Sometimes all a guy can do is smile. 
Master.........Really?
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You show amazing and unexpected restraint.
irishsquid
Contributor
Masterfully, if I may add.
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I'm going to post something that I posted before. The point is that any system that certifies someone as a Master Diver without even a pretense of having them reach the Competent (not to mention Expert) Level as defined below is, IMHO, a dishonest scam.
Novice: Diving knowledge is minimal and solely 'textbook.' It does not connect decisions with actions and ignores the context in which the action will be taken. The available suite of skills rigidly adhere to learned rules, other responses are not readily available. The possible use of knowledge for planning is without situational awareness and lacks discretionary judgment. The diver has available only rational decision making tools, nothing is intuitive or holistic. Individual actions are seen (and taken) in isolation with no conception of, or capability to deal with, complexity. Performance is unlikely to be satisfactory unless closely supervised.
Beginner: The diver has developed a working knowledge of key aspects of tasks and appreciates that complex diving situations exist. Since situational awareness is limited, all attributes and aspects tend to be treated separately and given equal importance. Though the diver begins to use global characteristics of situations that are recognized from limited prior experience, problems are primarily solved by using rote guidelines for action that are based on situational attributes. The diver is starting to make rudimentary attempts to decide on appropriate actions in context, but is limited to applying actions as a series of steps, and thus can not be expected to successfully resolve complex situations. Though supervision is needed for the accomplishment of the overall task, straightforward tasks likely to be completed to an acceptable standard and the beginner is able to achieve some steps using his or her own judgment.
Competent: The diver now has a good working knowledge of diving, as well as some background knowledge of diving, and as a result can deal with knowledge in context. Recognition of relevance is now present. Actions are seen, at least partly, in terms of longer-term goals. The diver is able to cope with simple multiple, simultaneous, and competing inputs. The diver sees actions (at least partially) in terms of longer-term goals. The diver performs best with standardized and routine procedures, but is able to achieve most tasks using his or her own judgment and can alos engage in conscious and deliberate planning. Skills are fit for the purpose intended, though they may lack refinement.
Proficient: The diver posses a depth of understanding of the disciplines that make up diving, as well as those specific to diving, so that the diver can make a holistic assessment in context, rather than just an analytic one. The diver can deal with complex situations holistically, and decision-making is more confident. Performing to a fully acceptable standard is routine, as is seeing what is most important in a situation. Deviations from the normal pattern are quickly perceived. Decision-making is less labored. Maxims are used for guidance, but there is understanding that conclusions will (and should) vary according to the situation. The diver sees the overall 'picture' and how individual actions fit within it. The diver is able to take full responsibility for his or her own work (and that of others where and when applicable).
Expert: The diver is capable of making correct decisions on an intuitive basis. He or she no longer needs to rely on rules, guidelines or maxims and posses an authoritative knowledge of the disciplines that make up diving that leads to a deep tacit understanding of, as well as a holistic and intuitive grasp of situations. In complex circumstances, the diver moves easily between intuitive and analytical approaches, using analytic approaches solely in completely novel situations or when problems occur. The diver sees the overall 'picture' and simultaneously grasps alternative approaches. The diver is comfortable taking responsibility for going beyond existing standards and creating original interpretations using a vision of what is possible. Excellence is achieved with relative ease.
There was a time when most certified divers were competent, now they are almost always novice, rarely a beginner. There was a time when becoming an instructor started with being an expert diver, today one is lucky to find an instructor who is even a proficient diver. What is usually lacking is not the ability to do one of the twenty skills, or even trim and buoyancy, what is missing are critical components of two items:
Novice: Diving knowledge is minimal and solely 'textbook.' It does not connect decisions with actions and ignores the context in which the action will be taken. The available suite of skills rigidly adhere to learned rules, other responses are not readily available. The possible use of knowledge for planning is without situational awareness and lacks discretionary judgment. The diver has available only rational decision making tools, nothing is intuitive or holistic. Individual actions are seen (and taken) in isolation with no conception of, or capability to deal with, complexity. Performance is unlikely to be satisfactory unless closely supervised.
Beginner: The diver has developed a working knowledge of key aspects of tasks and appreciates that complex diving situations exist. Since situational awareness is limited, all attributes and aspects tend to be treated separately and given equal importance. Though the diver begins to use global characteristics of situations that are recognized from limited prior experience, problems are primarily solved by using rote guidelines for action that are based on situational attributes. The diver is starting to make rudimentary attempts to decide on appropriate actions in context, but is limited to applying actions as a series of steps, and thus can not be expected to successfully resolve complex situations. Though supervision is needed for the accomplishment of the overall task, straightforward tasks likely to be completed to an acceptable standard and the beginner is able to achieve some steps using his or her own judgment.
Competent: The diver now has a good working knowledge of diving, as well as some background knowledge of diving, and as a result can deal with knowledge in context. Recognition of relevance is now present. Actions are seen, at least partly, in terms of longer-term goals. The diver is able to cope with simple multiple, simultaneous, and competing inputs. The diver sees actions (at least partially) in terms of longer-term goals. The diver performs best with standardized and routine procedures, but is able to achieve most tasks using his or her own judgment and can alos engage in conscious and deliberate planning. Skills are fit for the purpose intended, though they may lack refinement.
Proficient: The diver posses a depth of understanding of the disciplines that make up diving, as well as those specific to diving, so that the diver can make a holistic assessment in context, rather than just an analytic one. The diver can deal with complex situations holistically, and decision-making is more confident. Performing to a fully acceptable standard is routine, as is seeing what is most important in a situation. Deviations from the normal pattern are quickly perceived. Decision-making is less labored. Maxims are used for guidance, but there is understanding that conclusions will (and should) vary according to the situation. The diver sees the overall 'picture' and how individual actions fit within it. The diver is able to take full responsibility for his or her own work (and that of others where and when applicable).
Expert: The diver is capable of making correct decisions on an intuitive basis. He or she no longer needs to rely on rules, guidelines or maxims and posses an authoritative knowledge of the disciplines that make up diving that leads to a deep tacit understanding of, as well as a holistic and intuitive grasp of situations. In complex circumstances, the diver moves easily between intuitive and analytical approaches, using analytic approaches solely in completely novel situations or when problems occur. The diver sees the overall 'picture' and simultaneously grasps alternative approaches. The diver is comfortable taking responsibility for going beyond existing standards and creating original interpretations using a vision of what is possible. Excellence is achieved with relative ease.
There was a time when most certified divers were competent, now they are almost always novice, rarely a beginner. There was a time when becoming an instructor started with being an expert diver, today one is lucky to find an instructor who is even a proficient diver. What is usually lacking is not the ability to do one of the twenty skills, or even trim and buoyancy, what is missing are critical components of two items:
- The diver can make a holistic assessment in context, rather than just an analytic one.
- Maxims are used for guidance, but there is understanding that conclusions will (and should) vary according to the situation.
Mike Boswell
Contributor
Well, those are certainly part of being a PADI Master Diver. However, as I am sure you already know, the PADI Master Diver must also be able to empower synergistic initiatives, visualize impactful experiences, recontextualize site-based enrichment, and expedite proactive outcomes in modalities which avoid outdated paradigms and disaggregate process-based critical thinking.
drrich2
Contributor
What is the best, most useful purpose of the Master Diver program; to encourage large numbers of mainstream folks, including vacation divers, to get more training & become better than they would've otherwise (like how it seems to be set up now), or...
Honor a small percentage of the highly elite? (With a program with such high standards the huge majority of divers would be discouraged & not pursue it).
I get Thal.'s point, I think. I'm simply asking which approach leads to doing the most good for the most people in the real world?
Richard.
Honor a small percentage of the highly elite? (With a program with such high standards the huge majority of divers would be discouraged & not pursue it).
I get Thal.'s point, I think. I'm simply asking which approach leads to doing the most good for the most people in the real world?
Richard.
It is true that alot of divers simply certify to get a vacation dive in. I know of one person who certified in 1991 and to this date is till only an open water diver with just about 40 actual open water dives in. If he could afford to dive more I can almost assure you hed get more classes in but with 3 kids he doesnt get alot of time or opportunity too.
The master diver program is main stream aimed at simply encouraging people who dont want to go professional to get more exposure to the sport. When I say exposure I mean people will get the opportunity to choose 5 specialties that even if they seem like a fluff course or not even related to diving at all (Such as Fish I.D.) it gets people to want to experiment and even learn more about the sport and thus potentially turn them into a life long diver.
I get ripped all the time about my being a proud master diver but hey look at anything in life. Police officers love their jobs while others think they are worthless. In high school Band members loved their music while others always refered to them as a derogitory name I wont use for respect reasons. Mothers who become moms in their teens and every one laughed and made fun of them are out enjoying a well earned life in their 30s while the rest of us are raising kids.
I am being open and honest when I say people who earn something and I do say earn because to earn the master diver you must complete set guide lines should be proud of their achievements. It doesnt matter what the rest of the world thanks because they dont walk in the shoes of others. And besides that until you dive with someone you dont know if they are trully a master diver or not. Their are some master divers out their that can out dive alot of senior instructors too! its not a title that makes someone its their own unique individual character and knowledge as well as experience that makes them who they are.
The master diver program is main stream aimed at simply encouraging people who dont want to go professional to get more exposure to the sport. When I say exposure I mean people will get the opportunity to choose 5 specialties that even if they seem like a fluff course or not even related to diving at all (Such as Fish I.D.) it gets people to want to experiment and even learn more about the sport and thus potentially turn them into a life long diver.
I get ripped all the time about my being a proud master diver but hey look at anything in life. Police officers love their jobs while others think they are worthless. In high school Band members loved their music while others always refered to them as a derogitory name I wont use for respect reasons. Mothers who become moms in their teens and every one laughed and made fun of them are out enjoying a well earned life in their 30s while the rest of us are raising kids.
I am being open and honest when I say people who earn something and I do say earn because to earn the master diver you must complete set guide lines should be proud of their achievements. It doesnt matter what the rest of the world thanks because they dont walk in the shoes of others. And besides that until you dive with someone you dont know if they are trully a master diver or not. Their are some master divers out their that can out dive alot of senior instructors too! its not a title that makes someone its their own unique individual character and knowledge as well as experience that makes them who they are.
i couldn't agree more to the previous post(k ellis). Whether its SSI, Padi, or... the designation promotes safe diving techniques in requiring more classes(try 5) & Stress & Rescue(SSI). Stress & Rescue gave me huge insight of other divers behavior & what to be aware of, along with a big jump in confidence & competence my own abilities.
If the rest of you think the Master Diver status a joke, KMA, tough sh*t....
If the rest of you think the Master Diver status a joke, KMA, tough sh*t....
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Really?!!!?
Where did you get that BS?
SSI requires(I should know, I have my MD card from them) AOW, 4 specialty classes, 50 dives, minimum; & Stress & Rescue.
Their Stress & Rescue course deals not only with rescue skills, but it also puts the diver through a number of stressful drills.
As a prerequisite for Stress & Rescue certification you need to have a valid CPR & First Aid certificate.
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I know the feeling CaboJim. I could not swim at all when I got into diving. I became hooked on a discover scuba dive in which they dont require any swimming ability at all. I went to my LDS and signed up and almost had a heart attack at the requirement of swimming. I even asked about a refund but the stubborn instructor talked me into trying some diffrent types of swimming and eventually I limped through the requirements.
After certification I put off learning to swim for a while and eventually learned in Rescue Diver I had put it off long enough. So I almost drowned myself in Open Water and again in Rescue allthough by that point I had learned to at least doggie paddle.
So Id say learning to swim (Alone and with no help which was pain staking) and then working my hind end off to rescue some one along with all the fun things along the way such as my DPV course and equipment class and most importantly of all learning from my mistakes I would say I trully earned my title.
It did what it was designed to do and pushed me to my very limits and even face my fears of drowning to learn to swim. So to this one instructor in town I really do owe my entire diving lifestyle to his not letting me quit.
my question with all this being said is what had there not been a AOW and a Rescue and all 5 specialties? Id probably not be the diver I am today with out always having yet one more goal in site to achieve on my course to MSD.
After certification I put off learning to swim for a while and eventually learned in Rescue Diver I had put it off long enough. So I almost drowned myself in Open Water and again in Rescue allthough by that point I had learned to at least doggie paddle.
So Id say learning to swim (Alone and with no help which was pain staking) and then working my hind end off to rescue some one along with all the fun things along the way such as my DPV course and equipment class and most importantly of all learning from my mistakes I would say I trully earned my title.
It did what it was designed to do and pushed me to my very limits and even face my fears of drowning to learn to swim. So to this one instructor in town I really do owe my entire diving lifestyle to his not letting me quit.
my question with all this being said is what had there not been a AOW and a Rescue and all 5 specialties? Id probably not be the diver I am today with out always having yet one more goal in site to achieve on my course to MSD.
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