P.A.D.I. allows family members living at the same address to share training manuals!

[The Chairman]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Please do not use this discussion as an excuse to bash any Scuba agency.

Thanks.

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[all4scuba05]

Ok, I just called PADI as well. Here is a summary of the conversation:

Me: In regards to families, does each member of the family need to have their own copy of the OW manual with original knowledge reviews, or can the family have just one manual and photocopy the blank knowledge reviews.

PADI: Per the standards, each student therefore each family member is supposed to have a seperate manaul. We understand that it is the case that many families will share all of the information to keep costs down.

Me: Ok.

PADI: Hold on, let me ask someone.

(long pause with bad PADI propaganda hold message)

PADI: I received conflicting answers based on the person I ask. I need to get a definitive answer on this. How may I contact you?

Me: My email is ....

I'll post the contents of the email once I get it.

So good to start my day laughing. Folks, tell the dive shop that if you can't share, then only one of you will take the class and they will lose a student.

 

[DaleC]

Ok Thal, now you've piqued my curiosity. Is there an agency that allows instructors to choose their own resource material?

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In general, I am also curious how often manuals go stale. Do the facts about diving change that often?

 

[Walter]

NAUI does.

 

[Thalassamania]

Ok Thal, now you've piqued my curiosity. Is there an agency that allows instructors to choose their own resource material?

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In general, I am also curious how often manuals go stale. Do the facts about diving change that often?

As Walter noted NAUI always has permitted the instructor to use whatever materials the instructor felt best suited the needs of the student(s). I usually use the NOAA manual and the International Code of Practice for Scientific Diving (you can now get it from Best Books, it was originally put out by UNESCO). Either of those books have a lot of "top" on them and will serve a student through their entire diving career, no need to get another for Rescue, Advanced, or most specialties. I started out using the US Navy Diving Manual, and I'm going back to is, since it is now available in PDF on the web for free.

Manuals really don't go stale, the laws of physics don't change, the basic diving procedures don't change, what has changed (since I started teaching in the late 1960s) is mainly: the numbers in the actual tables, ascent rates, and some gear (e.g., ABLJ to BC to BC/W; computer, etc.).

A competent instructor should be able to teach a much more complete class with a 1975 edition of the NOAA manual and a few supplemental handouts than is possible with the most current "branded" texts from any of the agencies.

 

[dhuskins]

So good to start my day laughing. Folks, tell the dive shop that if you can't share, then only one of you will take the class and they will lose a student.

Or, one person takes the class this month and the other person takes the class next month. Between months, the first person "sells" their materials to the second person.

 

[Diver Tim]

Or, one person takes the class this month and the other person takes the class next month. Between months, the first person "sells" their materials to the second person.

My shop had us tear out the completed knowledge reviews and filed them in our diver training folders, so that may not be an option either.

 

[ScubaSteve]

My shop had us tear out the completed knowledge reviews and filed them in our diver training folders, so that may not be an option either.

My LDS will allow you to keep the book in tact as long as the KR is done in the book and they get a photocopy of the page. The argument is that it would be good to have that to call in the future if wanted. This is not necessarily how most deal with it.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

I usually use the NOAA manual and the International Code of Practice for Scientific Diving (you can now get it from Best Books, it was originally put out by UNESCO). Either of those books have a lot of "top" on them and will serve a student through their entire diving career, no need to get another for Rescue, Advanced, or most specialties. I started out using the US Navy Diving Manual, and I'm going back to is, since it is now available in PDF on the web for free.

Manuals really don't go stale, the laws of physics don't change, the basic diving procedures don't change, what has changed (since I started teaching in the late 1960s) is mainly: the numbers in the actual tables, ascent rates, and some gear (e.g., ABLJ to BC to BC/W; computer, etc.).

Thanks for the recommendations, is the NOAA Manual readily accessible?

 

[TheScubaBOB]

So good to start my day laughing. Folks, tell the dive shop that if you can't share, then only one of you will take the class and they will lose a student.

Better yet, tell the dive shop that if you can;t share neither of you will take the class there so your money will go to support another shop!

Vote with your dollars...