. Maybe. Some people will never get past “stupid.”

That instructor apparently got a LOT of pushback on FB. His dive shop’s FB page used to allow anyone to make a post. Not since late last night. The students removed their own posts, as did the dive op. NAUI has a “consumer protection” section on its website with an “ethics” email. I emailed those screen shots to NAUI with the comment I was afraid someone was going to get hurt or worse.

There’s been a lot of discussion about this in several FB groups I’m a member of. Hopefully it serves as an example and as a warning to possible tech students, not just with this particular instructor, but to ask questions if corners seem to be getting cut.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Marie13,

Your post was fundamentally a PSA. I hope divers seeking technical diving instruction take heed.

 

[txaggie08]

Well, I am European and speak 2 other languages besides English, but grew up in the US. Being a Monty Python fan helped me immensely. Except with Scottish accents. Can't understand a thing. I just nod my head a smile like an idiot.

In fairness, I have Scottish friends who cant understand a dang thing drunk scotsmen say quite often.

 

[jerrwhy01]

This is timely as I finished up a helitrox course today...

The config doesn't meet NAUI standards. NAUI standards call for NTEC config in Helitrox, NTEC is effectively hogarthian doubles. TDI would also require some redundancy (pony bottle, H valve). Neither agency allows Helitrox courses to go deeper than 150'.

That can only mean one thing...Hudson Grotto.

 

[Manatee Diver]

That can only mean one thing...Hudson Grotto.

Ugh.... you are triggering my PTSD. I'd rather dive in 8-11ft seas than dive that place again.

 

[KevinNM]

Bite your tongue! Hell, no! We don’t get very dogmatic here. Everyone I know seems to do what works for them (within reason, no stupid crap). The coasts on the other hand, oy vey!

As long as you have an effective backkick its all good.

 

[kensuf]

That can only mean one thing...Hudson Grotto.

@jerrwhy01 JERRY!! Dominick and I were talking about you, your ears are burning. Glad to see you're lurking, yes we were at Hudson. Dominick made silt angels, lovely lovely silt angels. On top of me.

 

[kensuf]

Ugh.... you are triggering my PTSD. I'd rather dive in 8-11ft seas than dive that place again.

It's a fantastic training site that will help prepare people properly for decompression diving in a variety of environments. Anyone can do deco while laying down on a log like we do for cave diving, but try doing it in a 2.5kt current with no visual references to help maintain your stops, and you may have a bad day. Hudson prepares you for that.