Instructor flexibility in training.

[ACUC HQ]

Because we feel this is a very important skill that all divers (no matter the level) should master, ACUC teaches underwater and surface buoyancy control in our Scuba Diver (supervised diver) and Open Water Diver programs. Students are required to demonstrate and are evaluated on buoyancy control several times during the open water checkout dives. You may view our Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver training standards and course curriculum on our web site - acuc.es

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

OK, back to the OP. The point is, no agency actually tells you to overweight your students. There are those instructors who find it easy to keep track of their students if they turn them into rocks. Bad idea, and it means the instructor is both lazy and a pitiful instructor. But don't blame the agency for That happening. Blame the instructor.

Then you have the vacation spots and DM's and Instructors who find it easier to keep track of rocks than the wavery once a year vacation diver that they run across. They identify them as such because those divers don't remember how much weight they use where in what conditions and they let the DM figure it out. That busy DM usually is not going to burn time doing a hundred buoyancy checks... I didn't say it was right, just usually the reason for vast overweighting...

I teach skills from a fin pivot and then only from a hover from the first pool session. A diver doing skills on his/her knees is pointless for them and lazy for the instructor. In my opinion...

 

[cooperscuba]

You've done a splendid job of not answering my question. What I've gathered is that PADI forbids you from requiring anything higher than their minimums.

Nope, sorry, I answered your question - why I can't fail a student who fails an additional skill, or elaboration of an existing skill.

Erm ... To the best of my knowledge that is not true. I was under the impression NAUI instructors are allowed, even encouraged, to add to the minimum requirements.

Your statement was "If I became an instructor I would want to set a minimum level of skill that I would want every one of my students to complete to earn my certification."

My response was PADI, CMAS, SSI, NAUI already done that (set a minimum standard), not whether the individual agencies allowed an instructor to add additional skills.