Have training standards "slipped"?

[Mako Mark]

I got my PADI AOW card without ever seeing the RDP.

do you mean that during the AOW course you never used a dive table to plan your dives? Did you have a computer? The standards say that the deep dive must be planned using the RDP, so if this was the case your course did not meet PADI standards.

 

[TheRedHead]

do you mean that during the AOW course you never used a dive table to plan your dives? Did you have a computer? The standards say that the deep dive must be planned using the RDP, so if this was the case your course did not meet PADI standards.

Yes, I had a computer and 100 logged dives. I've never seen the RDP. My OW is through SSI. The whole thing was a joke. Our first dive was the deep dive and we did on Cane Bay Wall, which if I recall is very deep, 2,000 ft? Dive plan was to drop to 100 ft, do the skill and then dive.

The only serious dive planning I've done in ANY class was in Advanced Nitrox.

 

[SNorman]

heh never mind

 

[DiverBizz]

Throughout all my classes I have learned more than I knew before the class. Diving experience also helps create a competent diver. In my PADI AOW class, with only 13 dives, we planned for the deep dive (100 ft) completely and reviewed all required skills, instructor reminded us to do the buddy check. As we enter the water Bozo Buddy team had difficulty immediately. Bozo's buddy had to call the dive and I was assigned to desend with Bozo. Tell me how can you do a buddy check, enter the water, and not notice that your brand new, unpool tested, Cobra Dive Computer is not set to imperial measurement until you are at 100ft? He just couldn't figure out what was going on and thought he ran out of air. I had to go up with him and it was difficult to keep him calm and prevent him from bolting to the top. I forced him to stop for safety stops at 60ft and 15ft. When we surfaced we had learned that he lied about his experience (OW 3yrs. before and then only dives he had after was in the pool for AOW class). He got out the water, lit up a cig. and asked his girlfriend to go get him a drink. Training in my opinion is not going to help him until he begins to listen and value his life along with the buddy he is diving with.

 

[tbeindit]

I would personally say, yes, training standards have slipped, why you ask. Well, first off, new equipment. With newer equipment accidents are less likely to happen and training could be less. next, to get more money. With lower standards more could enter the diving field increasing profits. It only makes sense by a business standpoint. My theroey is to rely less on the "certifiy" training and you yourself take it to the next level

 

[DiverBizz]

No matter how much training you have, if you are not safety aware and use the training that was offered in class, you are a liablity to the other divers around you. (They will attempt to assist a diver in need.)

 

[Walter]

No matter how much training you have, if you are not safety aware and use the training that was offered in class, you are a liablity to the other divers around you. (They will attempt to assist a diver in need.)

LOL! Reminds me of a particular DM. We had just finished a float dive off Broward County and were waiting for the boat to come pick us up. My buddy was a commercial diver who literally made about 600 - 700 dives every year. She was relaxing on the surface on this very calm day, kicking back, using her BC as a recliner and had her mask on her forehead. The DM surfaced about 40 feet away and started yelling, "Are you in distress?" over and over. Had he actually come within reach, he would have been in distress, she was not happy with him interruping her rest. His training was inadequate.

 

[TheRedHead]

Don't get me started on over zealous DMs. I had one who insisted that I analyze my Nitrox in my doubles before taking a practice dive in a 15 foot pool. :shakehead

 

[Walter]

Did you do it?

 

[chickdiver]

Heh- I once had one try to tell me I could not dive without a "console". It was amusing as I was using an analog SPG and a wrist mounted bottom time and compass.......