Master Diver - worth getting?

[Birddog1911]

Well, @stuartv , I can't complain too much; I didn't pay for AOW thru IDC. I just haven't gotten off of my butt.

The way I look at it is, since I'm going to be an instructor, I should "lead by example" to new students, and show them what you can do on the non-pro side. Doubt I'll actually ever hand it to a shop, though.

 

[Bubblehead663]

I'm sure people have good reasons to either get or not display a master diver patch. Just be advised that being on a dive charter with a US Navy Master Diver may be a little awkward. JMHO.

 

[stuartv]

Would you feel awkward if you had a private pilot's VFR license and were in the pilot's lounge at the airport next to a Navy fighter jet pilot? I wouldn't. Because I wouldn't try to make my qualifications seem more impressive than they actually are. If other people make assumptions, that's their business. It's not going to make me feel awkward or bad about myself.

 

[Doby45]

I'm sure people have good reasons to either get or not display a master diver patch. Just be advised that being on a dive charter with a US Navy Master Diver may be a little awkward. JMHO.

Why, what is he going to do and who said anything about a patch? If I have a plastic card that says I am a SDI Master Diver, what business is it of yours or the US Navy Master Diver? How would this US Navy Master Diver even know I showed a SDI Master Diver card to the shop? How shallow and fragile would this US Navy Master Diver need to be to get offended by a civilian showing a recreational level diver card to someone? Lighten up, Francis..

 

[scrane]

Unfortunately, the dive industry is based on more than going underwater and swimming with the fishies. Whether its selling people equipment they don't need or selling paper that really doesn't mean much there's a lot of money to be made off of vulnerable people.

 

[radtype]

I wish PADI would call the "AOW" class intermediate and maybe call the Master diver advanced. I think giving a diver something to aim for is good - classes and number of dives.

The PADI master diver at least encourages the new divers to keep diving and increase their skill level even though they are paying a professional to do this.

As noted in an earlier post, I'm not fond of having master divers and dive masters in the same organization

It would be nice if PADI could find a way to give the diver the card instead of charging the diver at least if all their classes were Padi classes.

 

[HantsDiver]

It would be nice if PADI could find a way to give the diver the card instead of charging the diver at least if all their classes were Padi classes.

In some places, they do give the diver the card for free.

In others, the cost of the card is pretty negligible. I certainly don't think the high cost of the card/certification is what it putting people off.

 

[Bob DBF]

It would be nice if PADI could find a way to give the diver the card instead of charging the diver at least if all their classes were Padi classes.

I assume my instructor does the same for others, but in any case, he applied for and gave me the MSD card at the cookout he has at the beach after a training session.


Bob

 

[boulderjohn]

In some places, they do give the diver the card for free.

In others, the cost of the card is pretty negligible. I certainly don't think the high cost of the card/certification is what it putting people off.

The entire cost for the MSD certification is the cost of the card, which isn't much. I am sure more than a few shops will include the card for free as a part of a marketing campaign to get people to take the courses that will lead to the card. I sure would if I managed a shop.

 

[stuartv]

My MSD card is from SDI. My shop didn't charge me anything for it. And, like the 15 or so other SDI and TDI C cards I've gotten from them (except the Divemaster card), they printed it right there at the shop and handed it to me.

Having to pay for a card AND having to wait for it to come in the mail is lame. This is the 21st Century!