PADI a pain?!?

[jon m]

hey all-
just wondering what the deal is with all the venom between many folks on this board and anything PADI? seems like anytime the "P" word is mentioned, it is met with some scathing comments... just wondering...
-me

 

[Ocean One]

Welcome to the ScubaBoard! There's a can of worms!!!!! This is an open forum with some supposed limitations, like the rule against bashing other certification agencies. Unfortunately, that is not always followed by some for what ever reason as you have come to realize. Everyone has an opinion just like the saying goes. I would recommend not getting caught up in that and take what you read for whatever it's worth to you!!

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

PADI has been accused of being quicker to certify people in the quest for money (Pay And Dive Immediately). Personally, I think that success breeds contempt (PADI now dominates diving in terms of marketshare) making it the Microsoft of scuba. Moreover, there is the usual parochial biases (Pitt fans hate Penn State and WVU, but there is no rational basis for it).

 

[TeddyDiver]

PADI brought diving for masses. Some think it's wrong...

 

[jon m]

ohhh, o-k... let's just close this can of worms, then... so sorry! (i guess i'm part of the "masses") ha-ha!

 

[Hemlon]

Most people who have been diving for a long time think that new divers have it SO much easier than in the old days.

It's not limited to diving. For example: as a critical care nurse, I have to recertify in ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) every two years. Older-than-dirt nurses always think that ACLS was SOOOO much more difficult in their day!

We do this to boost our self-esteem and to avoid feeling that younger people will make us obsolete!

 

[Zingtea]

I'm doing my AOW course with PADI this October holiday almost right after having completed my OW last month. My parents organized this with our instructor and I really wish we could dive a bit more before doing this. Am I overreacting? Should I only worry about this when considering Rescue Diver?

 

[Hemlon]

Do your parents know that you feel this way? If not, tell them! If you really don't feel ready to take AOW, then don't take it!

On the other hand, if you are just telling US that you would rather wait and dive more but you are telling them that you want to take AOW now, then shame on you!

 

[Ocean One]

Certainly talk with your parents anad the insstructor. There is no hurry to get AOW certified....It is better to be comfortable with your skills than going to a new level. I would definitely wait on the Rescue Diver class until you are very comfortable. remember you will be challenged with not only saving yourself then but others lives too. Do you want or are you ready for that responsibility????

 

[CrackedConch]

The one thing that hasn't been said yet in this post that rings true in every certification agency debate is: The instructor makes all the difference!

Find an instructor that is thorough, makes sure you understand the skills and risks and makes sure you have fun. That instructor could be a PADI or SDI or SSI or YMCA or NAUI instructor. Most agencies recognize each other and allow cross-overs.

Now that I've said all that objective stuff: I'm a PADI diver because they are the largest and my card is recognized when I travel to that out-of-the-way dive shop in who-knows-where. My PADI instructor was extremely thorough for both safety and liability reasons, which you have to respect. Also, I like the fact that I can use tables to dive. Some agencies allow you to train with a computer and don't require you to study dive tables or give you as thorough an understanding of decompression theory. If my computer ever quits on Monday of a week-long dive trip, I can continue diving the whole week by working the tables.

I'm not trying to fuel the fire or slam any other agency, I said all that only to share with you my reasoning for choosing PADI.