If I was to set up a course this is a loose rendition of how it would go.
First, I would probably try and figure out a way to do the entire class out in the ocean. The students would never set foot in a pool. The only problem this would present is demontrating swimming skills, but I've thought a lot about this and am thinking about ways to demonstrate water comfort, stamina, and the ability to swim without having to find an artificial environment such as a heavily chlorinated public pool. Pools are very hard to come by in my area as many of them have shut down and also insurance costs have skyrocketed.
I know I said money is no object so why not just put in my own pool? Well, that would be a possibility, but I have this idea to do their entire course in the place they will be diving, and not have them get used to 85 degree clear water then take them into 48 degree murky dark water.
The course would start with complete breath hold freediving instruction and all the associated skills with that. This would introduce students to the ocean right off. The students would be required to build themselves up to doing a 30foot freedive and bringing something up from the bottom to prove themselves. I could see at least 20 to 30 hours of inwater time on average. Students would start right off with full gear to dive in 48 degree water in my local area. I can't think of a better way to build confidence that have them first get wet in the environment they will be eventually be diving in. Class portions would include info on sea conditions and management, currents, beach entries, water acclimation, fin kicking, snorelling skills, etc. This would also include towing other divers around for exercise.
And to do something about the swimming part, obviously putting somebody in a swimsuit and telling them to go out and swim 200 yards in 48 degree water is nonsense, so I thought of having the students pair up and go out about 200 yards out and each of them take turns swimming in in full wetsuits with no mask, snorkel or fins, only under their own swimming power. This is hard to do if you've ever tried it, and exhausting.
The tread water, I haven't figured that one out yet. Maybe weight them so they have to tread to stay up, or eliminate it altogether and figure it's irrelevant for the environment they'll be diving in with full exposure protection.
Next, a very detailed and hands on workshop on buoyancy combined with the first intro with scuba gear. No BC would be allowed at this stage, only exact weighting to be able to go to a depth of 30 feet and be perfectly neutral. They would already know what weight they need to freedive and be neutral at 30 feet so a little math with the addition of the tank and reg and they will understand it.
After they fully understand no BC diving then they get to use a BC and can fully appreciate how it is SUPPOSED to be used and not as a crutch for bad weighting habits. Along with all this water work some harrassment could be included to those that request it to prime themselves to dive in more hostile environments like sea lion rockeries. Sea lions are famous for side swiping divers from behind and dislodging masks and knocking the wind out of you. Giant Pacific Octopuss can get very curious and take things from you, more like muscle them away. Some divers may want mild harrassment training to learn to deal with these things, but harrassment would not be mandatory.
In all this, gas laws, deco theory, full rescue skills including CPR would be taught. I would not include any nitrox in open water, they can get that later if they want. They would have a full gammut of gear to choose from. All gear and it's pitfalls or advantages would be explained and multiple sets of everything would be there for them to use and they would be free to try it all. This would include split fins, poodle jackets, BP/W, long hoses, jet fins, everything.
The only thing not there would be spare airs.
A sport diver certification would include;
Full skin dive/freedive training.
Basic open water/peak bouyancy training
Advanced open water
Rescue
And other stuff like:
Gear exchange
Full ascent with no mask while buddy breathing
Ditch and don at 30 feet
And the video thing all the way through is a really good idea.
If they did all this then they would be ready for anything. There would be no time limit. Students that have trouble at any stage could retake any portion until they were comfortable.
I'm thinking of having it as a diving institute, not like how they puke out classes at a dive shop with the no child left behind mentality. At this institute, there would be many instructors and mentors to help students go along at their own pace.
One thing, I never said it would be cheap.
I went through the Texas State program from beginner to Instructor - took three semesters and one summer, well worth it.
