History of Diver Training

[seaducer]

...In this area I don't think that there is a whole lot of difference, at least between scientific and recreational, both suffer from the layoff problem both need to refresh, we teach specifically how to do it well, the recreational world would have you make a "refresher" diver with an instructor who really is not there for anything more than babysitting you through a dive. It need not be that way.

I am going to say that is an industry problem, not an agency problem. My local dive shop (RIP) used to allow all its former student free pool time to refresh skills after a winter off. PADI advised me to seek out a refresher course. IRRC my shop used to allow people to sit in on OW classes if they were in session and there was room as well. The agency adresses the layoff problem by advocating IMO skill drills supervised by a dive professional. If the DM or instructor chooses to clean their fingernails during this dive as opposed to coaching the diver, I can't really fault the agency. Unless they have been reported before a few times any way. It is not practicle to have a PADI rep at every PADI shop to ensure people are doing what they are supposed to do.

Having not taken a scientific diver course I can only imagine the exercises you mention for sharpening rusty skills are similar to those taught to new divers as well. Bouyancy and buddy skills are taught to divers in all agency courses, but if the diver chooses to just jump in after a year off without heeding the advice they were given in class, well I can't fault the instructor or agency for that.

 

[Thalassamania]

I didn't say worthless. If the focus is on having fun, it's not on training.

Few would say that a training program that builds skills to the point of adding stress by dealing with malfunctions is fun (until after the exercise is completed). I appreciate that you don't train this way, but don't belittle others who do. Because I don't teach vacationers to dive in 3 days doesn't mean I don't train people to dive.

Sorry ... I think that's great fun. Even when I'm pushed to the point of failure, that usually occurs with a big laugh before I try it again.

 

[seaducer]

Sorry ... I think that's great fun. Even when I'm pushed to the point of failure, that usually occurs with a big laugh before I try it again.

Indeed, I was thinking the same thing, but I dare say people like us are in the extreme minority

 

[Diver0001]

I didn't say worthless. If the focus is on having fun, it's not on training.

Thankfully most people don't deal in black and white.

You're saying that training and fun are mutually exclusive..... either one is training or one is having fun.... That's completely absurd, imo.

That kind of black and white thinking may be common in certain circles but personally, if my instructor wasn't willing or able to make my training both educational AND enjoyable, then I would look elsewhere. There are, namely, many instructors who combine both and run effective classes. If a given instructor isn't able then that's sad and if they aren't willing then they're doing it for their own egos (if you ask me) and not for their student's best interest..... similar to instructors who feel proud when students fail so they can brag about how tough they are....

it seems to me that you're equating having fun with things being too easy....

But as you keep on pointing out, we have very different approaches to things.

R..

 

[fire_diver]

This post is such unadulterated bullsht. I don't know what makes people think that training for problems and/or emergencies has to be heavy and difficult but it's such a crock.

When you take a first aid course or CPR is it laden with doom and gloom and someone harping at you like a drill sergeant?

No.

Sheesh. Training can be effective AND fun. Some of the old timers just evidently lost the ability to have fun and think because they have forgotten how to "play" that the world should be devoid of it.

R..

No Diver0001, it's not BS. I never said anything about abusing students, it was about TRAINING. You can tell students that you are going to be pulling masks, shutting off air, etc. They can know the "what" but not the when. When it happens, they execute thier training. That training can even be started in a pool, just like the confined water training is.

MY CPR course? Yes, I did have people yelling at me. The real world is that when you are performing CPR there is likely to be crying, screaming, confusion, etc. Get used to it NOW, so you can handle it in the real world. And for clarity, I'm an EMT.

 

[Thalassamania]

I do not believe in "hands on" harassment. I feel that it destroys a bond of trust that should exist between an instructor and a student. But I to design exercises so that there is enough "top" so that they are "self-harassing."

 

[Diver0001]

No Diver0001, it's not BS. I never said anything about abusing students, it was about TRAINING. You can tell students that you are going to be pulling masks, shutting off air, etc. They can know the "what" but not the when. When it happens, they execute thier training. That training can even be started in a pool, just like the confined water training is.

MY CPR course? Yes, I did have people yelling at me. The real world is that when you are performing CPR there is likely to be crying, screaming, confusion, etc. Get used to it NOW, so you can handle it in the real world. And for clarity, I'm an EMT.

Well dude, I'll say again what I said to DCBC,

It seems you're equating having fun with things being too easy.

Sorry but I'm not getting on board with that.

R..

 

[fire_diver]

Well dude, I'll say again what I said to DCBC,

It seems you're equating having fun with things being too easy.

Sorry but I'm not getting on board with that.

R..

No, I'm equating "easy" with "not sufficient".

 

[Thalassamania]

Sometimes "easy" is "sufficient," sometimes it is not. Sometimes "easy" is fun, sometimes it just boring. Difficult is sometimes unnecessary, is usually rewarding, but rarely is "not-sufficient." On balance, it is more fun to go with difficult.

 

[seaducer]

I wish people could learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable.