Latest PADI specialty

[covediver]

I have indeed had my Lionfish awarenees and elimination course approved by PADI. Although i am not at all sure why it would be considered a silly diving story. I also am a Shark awareness instructor, nobody laughs at that. I enthusiatcally teach underwater naturalist courses (and am learning even more from the Legendary Bonairian Naturalist Jerry). I took a whaleshark awareness course in Thailand while there that i really enjoyed (even though i didnt even see a whaleshark during the course dives).

Lionfish are an invasive species who cause serious damages to the Carribbean and Atlantic reefs which they inhabit. Some divers are aware of this problem already, and for those that are not, there is now a course they can take to learn more about the problem and about what they can do to help. It is not a joke, but a serious (and extremely fun) course.

The course is in its very beginning stages, and while the first couple courses have been incredibly successful I am willing to take any suggestions for improvment, or topics you would like covered, or questions you might have... And yes, you have to pay for it (which many SB posters object to for some reason), just as you would have to pay for any service provided or any dive led by a professional.

It sounds like one of the more useful courses that one might take as a specialty. You are quite right, lionfish are an invasive species. As such they are emblematic of an overall and growing problem, not just limited to lionfish or the tropics. I have also seen more than a few inquiries on scuba board by divers looking for information on control and opportunities to join others in this effort. So you are offering a course that examines a problem, increases awarness of adaptation and habitat, the natural history of a species, and hunting it. Gee, I can't imagine why anyone would find humor in that. I am generally not big on specialites, because of the merit badge syndrome. Having said that, some people receive reinforcement from a sanctioning body's recognition of their effort and the c-card (or merit badge) is an outward sign that you mastered a skill to an objective standard. The secret is to not have trivial standards.

Some people are just going to be down on any course offered by PADI or NAUI or developed by one of their instructors. They think you are trying to water their desert or perhaps you threaten them by wanting to play in their sandbox. This training sounds like a very useful endeavor.

I do hope you have lots of success with it.

 

[gizmo1972]

we remove the lion fish in turks & caicos but we use bags & nets (the course was writtern in tci)
people started spearing them but we have a large amount of caribean reef sharks Who lernt very quickly that ment free food and started bumping divers!! NOT GOOD!!!!
so no more !
we are truly infested with the lion fish its a big problem