My descent into becoming a RAID instructor...

[The Chairman]

I should have started this earlier as I have been working on it for a month, maybe more. I'll try to piece together what I've done so far, why I'm interested in RAID as an agency, why I stopped being an instructor, and why I feel a need to return to instruction. No, probably not in that order! This is not meant to be a condemnation of any agency, so please don't take it as such.

History: (Dan recently did an article on me 4th quarter 2024 for everything)

First dive: Summer of '69 (I was 12) My instructor was horrible and never got in the water with us. Ever. No SPG, no depth gauge, no bladder, no octo​

1976 Spring Break in Marathon Fl, where my college roommate lived. Three dives in the Keys where all these long pined sea urchins taught me the value of neutral buoyancy. Sheesh: the stuff of nightmares!​

1999 or 2000 First Cert: PADI. My Full Cave PADI instructor was horrible and put me in danger more than once. Took me through DM for $500. He no longer teaches for any agency.​

Advisor for a Scuba themed BSA Venture Crew 2000 I did not like the instruction they were getting or their instructors.​

2001 Became the owner of ScubaBoard​

2001 Became a NAUI Instructor Michael Brady taught me to be patient, Reggie Ross taught me to always set the example by being the example RIP both of them​

2003 Became an SDI/TDI Instructor​

2003 Began my descent into all neutral (no kneeling) instruction. Many were skeptical, even calling me a liar for claiming I was doing this​

2007 RAID becomes a Certifying Agency​

2010(?) Became a NASE instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Evaluator (Regional Head)​

2012(?) Became an Adaptive Diver Instructor and Instructor Trainer for DiveHeart​

2019 Broke my leg in Fiji​

2020 Covid, and I stopped teaching​

2023 Horrible back injury while taking care of my dying sister​

2024 4 lumbar vertebrae fused and wedges added. Had blood clots in my lungs as a side effect​

2025 Cleared by doctors to both dive and teach.​

2025 I needed someone to teach my grandnephew to dive, and so I decided to get back into teaching​

Lots of dives in the 55+ years since Lake Underhill in Orlando Florida. Lots of precious memories, students, and friendships too. I didn't refer to any written documentation, so some of my timeline might be off by a year or two, but it's not that important. It's the best that I can remember. It just gives you an insight into my obsession with neutral only instruction.

I remember when RAID showed up at DEMA. We have so, so many agencies, that it was hard to get excited. Then I remember when they took on OW and not just rebreathers. Huh. I had a couple of friends who taught for them rave about their attention to trim and neutral buoyancy. At that time NASE had undergone a refresh and had the same requirement. No, not just being able to hold neutral buoyancy for a minute or two: but the entire dive. The entire dive. They got some grudging admiration from me and the more I read on their instructors yammering on how they differed, the more I was intrigued. The tipping point? Pam Wooten. I knew Pam from all the years I lived, taught, and guided in the Keys. She didn't boast about herself, she just kept her promises and was an excellent instructor and even course director. I hear she's an incredible Cave instructor too. She kept her promises. I was looking for someone to teach my grandnephew diving as I'm taking him on the ScubaBoard Invasion to Belize this June. Woot! She asked more than once why I wasn't teaching him, and then she got me connected to Sabatino "Dino" Bianco out of Tejas. As my rehab from back surgery has been so strong, I decided to go ahead and go for it. Why not? It's the least I can do for Ethan after he took care of me after my surgery.

 

[dinobianco]

I should have started this earlier as I have been working on it for a month, maybe more. I'll try to piece together what I've done so far, why I'm interested in RAID as an agency, why I stopped being an instructor, and why I feel a need to return to instruction. No, probably not in that order! This is not meant to be a condemnation of any agency, so please don't take it as such.

History: (Dan recently did an article on me 4th quarter 2024 for everything)

First dive: Summer of '69 (I was 12) My instructor was horrible and never got in the water with us. Ever. No SPG, no depth gauge, no bladder, no octo​

1976 Spring Break in Marathon Fl, where my college roommate lived. Three dives in the Keys where all these long pined sea urchins taught me the value of neutral buoyancy. Sheesh: the stuff of nightmares!​

1999 or 2000 First Cert: PADI. My Full Cave PADI instructor was horrible and put me in danger more than once. Took me through DM for $500. He no longer teaches for any agency.​

Advisor for a Scuba themed BSA Venture Crew 2000 I did not like the instruction they were getting or their instructors.​

2001 Became the owner of ScubaBoard​

2001 Became a NAUI Instructor Michael Brady taught me to be patient, Reggie Ross taught me to always set the example by being the example RIP both of them​

2003 Became an SDI/TDI Instructor​

2003 Began my descent into all neutral (no kneeling) instruction. Many were skeptical, even calling me a liar for claiming I was doing this​

2007 RAID becomes a Certifying Agency​

2010(?) Became a NASE instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Evaluator (Regional Head)​

2012(?) Became an Adaptive Diver Instructor and Instructor Trainer for DiveHeart​

2019 Broke my leg in Fiji​

2020 Covid, and I stopped teaching​

2023 Horrible back injury while taking care of my dying sister​

2024 4 lumbar vertebrae fused and wedges added. Had blood clots in my lungs as a side effect​

2025 Cleared by doctors to both dive and teach.​

2025 I needed someone to teach my grandnephew to dive, and so I decided to get back into teaching​

Lots of dives in the 55+ years since Lake Underhill in Orlando Florida. Lots of precious memories, students, and friendships too. I didn't refer to any written documentation, so some of my timeline might be off by a year or two, but it's not that important. It's the best that I can remember. It just gives you an insight into my obsession with neutral only instruction.

I remember when RAID showed up at DEMA. We have so, so many agencies, that it was hard to get excited. Then I remember when they took on OW and not just rebreathers. Huh. I had a couple of friends who taught for them rave about their attention to trim and neutral buoyancy. At that time NASE had undergone a refresh and had the same requirement. No, not just being able to hold neutral buoyancy for a minute or two: but the entire dive. The entire dive. They got some grudging admiration from me and the more I read on their instructors yammering on how they differed, the more I was intrigued. The tipping point? Pam Wooten. I knew Pam from all the years I lived, taught, and guided in the Keys. She didn't boast about herself, she just kept her promises and was an excellent instructor and even course director. I hear she's an incredible Cave instructor too. She kept her promises. I was looking for someone to teach my grandnephew diving as I'm taking him on the ScubaBoard Invasion to Belize this June. Woot! She asked more than once why I wasn't teaching him, and then she got me connected to Sabatino "Dino" Bianco out of Tejas. As my rehab from back surgery has been so strong, I decided to go ahead and go for it. Why not? It's the least I can do for Ethan after he took care of me after my surgery.

Hi Pete,
It’s a pleasure to work with you! RAID embrace the essence of trim and buoyancy at all levels of diving. We pride ourselves for offering high quality training and top safety standards to all divers. We also are the only agency that has a zero instructors and shop membership fees.
I look forward to complete your instructor crossover asap!

 

[The Chairman]

Speaking of the devil...

So, how far have I gotten? Well, I'm close and yet so, so far.

First, I met with Dino, Jimmy Henderson (@jrh1812), to do a skills test. Nope. Mother Nature had other plans, so we opted to change that to a meeting and Q&A session. Thanks to Randy of SubGravity for allowing us to meet in his Ft White Home. Luckily for me that Dino was out here doing training on Randy's Rebreather, the XCCR. I think I was sold from about five minutes into our discussion. The more we talked, the more I liked the answers they gave. One bone of contention I have with so many agencies is their CESA. It's only required to practice in the pool! Doing it from depth in OW is merely optional. Wow. Wow. This was exciting and I was eager to get going. I know plenty of instructors who have suffered injuries from this arcane practice. It's not needed and I have never seen it taught to mastery... ever. Students do it once, and are done. Twice if they muff it the first time. The repeated minor trauma to the ears adds up over the day and the years. It's just not good to expose instructors to that kind of abuse. They get enough of that from the shop owners! (badabump)

Yes, like all other candidates, I had waivers and agreements to sign. I even had to have my GP sign my clearance since I had had surgery this past year. Yeah, she wants me to teach her son now! Then we set up a time for in-water skills test at Troy Springs a few days later. Both DIno and Jimmy were in the water. Piece of cake. Well, at least for me. This is the first time I had to "prove" myself for a crossover. That speaks volumes! Somehow, I passed. They can tell you how well I did. They have my permission.

So now I'm onto the quizzes and exams. Sheesh. They have a bit different slant on things, so I failed two times on the third quiz. It's time to hit the RGDS. No other crossover was this intense, either. They're different from the other agencies and they want you to know how. It's def bureaucratic, but I will slog through the 230+ pages of their standards, nevertheless. I want to ensure my students get the whole RAID experience, so it's worth it.

What have I seen different so far? First, if any agency has a beef with you, don't bother with RAID. I don't know of any other agency that won't let you represent them if you have an open complaint. Good on you, RAID. They've stopped the practice of agency hopping on their end. However, the clearest difference is with their belief that trim and buoyancy are core skills for an OW diver. They don't buy into the myth that it should take a 100 dives to be in control, either. No, they don't want to see it for a minute or two, either. The candidate should display it throughout the dive. Good on you, Raid.

I'll continue to add my insights and progress as I continue. I want to be done tomorrow, but it's probably going to take the better part of a week. I will succeed! Wish me competence!

 

[hoopswelding]

Speaking of the devil...

So, how far have I gotten? Well, I'm close and yet so, so far.

First, I met with Dino, Jimmy Henderson (@jrh1812), to do a skills test. Nope. Mother Nature had other plans, so we opted to change that to a meeting and Q&A session. Thanks to Randy of SubGravity for allowing us to meet in his Ft White Home. Luckily for me that Dino was out here doing training on Randy's Rebreather, the XCCR. I think I was sold from about five minutes into our discussion. The more we talked, the more I liked the answers they gave. One bone of contention I have with so many agencies is their CESA. It's only required to practice in the pool! Doing it from depth in OW is merely optional. Wow. Wow. This was exciting and I was eager to get going. I know plenty of instructors who have suffered injuries from this arcane practice. It's not needed and I have never seen it taught to mastery... ever. Students do it once, and are done. Twice if they muff it the first time. The repeated minor trauma to the ears adds up over the day and the years. It's just not good to expose instructors to that kind of abuse. They get enough of that from the shop owners! (badabump)

Yes, like all other candidates, I had waivers and agreements to sign. I even had to have my GP sign my clearance since I had had surgery this past year. Yeah, she wants me to teach her son now! Then we set up a time for in-water skills test at Troy Springs a few days later. Both DIno and Jimmy were in the water. Piece of cake. Well, at least for me. This is the first time I had to "prove" myself for a crossover. That speaks volumes! Somehow, I passed. They can tell you how well I did. They have my permission.

So now I'm onto the quizzes and exams. Sheesh. They have a bit different slant on things, so I failed two times on the third quiz. It's time to hit the RGDS. No other crossover was this intense, either. They're different from the other agencies and they want you to know how. It's def bureaucratic, but I will slog through the 230+ pages of their standards, nevertheless. I want to ensure my students get the whole RAID experience, so it's worth it.

What have I seen different so far? First, if any agency has a beef with you, don't bother with RAID. I don't know of any other agency that won't let you represent them if you have an open complaint. Good on you, RAID. They've stopped the practice of agency hopping on their end. However, the clearest difference is with their belief that trim and buoyancy are core skills for an OW diver. They don't buy into the myth that it should take a 100 dives to be in control, either. No, they don't want to see it for a minute or two, either. The candidate should display it throughout the dive. Good on you, Raid.

I'll continue to add my insights and progress as I continue. I want to be done tomorrow, but it's probably going to take the better part of a week. I will succeed! Wish me competence!

I switched to Raid a little over a year ago for training. I had the pleasure of completing my Deco 50 course with Dino last fall which further solidified my thoughts that RAID was a great agency. It speaks volumes to me that the people who are at the top of the organization take the time to dive with and vet their instructors thoroughly! I hope to begin my journey from a RAID DM to instructor soon!

 

[RAID MARKETING]

Speaking of the devil...

So, how far have I gotten? Well, I'm close and yet so, so far.

First, I met with Dino, Jimmy Henderson (@jrh1812), to do a skills test. Nope. Mother Nature had other plans, so we opted to change that to a meeting and Q&A session. Thanks to Randy of SubGravity for allowing us to meet in his Ft White Home. Luckily for me that Dino was out here doing training on Randy's Rebreather, the XCCR. I think I was sold from about five minutes into our discussion. The more we talked, the more I liked the answers they gave. One bone of contention I have with so many agencies is their CESA. It's only required to practice in the pool! Doing it from depth in OW is merely optional. Wow. Wow. This was exciting and I was eager to get going. I know plenty of instructors who have suffered injuries from this arcane practice. It's not needed and I have never seen it taught to mastery... ever. Students do it once, and are done. Twice if they muff it the first time. The repeated minor trauma to the ears adds up over the day and the years. It's just not good to expose instructors to that kind of abuse. They get enough of that from the shop owners! (badabump)

Yes, like all other candidates, I had waivers and agreements to sign. I even had to have my GP sign my clearance since I had had surgery this past year. Yeah, she wants me to teach her son now! Then we set up a time for in-water skills test at Troy Springs a few days later. Both DIno and Jimmy were in the water. Piece of cake. Well, at least for me. This is the first time I had to "prove" myself for a crossover. That speaks volumes! Somehow, I passed. They can tell you how well I did. They have my permission.

So now I'm onto the quizzes and exams. Sheesh. They have a bit different slant on things, so I failed two times on the third quiz. It's time to hit the RGDS. No other crossover was this intense, either. They're different from the other agencies and they want you to know how. It's def bureaucratic, but I will slog through the 230+ pages of their standards, nevertheless. I want to ensure my students get the whole RAID experience, so it's worth it.

What have I seen different so far? First, if any agency has a beef with you, don't bother with RAID. I don't know of any other agency that won't let you represent them if you have an open complaint. Good on you, RAID. They've stopped the practice of agency hopping on their end. However, the clearest difference is with their belief that trim and buoyancy are core skills for an OW diver. They don't buy into the myth that it should take a 100 dives to be in control, either. No, they don't want to see it for a minute or two, either. The candidate should display it throughout the dive. Good on you, Raid.

I'll continue to add my insights and progress as I continue. I want to be done tomorrow, but it's probably going to take the better part of a week. I will succeed! Wish me competence!

Good to see that you and Dino got together... He's a genuinely nice guy and a gifted instructor. See you around, buddy.

 

[happy-diver]

I love RAID for the uninterruted learning of all sorts of snippets about all sorts of diving and equipment

Invaluable acccessible reference repository

Thank you.

 

[The Chairman]

Good to see that you and Dino got together... He's a genuinely nice guy and a gifted instructor. See you around, buddy.

When are you coming down to Cave Country??? You've got the clearance now, don't you?