Free diving mixed with SCUBA?

[Jumpinghorse]

This was a Florida Keys Inst...?!

I spent the last 6 years traveling and while in Margarita Island, Venezuela I got my DM from a 4-5 star PADI operation.:cool2:

 

[Damselfish]

4 star? I don't think there is any such thing.

 

[robint]

Thank you all so much and thank you for the articles. I did read, ask other pros and did my my own research on the topic, and no matter how armed I was with information, the instructor always seemed to have an argument. It's never a good feeling to unbalance the role of the student-teacher relationship but it's not wrong to question that said instructor when something like this happens. I will be sure to always listen to students and provide the proper information to students when I am in the position to do so. Thank you again.

so you are saying you would let a student or diver free-dive during surface intervals, and get DCS, just so you don't embarass the instructor? I hope not.

I would hope you report this instructor to his agency (PADI, SSI, or whomever). I have seen dive guides encourage free-dive during surface intervals on dive trips out of US and heard about divers getting DCS........ not much you can do about it in another country. But an instructor can be reported if violating safety.

 

[divingdesigns.com]

Great question, I was wondering the same thing. I've been diving for 8 years and I'm just getting started in free diving.
Thank you everyone for all the great info.
Cheers, Nikki

 

[Jumpinghorse]

4 star? I don't think there is any such thing.

I don't know but it was a "top" rated PADI outfit.

 

[Jumpinghorse]

so you are saying you would let a student or diver free-dive during surface intervals, and get DCS, just so you don't embarass the instructor? I hope not.

I would hope you report this instructor to his agency (PADI, SSI, or whomever). I have seen dive guides encourage free-dive during surface intervals on dive trips out of US and heard about divers getting DCS........ not much you can do about it in another country. But an instructor can be reported if violating safety.

Of course not! I ment the complete opposite. I just felt that it was a shame to have to challange this topic with my instructor. I want to have the up most respect, confidence and gather as much knowledge as I can from my instuctor. That is the ideal student-teacher bond, but when things like this happen, it breaks that bond between the two. Better safe than sorry none the less. I WANT to set a good example to the students I will be supervising by not making such obvious mistakes. I didnt say it was wrong to call my instructor on the fact that he wanted me to free dive during my S.I.'s but I felt it was a shame that I had to do so in the first place and I lost confidence in that instructor.
As for reporting this instructor, I made the mistake of not reporting him because I second guessed myself. Hence the reason I asked about this in the first place.

 

[Web Monkey]

I don't know but it was a "top" rated PADI outfit.

They're all "top rated".

It's like if McDonalds rated all their drive-throughs "5 Stars".

I beleive the requirements are all financial and legal (need to be paid up with PADI, not use any other agencies, etc.).

Terry

 

[Damselfish]

yeah, "5 stars" implies it's a ranking system and possible to have 1-4 stars, but nope.

 

[Diver0001]

Thank you all so much and thank you for the articles. I did read, ask other pros and did my my own research on the topic, and no matter how armed I was with information, the instructor always seemed to have an argument. It's never a good feeling to unbalance the role of the student-teacher relationship but it's not wrong to question that said instructor when something like this happens. I will be sure to always listen to students and provide the proper information to students when I am in the position to do so. Thank you again.

You could contact your PADI office via email and put the question to a training consultant. If their answer is what I think it will be then you can show him that. Maybe if he won't listen to you, he'll listen to PADI.

 

[Dr Deco]

Hi Jumpinghorse :

When "Ask Dr Deco" began in fall of 2000, this was one of the first questions.

I replied that, I believed it was a bad idea. Eight years later, I still believe that it is a bad idea. One responder even commented that he knew people who got DCS from this activity.


Dr Deco :doctor: