Master scuba diver - why the negativity?

[Aaron528]

If you want to call yourself "Captain Crunch", go ahead.
-Mitch

Captain Crunch...what a cool screen name, so much more interesting than my dumb title.

 

[100days-a-year]

For one it's kind of insulting to actual Navy Master Divers,at least to someone who knows what involved in the 2 different titles.It's like being called the"pope"of WalMart or the "president"of toothpaste.

A story...about 10 yrs ago a neighbor comes up to comment on my wife pink tanks as I am washing dive gear after a day out in the fall.He says "those are very cute tanks" in a sarcastic manner and I say "thank you... they are my wifes,she has a lot of pink gear as you see" He makes a smart comment to the effect that she will get over it when she becomes more experienced.I ask him his level of experience(at this time I had several thousand dives and was certified to full tri-mix)he replies he is a "master diver" I say "oh my,I had no idea you were in the Navy too" He then describes his scintillating dive history of some 100 dives over the years and his classes where he was mercilessly grilled in "skills".I then explain that previously in the month of August how my pink clad wife had done as many dives as he had in his entire life and had gone deeper,done deco dives,dove several wrecks,drift dove,shot fish with both camera and speargun,had done a night dive,boat dive and pretty much about doubled his total "skills"but she was a secure confident woman and as to patches or cards she replied"patches..we don't need no stinking patches"

 

[String]

It seems to create a lot of debate. If someone advances their training and wants to have something to show for that - why do people have a problem?

Not everyone has the want/desire to become a dive master or instructor so having a final cert for rec divers seems appropriate.

Because the "master scuba diver" certification itself involves no training, no learning, no additional content and is simply paying money for a card. Its for card collectors and egos.

If you want to further your training then great - its a good thing! But MSD card on top of that is just paying money to tell people you've done it.

 

[Walter]

If a 12-year-old diver with 50 dives under his belt loves diving and wants to learn and advance his skills under the supervision of a PADI instructor, why shouldn't he do that?

He should. Of course, that has nothing to do with the PADI MD card......

I am enrolled in Master Diver through NAUI and I dont give a DAMN what people think.

The NAUI Master Diver class is an excellent class.

 

[Blackwood]

For one it's kind of insulting to actual Navy Master Divers,at least to someone who knows what involved in the 2 different titles.It's like being called the"pope"of WalMart

LOL. Now that's funny right there.

Really, I'm not sure I agree. Different organizations can use similar verbiage. 'Pope' is word which specifically refers to a single role within the catholic church. Master can refer to almost anything.

 

[DevonDiver]

Noun1.

master - an artist of consummate skill; "a master of the violin"; "one of the old masters"maestro
artist, creative person - a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
old master - a great European painter prior to 19th century

2.master - a person who has general authority over othersoverlord, lord
feudal lord, seigneur, seignior - a man of rank in the ancient regime
ruler, swayer - a person who rules or commands; "swayer of the universe"

3.

master - a combatant who is able to defeat rivalsvictor, superior
battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper - someone who fights (or is fighting)
conqueror, vanquisher - someone who is victorious by force of arms

4.master - directs the work of othersemployer - a person or firm that employs workers
postmaster - the person in charge of a post office
spymaster - someone who directs clandestine intelligence activities
station agent, stationmaster - the person in charge of a railway station

5.

master - presiding officer of a school headmaster, schoolmaster
housemaster - teacher in charge of a school boardinghouse
head teacher, school principal, principal, head - the educator who has executive authority for a school; "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal"

6.

master - an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be mademaster copy, original
creation - an artifact that has been brought into existence by someone

7.

master - an officer who is licensed to command a merchant shipsea captain, skipper, captain
ship's officer, officer - a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel; "he is the officer in charge of the ship's engines"

8.master - someone who holds a master's degree from academic institutionbookman, scholar, scholarly person, student - a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines

9.master - an authority qualified to teach apprenticesprofessional
authority - an expert whose views are taken as definitive; "he is an authority on corporate law"
past master - someone who was formerly a master

10.

master - key that secures entrance everywheremaster key, passe-partout, passkey
key - metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
skeleton key - a passkey with much of the bit filed away so that it can open different locks
Verb1.master - be or become completely proficient or skilled in; "She mastered Japanese in less than two years"get the hang
know - know how to do or perform something; "She knows how to knit"; "Does your husband know how to cook?"

2.master - get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his shyness"surmount, overcome, subdue, get over
beat, beat out, vanquish, trounce, crush, shell - come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game"
bulldog - throw a steer by seizing the horns and twisting the neck, as in a rodeo

3.master - have dominance or the power to defeat over; "Her pain completely mastered her"; "The methods can master the problems"dominate
command - be in command of; "The general commanded a huge army"
control, command - exercise authoritative control or power over; "control the budget"; "Command the military forces"
subjugate, subject - make subservient; force to submit or subdue

4.master - have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of; "Do you control these data?"control
know - know how to do or perform something; "She knows how to knit"; "Does your husband know how to cook?"
cinch - get a grip on; get mastery of
control, operate - handle and cause to function; "do not operate machinery after imbibing alcohol"; "control the lever"
Adj.1.

master - most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"chief, main, principal, primary
important, of import - of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Now that there's a master list, Andy ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Walter]

The 1st definition is what is obviously meant, but none of them describes the reality.

 

[DevonDiver]

Here is how PADI actually market the MSD qualification. It is not the way that some people seem to imagine it to be marketed...

"With the PADI Master Scuba Diver rating, you have reached the highest non professional level in the PADI System of diver education. It means that you have acquired significant training and experience in a variety of dive environments."

Actually, definition number Verb.4 is the closest to how PADI describe it. Their course and instructor guides consistanly refer to "mastery consistent with course requirements".

have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of; get a grip on; get mastery of

I'd hazard a guess that the US Navy definition (being a rank) was more in line with Noun.2

a person who has general authority over others, a man of rank, a person who rules or commands

Divers who get annoyed with the PADI MSD title imagine that it claims to be Noun.9

an authority qualified to teach apprentices, an expert whose views are taken as definitive

 

[Rhone Man]

I like the second one. PADI should rebrand it as "Diving Overlord".