It would be informative if you'd provide a summary of any notable changes, or any obvious differences between NASE's standards and most others. If the new standards are different, it would be well worth showing that! (and a pleasant surprise to many educators)
After we released our revised training standards I was sure the required bottom time versus number of dives who get the most attention. BUT it seems our most "controversial" change was the eliminating the snorkel use requirement! We leave it up to the instructor to answer the question "to snorkel or not to snorkel".
Our four principals we believe in and used to guide our standards:
Make it Fun: Most people who sign up for scuba diving do so because they want to have fun, not just to learn to dive. Our focus is on discovering how to have fun underwater while learning to dive safely. (And isnt that the way it is supposed to be?)
Make it Thorough: NASE Worldwides competency-based approach to diver training does not dictate what the instructor will cover or how many sessions it will take before a student has supposedly learned. Instead, our student-centered approach to diver training specifies what, when and how well students will be able to perform real-world diving skills in order to be certified.
Make it Real: Diver training should be based on the way the worlds best divers actually dive, not the way a group of self-appointed experts say that they should dive or the fact that they have always taught it that way.
Make it Environmentally Responsible: Students internalize what they see and experience during training. NASE Worldwide helps make sure this example will do everything possible to create safe and environmentally responsible divers. One way we do this is by ending every dive with a slow ascent and safety stop, and learning skills in a way that minimizes contact with the bottom.
