plus we had a night of classroom. 5 dives in one day would be too much. Since they are educational dives, I would think it would way too much to absorb all in one day. That is definitely an instructor problem, not an agency problem.
Is PADI bad?
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ElectricZombie
Contributor
Yes. However, most of the other agencies are not much better.
For most classes PADI now allows three training dives in a day. There are additional depth limits on the third dive, however.
Nitrox requirements...It isn't required by PADI for anything except the new tech courses. IMO, it should be required for instructors and DMs.
Once I get my shop closed I will likely only teach the IANTD OW class and I will combine it with Nitrox which is allowed in IANTD. Students will have two choices and that is to do it that way or do it someplace else. Nitrogen is a gas that can't do you any good. Of course I will also pass on the students who have a trip in two weeks and are in a hurry to get a card and don't have the time to do enough time in the pool. BTW, that's about 95%
Nitrox requirements...It isn't required by PADI for anything except the new tech courses. IMO, it should be required for instructors and DMs.
Once I get my shop closed I will likely only teach the IANTD OW class and I will combine it with Nitrox which is allowed in IANTD. Students will have two choices and that is to do it that way or do it someplace else. Nitrogen is a gas that can't do you any good. Of course I will also pass on the students who have a trip in two weeks and are in a hurry to get a card and don't have the time to do enough time in the pool. BTW, that's about 95%
I suppose that's because you have "zero need" for the increased safety and/or bottom time that Nitrox provides. So be it. I'm not going to debate the benefits of Nitrox.
The people I dive and teach with don't dive air (except for pool dives, which I don't consider diving). We use Nitrox 32 for dives of less than 100 feet. We use custom blends for deeper dives and are working towards our helium certs. Three of our instructors will have their helium certs within the month. I'll be done, hopefully, by Fall.
If we won't use air ourselves, why should we teach it to our students? Nitrox is easily available in our area. When travelling, we only use operators that can supply Nitrox, so this is not an issue.
I'm fully aware that PADI doesn't require Nitrox to progress. PADI also suggests vertical ascents and a snorkel. Regardless, an instructor can refuse to teach for any reason whatsoever, so long as the reason is not a prohibited type of discrimination. We require Nitrox. Period. If a student doesn't like it, then we'll politely suggest that they find another shop.
Whatever we're doing, its working. All of our classes are full or filling up. We're looking at which AI to send up the line because our existing instructional staff is too busy.
We are not going for the underwater tourist market. We train divers who want to learn.
Scuba Chip
Guest
Once upon a time (in a land far far away, lived a little girl named Heidi and her Grandfather....) entry level certification was a "SCUBA DIVER" cert card. The next level cert card was called "ADVANCED DIVER". ADVANCED DIVER required no less than 10 dives beyond SCUBA DIVER. Then, a new certification agency happened on the scene - PADI. PADI created a mid level course called "OPEN WATER". This was a one day course (2 dives) after SCUBA DIVER certification. It gave the LDS something extra to sell. Gave the student 2 more dives under the watchful eye of an Instructor. And received wide industry support 'cause it kept 'em coming back! Nothing wrong with that. This new "OPEN WATER" course gave the Instructor a wide latitude for selecting the type of dives to incorporate. Completing 2 additional dives gave the student bragging rights to a "higher level certification". If you were a YMCA or a NAUI certified Instructor, You could become a PADI Instructor (to avail yourself of this new arrow in your quiver) by simply making out a check, and filling out a form. I know, that's how I became a PADI Instructor. If this 2 day course was OPEN WATER, then the ADVANCED DIVER course certainly had to become AOW, and it did. Over the years courses have changed dramatically. Every entry level course now is called OPEN WATER with only the 4 dives that used to be required for SCUBA DIVER. How many AOW courses now require 10 dives?
We used to teach skills. Now we teach how to use equipment. They tell me this is progress ....... :mean:
We used to teach skills. Now we teach how to use equipment. They tell me this is progress ....... :mean:
SSI requires 24...
Correction, I did my advanced COURSES with six dives. That was Night/Limited Vis, Search and Recovery, Navigation and Drysuit. Twenty four dives are required for the AOW card/actual AOW bragging rights.
I know, because that gave me enough dives for my card out of the course due to my other diving over the summer last year. I had to take my dive buddy (who took the same course with me) out for an extra trip a month later so that he could get his AOW card before it got too cold up here for him to dive in his wetsuit.
As he points out, twenty four dives and the course don't make me or him a truly Advanced Diver. This is one of the primary reasons that although I have the courses done and far more than the requisite number of dives for a Master Diver card, I won't get one. The day I consider myself a Master Diver, I will be too inclined to overestimate my abilities and do something that will get me hurt.
Also, my Advanced Card with the "over fifty dives sticker" gets me anywhere or anything I truly need out of a dive shop when I am traveling. Anything more (except my DiveCon card when I get it and my IANTD Advanced Nitrox card when it comes in) is simply vanity and a waste of money. (And if you think that I plan on showing a charter operator a professional card when I am travelling alone, you have another thing coming!)
The only big deal about the Advanced "title" is that charter operators and dive shops tend to take this as a minimum requirement for their more challenging dives. So, I do prefer to keep my AOW card in my wallet for other dive shops other than the ones that I frequent.
This is why, although I don't like the other agencies policies on courses to get an AOW card, I will not prejudge an instructor or diver for the organization that they are affilated with. I have seen at least two excellent and many very good PADI instructors. I have seen the results of poor instructors from any agency you can name with OW divers having poor buoyancy contol and other skills.
Yes, I certified with SSI. I really do like them. However, I am sure someone can find a bad apple or two in their instructor ranks as well.
I know, because that gave me enough dives for my card out of the course due to my other diving over the summer last year. I had to take my dive buddy (who took the same course with me) out for an extra trip a month later so that he could get his AOW card before it got too cold up here for him to dive in his wetsuit.
As he points out, twenty four dives and the course don't make me or him a truly Advanced Diver. This is one of the primary reasons that although I have the courses done and far more than the requisite number of dives for a Master Diver card, I won't get one. The day I consider myself a Master Diver, I will be too inclined to overestimate my abilities and do something that will get me hurt.
Also, my Advanced Card with the "over fifty dives sticker" gets me anywhere or anything I truly need out of a dive shop when I am traveling. Anything more (except my DiveCon card when I get it and my IANTD Advanced Nitrox card when it comes in) is simply vanity and a waste of money. (And if you think that I plan on showing a charter operator a professional card when I am travelling alone, you have another thing coming!)
The only big deal about the Advanced "title" is that charter operators and dive shops tend to take this as a minimum requirement for their more challenging dives. So, I do prefer to keep my AOW card in my wallet for other dive shops other than the ones that I frequent.
This is why, although I don't like the other agencies policies on courses to get an AOW card, I will not prejudge an instructor or diver for the organization that they are affilated with. I have seen at least two excellent and many very good PADI instructors. I have seen the results of poor instructors from any agency you can name with OW divers having poor buoyancy contol and other skills.
Yes, I certified with SSI. I really do like them. However, I am sure someone can find a bad apple or two in their instructor ranks as well.
Not to Hijack a thread but....
The other day I was in my shop for an info session on the PADI/Dsat Tech diver class. The instructor mention that Padi is going to come out with a Trimix class in about Six months. Yep you saw it right Padi is really starting to jump into the Tech bandwagon headfirst longhose and all.
The other day I was in my shop for an info session on the PADI/Dsat Tech diver class. The instructor mention that Padi is going to come out with a Trimix class in about Six months. Yep you saw it right Padi is really starting to jump into the Tech bandwagon headfirst longhose and all.
Can't discuss the benefits without discussing the dangers of Nitrox either. I wouldn't want to discuss that either if I were pushing Nitrox.
Yep, I'd do a different shop myself. Oh and btw, I am nitrox certified. Have zero need for it. I dive within my computer and have had zero problems.
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