I agree that the agencies have to push certain standards but the problem stays the same... and I think that's still with the instructor...
If the instructor doesn't care to much about the standards and just wants to get a max of students it's no use. Sanctions...YES, but wich newbie diver (basic open water) is going to tell on his instructor... The newbie diver (like myself
) doesn't have a clue...
My instructor seems fine and teaches 'the PADI' way. There are certain things he emphasises and he makes shure I do them the right way. He doesn't rush me trough the course to get me in open water and as long as the pool bit is not ok, no open water... simple as that. He is not afraid to mention something that is not covered by PADI and if there is a good alternative to some technique he'll tell me about it.
There are other instructors out there that make you (example) clear your mask and if it's half empty the first time you try they say 'ok' next exercise...
It still boils down to the instructor wanting to teach properly ! Any instructor that takes his diving seriously will be concerned about teaching you the best he can. Not because some agency tells him to but becouse he loves the sport and wants other people to enjoy it the way he does.
Sanctions are fine but also create the opportunity to be missused and i think u can be shure they would be so ! and what game are we playing then ?
Secondly there's yourself... with all the information available (and there is a lot of it; forums, books, magazines, internet,...) ,you can figure out quite a bit yourself. This doesn't mean you have to completely teach yourself but you can get a pretty good idea about what right and whats wrong, whats important and so on.
I guess it's a matter of interest and motivation from the new diver himself...
If you have to put everything about diving in a course ( and i'm going here just on the stuff i found out myself by being on the forums, searching the internet, reading books...) you might asswell make it a four year day school course (slightly exagerated for effect purposes
).
If you do a minimum of research yourself ( and i do mean a minimum ) and you got a minimum of grey cells left in your head ( and i do mean a minimum ), you know that diving is not just something you do because it's cool or because it's easy to impress your friends. Once you got that bit right i'm convinced that anyone can become a (fairly) good diver with a bit of good guidance ( = instructor).
And thats my modest opinion...