PADI a pain?!?

[mislav]

If it wasn't Padi it would have been another organization.

One day I decided to try diving so I walked into a dive shop. If it was SDI I would have become an SDI OW diver. Big deal, the statement means very little at all. If Padi closed up shop today the other agencies would fill their spot instantly as most shops and a lot of instructors teach through various agencies.

The question is whether you would have what it takes to go through an old school training. Instead you were given the basic one. This allowed for you to take a breath before diving into more complicated skills and knowledge. PADI introduced diving to the masses. The dangers of doing so are what this thread is about.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

That's not the question at all.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The question is whether you would have what it takes to go through an old school training. Instead you were given the basic one. This allowed for you to take a breath before diving into more complicated skills and knowledge. PADI introduced diving to the masses. The dangers of doing so are what this thread is about.

I don't know about the masses but PADI didn't introduce diving to me. My cousin did. LOL

My uncle baught a marina in Arkansas and there was a dive shop there. He never oporated the dive shop but there was plenty of equipment. We took the equipment and went out diving.

When someone commented that I should be certified I though it was about the dumbest thing that I'd ever heard. I'd been swimming for most of my life and breathing for all of my life. It was no big thing. I didn't bother getting certified until about 10 years later and that was just for increased access. I was a little confused when they made me sit on the bottom though because my cousin always complained when I did that while diving with him. LOL

It becomes a big thing when people who haven't spent lots of time in that water and aren't all that comfortable there try it. Those are the people who are introduced to it through the agencies. Ever since scuba was invented, those who wanted to do it were able to, though they didn't have all the marketing in their face.

 

[mislav]

I don't know about the masses but PADI didn't introduce diving to me. My cousin did. LOL

My uncle baught a marina in Arkansas and there was a dive shop there. He never oporated the dive shop but there was plenty of equipment. We took the equipment and went out diving.

When someone commented that I should be certified I though it was about the dumbest thing that I'd ever heard. I'd been swimming for most of my life and breathing for all of my life. It was no big thing. I didn't bother getting certified until about 10 years later and that was just for increased access. I was a little confused when they made me sit on the bottom though because my cousin always complained when I did that while diving with him. LOL

It becomes a big thing when people who haven't spent lots of time in that water and aren't all that comfortable there try it. Those are the people who are introduced to it through the agencies. Ever since scuba was invented, those who wanted to do it were able to, though they didn't have all the marketing in their face.

I know what you mean. You're an old school diver, Mike.

We have plenty of divers with the similar stories here in Croatia. I dove with many. For a country with such a huge coastline and diving/fishing tradition it's only natural that people just jump in the water without going through some agency.

 

[Kim]

My uncle baught a marina in Arkansas and there was a dive shop there. He never oporated the dive shop but there was plenty of equipment. We took the equipment and went out diving.

So what are you saying here? That agencies are useless compared to a rich uncle? I'm a bit confused. You tell us that the standards and training are no good, but now tell us that you didn't have any yourself for 10 years...and then only to get "increased access"!!! Sorry - I'd have to think PADI does a better job than that. Compare the record of deaths from PADI trained divers and among people who learnt like you did, and I think PADI wins hands down.
Are you sure this isn't just a case of "Do what I say, not what I do!" ?

 

[mislav]

Padi marketted better, period.

You've added this after Mike's reply and after I posted so to address it as well:

It's not just marketing, it's the standard of teaching provided and a considerable difference which agency is after what. PADI influenced the whole market.

In what way? I said what my opinion was in my first post.

 

[Hemlon]

Mislav hasn't been in the dive world very long. It will be interesting to see how the opinions change after he has more experience under his belt.

No harm, no foul!

 

[MikeFerrara]

I know what you mean. You're an old school diver, Mike.

We have plenty of divers with the similar stories here in Croatia. I dove with many. For a country with such a huge coastline and diving/fishing tradition it's only natural that people just jump in the water without going through some agency.

I don't know if I would say that I'm an old school diver. I wasn't taught to dive by doing laps arounf the pool or pushups while wearing a tank...although I can do those things, LOL

My actual dive training is fairly late model PADI. When I was first certified and even when I first started teaching I baught into the PADI model lock stock and barrel. It was time in the water and time teaching that brought me to a point where I started to disagree with how they did things.

Looking back, I really think that "water people" or the self reliant go out and get it done types (if I can use such a strange terms) can just go out and teach themselves or eachother how to dive. On the other hand when we actively sell diving to people that wouldn't normally be inclined to go out and do it, we then have a pretty serious responsibility to really teach something. I think the agencies in general and PADI specifically completely fail at that. They do the selling but not the teaching.

IMO, it's the canned dives at resorts and the DM's they provide that keep many of these people alive. The shops keep the resorts busy. This netwerk of shops, instructors and resorts does let many people dive who would never otherwise even contemplate it but we could argue about whether or not it's a good thing...it works out good for some but not so good for others.

 

[mislav]

Mislav hasn't been in the dive world very long. It will be interesting to see how the opinions change after he has more experience under his belt.

No harm, no foul!

The fact that I haven't been diving myself until three years ago doesn't influence my opinion on this matter. I did learn the history well. I have friends who go back to 20 or more years of diving.

Also, I'm speaking from my own experience. I know the differences between diving organizations teaching methods. I know it's mostly instructors that pass on the skills to their students, but they're still following the program.

How is me diving more going to change any of what I said now?

No harm here either.

 

[Hemlon]

Perhaps it won't Mislav. But I suspect that after you have been enmeshed in dive culture for a bit longer, you will start to have perspective on the subject.

Those of us who have been diving for a while see this all of the time. But many people won't "get it" for some time.