Master.........Really?

[Skulmoski]

MSD to me indicates a level of standing in the PADI dive progression; it does not indicate competency. It is useful if applied in this manner.

GJS

 

[Neilwood]

Agree it distinguishes them and the idea of changing the name from Master to something else (or not).
Don't agree on going right to AOW after 5-7 (I had 6 and turned out OK, I think...) dives. This is an age old topic--many agreeing that AOW is merely an extension of OW and a way to learn more about some specialized aspects, with an instructor (the 5 dives may cost as much as the course anyway, especially if all from a charter boat). Many also agree it depends on how comfortable the OW diver is with basic diving. Some say don't do TOO MANY dives before AOW because you might have picked up most of the skills before taking the course. I would agree though that a name change for AOW may not be a bad idea as well... or not.

Think that is the reason the program is referred to as "Adventures in Diving" with Padi but the certificate could do with a rename to clarify the "advanced" part. For me the only reason I want AOW is the requirement for that on charters/liveaboards to allow deeper dives.
Perhaps the certificates should be :
OW
OW (extended)
AOW - to replace the current MSD
Master - reserved for dive master.

 

[TMHeimer]

Nielwood, Good ideas. Have we ever disagreed? Maybe it's because I'm mostly Scottish (roots in Orkney, Highlands).

 

[Neilwood]

Nielwood, Good ideas. Have we ever disagreed? Maybe it's because I'm mostly Scottish (roots in Orkney, Highlands).

Don't think we have tbh.

With roots like that you must come over, trace them and while you are here dive Scapa flow - linky

 

[100days-a-year]

Master Diver Cert=Participation trophy
A story I tell often concerns a neighbor teasing me on Sunday for the pink tanks we were cleaning. He states he is a "Master Diver"I replied that I was unaware he was active duty USN and did he know a friend who was the Master Diver at a nearby base.He then gave me the rundown on his epic achievement of more than 50 dives and assortment of "specialties "I then told him that my wife often got nearly 100 dives in August alone every year and owned those pink tanks.She had done more deep,night, drift..,photography, wreck etc... in the previous months that he had lifetime.
I don't discount continuing education but at some point all those patches and titles are meaningless vanity . I'd be happy to see the name changed.

 

[TMHeimer]

Don't think we have tbh.

With roots like that you must come over, trace them and while you are here dive Scapa flow - linky

That's cold water in August up there. I went for a daily swim while living in the old homestead on Sanday, Orkney 30 years ago. Diving must be interesting. Send me a PM (well, "conversation" now) if you're ever in NS ("New Scotland").

 

[scubadada]

Master Diver Cert=Participation trophy
A story I tell often concerns a neighbor teasing me on Sunday for the pink tanks we were cleaning. He states he is a "Master Diver"I replied that I was unaware he was active duty USN and did he know a friend who was the Master Diver at a nearby base.He then gave me the rundown on his epic achievement of more than 50 dives and assortment of "specialties "I then told him that my wife often got nearly 100 dives in August alone every year and owned those pink tanks.She had done more deep,night, drift..,photography, wreck etc... in the previous months that he had lifetime.
I don't discount continuing education but at some point all those patches and titles are meaningless vanity . I'd be happy to see the name changed.

So, what do you call it? Do away with it? So, I'm a rescue diver with nitrox, deep, dpv, navigation, and search & rescue. All more than a dozen years and more than 1000 dives ago. Who really cares?

 

[iamrushman]

i have a MSD and when the charters ask i tell them I'm AOW and that's just SOP......

 

[100days-a-year]

QUOTE="scubadada, post: 7684770, member: 33978"]So, what do you call it? Do away with it? [/QUOTE]

How about just do away with it,as in just about every other field of human endeavor the term "master" implies a competency level far in excess of that learned in 50 or 150 or likely 1050 dives and a few "specialty" dives under instruction that are really quite ordinary.

Your rescue cert is worthy of the title as it specifically teaches the ability to rescue other divers.That's why I said the master diver rating was a participation trophy,it means nothing and conveys no valid objective quantification of a diver's skill.

 

[scubadada]

QUOTE="scubadada, post: 7684770, member: 33978"]So, what do you call it? Do away with it?

How about just do away with it...[/QUOTE]

Fine with me, not likely to happen with all mainstream agencies having some variant. It would be nice to have one less recurring thread here on SB