How does PADI define a "dive"?

[El Jefe]

I got into a discussion with someone who is attempting to "zero-to-hero" their DM . They were insistent that in order to get the requisite number of dives, they could simply log many short dives.

As far as I understand, PADI has a requirement that in order to be a "dive", the dive must be a minimum of 5m/15ft in addition to one of the following: either 20 minutes in length, or you must consume some amount of air/nitrox (400 psi, I think).

Can anyone confirm the PADI requirements for a dive to be counted as a dive? Can you reference where this might be found either online or in the Instructor Manual?

Thanks,

El Jefe

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Don't quote me but I think a dive has to be at least 35 feet for at least 15 minutes according to PADI to be an "official dive". The reason I think 35 feet stuck with me is because that's what depth the tables start at. Like I said don't take it as gospel, I just heard that through hearsay so whoever cares needs to verify that.

 

[Crowley]

From the PADI Instructor manual General Standards and Procedures, Open Water training

4. For training purposes, an open water dive is a dive during which a student
diver spends the majority of time at a depth of at least 5 metres/15 feet and:
a. breathes at least 1400 litres or 50 cubic feet of compressed gas.
OR
b. remains submerged for at least 20 minutes.

NOTE: This only applies to Training dives - not actual regular dives. For all other purposes, a dive is a dive. I know people who did zero to hero and did the repetetive short dives... They would do a 20 minute shallow dive, surface until their computer reset, do another 20 mins, surface and repeat.

I personally think this is a seriously inept and lazy way to attain the minimum required dives for anything. It's unlikely to improve your dive skills much unless you devote a great deal of time and attention to doing so whilst you're there... I think it's cheating, to be honest.

My 2 cents.

C.

 

[JamMan]

Cheaters suck. If you cant do it right don't do it at all. What? For a namesake?

 

[El Jefe]

I think it's cheating, to be honest.

Agreed.

Thanks for the info, Crowley.

 

[memorex77]

Would you call a 1h pool session with various exercises call a dive then? Max. 3,5m, with BCD off and on at the bottom, "rescue" another diver, etc?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have seen instructors who will do a 20 minute dive in OW class, then have the students float on the surface for a 10 to 20 minute surface interval (whatever it takes to clear the computers being used) then decend to complete dive number "2".

Over 2 days of check out dives this means the students get "4" dives - but they only set up their equipment in the real world with wet suits, etc and/or change tanks twice and they only experience two entries and exits, effectively denying them half of that valuable segment of the OW course experience.

PADI and SSI need to discourage that. The 50 cu ft requirement would do that if PADI eliminated the "or" remains submerged 20 minutes criteria.

 

[Thalassamania]

Or require that that the diver return to the boat/shore and change tanks.

Tea-bagging sucks.

 

[rigdiver]

Or require that that the diver return to the boat/shore and change tanks.

Tea-bagging sucks.

Is that what Anderson Cooper was referring to?

 

[Crowley]

On the swimming pool thing - I suppose technically it might be a dive but I suspect most agencies would say that it doesn't count because it's in a pool, not an open water / diving environment.

With respect to instructors floating with students for 10 minutes - the final three performance requirements for each open water dive (on the PADI course anyway) as as follows:

7. Exit the water as determined during dive planning.
8. Attend the instructorÃÔ debriefing.
9. Log the dive for instructor signature.

Therefore instructors floating with students between training dives are in clear violation of PADI standards.

Safe diving,

C.