Old time scuba divers

[Trace Malinowski]

Certifed originally in 1966 but the instructor held the card for me until I could bench press scuba tanks to his statisfaction. There was not depth limitation except for 130 feet. Light deco was part of the 8 week long, twice a week, three to four hours each meeting class. Each class consisted of lecture and pool sessions and ended with lap swimming. We also did some breath hold diving training. This was NAUI and my instructor had been a pro football player and was into fitness. He was also YMCA as well as NAUI. I do not recall if he was also LA County.

What you get today with the basic cert is what we did the first few sessions, courses back then and up well into the 80s were much more complete and inclued much of what is now sold as add on or specialty courses. My mom paid for my course in 1966 and I think it was $60 plus Y membership. My second go through in 68 was free. Just to prove to him I could bench press a steel 72, I forget how many times he required.

And just saying, the course was full up with mostly young people through college age, there may have been a few over 30. And, another interesting thing, the men's (lap) swim hour was just prior our class and swimsuits were not required so my instructor or one of us guys had to make sure the stragglers had cleared the deck, lol, since we were coed.

And the bench pressing scuba tanks was just an excuse he invented not to give me a C-card at 12 yo since he had no other nail to hang his hat on and I was the best swimmer in the class and passed every skill just fine. At that age two years and puberty kicking in makes a huge difference .

N

That made my day. I was in a bad mood until you restored my faith in an instructor trying to wash you out and you having no quit in you. I bet you still have that card, and when you look at it, it feels like a sports trophy.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I just mean that the parent is a certified scuba diver themselves, read through the list of inherent scuba diving dangers, and signed the PADI youth diver form, which, among other things, says “I/we agree to abide by all supervisory and depth limitations that may accompany my/our child’s PADI certification” And they willfully chose to violate that, placing their child in danger. This is child endangerment / neglect (depending on what a given jurisdiction calls it). The term “per se” was used just to mean that “in and of itself” the violation of the hard depth limit after you were apprised of the dangers and agreed not to violate them with your child is neglectful / endangerment.

But the signed agreement is between the parent and PADI, and PADI no doubt requires it to protect themselves from liability to the parent. Now, I suspect the signed agreement could be used by law enforcement authorities as evidence of child endangerment or whatever crime, but it wouldn't necessarily mean they have made their case, would it? Wouldn't they need to show something more, like evidence that taking a child past 40 feet is inherently dangerous, or that the parent did something else to endanger the child? Is PADI's determination that taking a child past 40 feet is dangerous dispositive in a charge of child endangerment by law enforcement authorities? So many questions! And again, feel free to take the discussion to DM, or if you're simply don't feel like discussing it more, I understand. I'm guessing you come to SB for diversion, not to relive your day job.

I'm glad I don't have kids. Out of fear of being neglectful, I would lock them in the proverbial protective bubble. (Or would that be endangerment?)

 

[Akimbo]

Certifed originally in 1966 but the instructor held the card for me until I could bench press scuba tanks to his statisfaction.

Mine was 1962 and my dad said he would buy my gear and pay for training IF I could swim the length of the high school racing pool (25 yards or 22.8m) underwater on one breath and no fins. I did it when I was 11 and he kept his word, but was really surprised I pulled it off before turning 16.

No depth limits but we were well trained enough to figure out what was safe and how to progress deeper.

 

[EFX]

I got certified (Basic, not OW) in 1974 from NASDS. As part of getting certified we had to do exercises that would make the SEAL's proud. With all of our equipment scattered at the bottom of a 12 ft pool, we had to dive to the bottom, assemble our equipment and put it on, before going to the surface. In another exercise we had to dive to the bottom at 12 ft, turn on a bare tank and breath from the tank valve for at least a minute. For the final exam we had to swim around the circumference of the pool in full scuba gear about 3 ft below the surface. The instructor and the DM would swim around picking students at random and ripping their masks off, or pulling out your regulator. If you surfaced you failed. If that wasn't enough try buddy breathing at 12 ft. I was 21 when I got certified. I dove for 5 years with J-valve 72 ft3 steel tanks, no SPG's, and no alternate regulators. I didn't give a thought that I might have to buddy breath at 80 ft. Today, at 68, if I had to buddy breath at 10 ft, it would scare the daylights out of me.

 

[Erich S]

I got certified (Basic, not OW) in 1974 from NASDS. As part of getting certified we had to do exercises that would make the SEAL's proud. With all of our equipment at the bottom of a 12 ft pool, we had to dive to the bottom, assemble our equipment and put it on, before going to the surface. In another exercise we had to dive to the bottom at 12 ft, turn on a bare tank and breath from the tank valve for at least a minute. For the final exam we had to swim around the circumference of the pool in full scuba gear about 3 ft below the surface. The instructor and the DM would swim around picking students at random and ripping their masks off, or pulling out your regulator. If you surfaced you failed. If that wasn't enough try buddy breathing at 12 ft. I was 21 when I got certified. I dove for 5 years with J-valve 72 ft3 steel tanks, no SPG's, and no alternate regulators. I didn't give a thought that I might have to buddy breath at 80 ft. Today, at 68, if I had to buddy breath at 10 ft, it would scare the daylights out of me.

My 1976 PADI Basic course had exactly the same training as your NASDS Course. The only difference was that we also had to eat a raw hotdog underwater!

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Just an observation unrelated to the thread: This is just a small sampling of divers who have replied to the thread, but here we are still diving all these years later and passionate enough to still be talking scuba on social media which we never imagined we'd be doing when we did our courses.

Only 4 people in my open water class out of 6 made it to open water and only two passed. I was one. The other guy who passed our class wrote a book about his scuba and hunting adventures around the world. Jack Harris Wildlife Dreams Website - About Me

Two guys who went through the old Navy-style harassment training in Scranton, Pennsylvania are still going strong 40 years later. My respect to all of you folks. You all had to want it to pass.

 

[scubadada]

My dive trophy, basic scuba, 1970

 

[Trace Malinowski]

My dive trophy, basic scuba, 1970
View attachment 737813

Look at you with the fancy raised type. LOL!

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I got my adult C-card 4 days after my 15th birthday. Permed wet, wind-blown '80s hair and farmer john wetsuit in photo. Ha! Now, I'm 5'10.98" and 69 lbs. heavier as of my last doctor's visit.

 

[Nemrod]

I hear oft repeated "my instructor says" (and often regarding something they think I am doing wrong) and my retort is my instructor is dead a long time ago .

James