PADI and the others

[oly5050user]

Lord Khram,

PADI standards are pretty good I think but it's individuals who bend the rules and certify divers who shouldn't have been certified (yet). Unfortunately do Dive Shop owners also often contribute to the problem and "force" their Instructors to start and finish a course in minimal time.

Every training agency has good and not so good Instructors (including BSAC, NAUI, CMAS, SSI etc.) but because PADI is the biggest training agency in the world and has most Instructors it also carries the burden of having a fair amount of not so good Instructors.

I have to agree with Bowmouth..
There may be concerns that the staff at a PADI facility may have about an individual to have them do a review/checkout before being allowed to dive with them.I doubt it was just because of a different agency certification.Maybe the example of a diver with a different agency and 200 dives was asked to do refresher because he may have had 200 dives but has not been in the water for several years or appeared to be physically unfit.
Years ago as a very young (24 YO) NASDS instructor I had a group in Bermuda. On a shore night dive a couple of local Brits wanted to dive with us.They were certified BSAC of course..I had to tow one in because of his exhaustion and out of air-I still had 2,000 psi and the other went back in with whom he was teamed with.I went back in after dropping him off at the beach and had a easy relaxing dive.Did I think his agency was at fault? NO way..it was the diver himself.You ONLY get out of a course/activity what you put IN..Diving is a commitment in Time (go diving often)and MONEY(gear ownership especially)..if you cannot do both do not expect to get very good at it.

 

[katdiver]

Then someone had a go at me with my BSAC resort status the other night. It's guys like me who take the time to learn the BSAC system of training, dived with BSAC divers and offer the facilities when you travel abroad, that you don't get those rejection scenarios.

PADI do indeed recognise all other certifications from other agencies. If a diver wants to learn PADI, his certification is proof of his training and qualifies the diver to enter the next level higher in training under PADI. To ask a diver to undertake a scuba review, then there must have been some issues such as long time without diving.

 

[h90]

Lord Khram,

PADI standards are pretty good I think but it's individuals who bend the rules and certify divers who shouldn't have been certified (yet). Unfortunately do Dive Shop owners also often contribute to the problem and "force" their Instructors to start and finish a course in minimal time.

Every training agency has good and not so good Instructors (including BSAC, NAUI, CMAS, SSI etc.) but because PADI is the biggest training agency in the world and has most Instructors it also carries the burden of having a fair amount of not so good Instructors.

Well I made the Rescue Diver a few month ago and look at that theoretic test. I bet if I let my 70 year old mother do the test without any knowledge on diving (but smart lady) she can do more than 50 % and pass it.

I saw a lot PADI dive center who don't give tanks for rent as they want to earn money with their day trip instead. So not not accepting a other certificate might be a) just greed and b) that many PADI people don't know any other thing than PADI on diving.

 

[Arizona]

75% or better is required to pass the rescue course I am sure she is smart. Keeping tanks for your core business sounds wise. I am not sure where you going with this one h90.

 

[h90]

75% or better is required to pass the rescue course I am sure she is smart. Keeping tanks for your core business sounds wise. I am not sure where you going with this one h90.

Really???? They told 50 %. So they told me something wrong??
I had just one question wrong (I still don't think the "right" answer is right, but can't recall the question).
I would agree if they have limited amounts of tanks, but that was never the case.
Most blank lied: "it is not allowed in Thailand, one told they don't make enough money with it.
At this time we than took them at Paradise Dive Center which is now Mermaid.

but on that 75 %: Are you sure on that?

 

[Arizona]

Hi h90,

Yes! Rescue is the first course in the PADI system where that is an absolute must (ie. 75% or better on the final exam). Courses below rescue, students should get a 75% or higher, but if the instructor feels the student understands the questions after being reviewed he/she may pass the student with a slightly lower score. Most would likely have the student take the "B" exam. The bar is supposed to be raised with each level following AOW.

Just a guess, but was your wrong question RE: when to give rescue breaths as opposed to hauling x**x to the boat?

Too bad about the tanks. Maybe if you left a deposit or something. Would Mermaid's rent you tanks?

 

[h90]

Hi h90,

Yes! Rescue is the first course in the PADI system where that is an absolute must (ie. 75% or better on the final exam). Courses below rescue students should get a 75% or higher, but if the instructor feels the student understands the questions after being reviewed he/she may pass the student with a slightly lower score. Most would likely have the student take the "B" exam. The bar is supposed to be raised with each level following AOW.

Too bad about the tanks. Maybe if you left a deposit or something. Would Mermaid's rent you tanks?

Very strange! I remember 100 % sure that they told me 50%. I made the test on the "taxi" while driving and therefore we were joking about that. With 75% of course it is not valid anymore what I posted here before.
Well for the tanks: I have no weekend house anymore in Pat, so it is not important for me anymore. As well Mermaid changed owner, some changes at other companies so everything might have changed.

I recall last time I went with Mermaid, they insisted that everyone has the mask on an the regulator in the mouth when climbing up the boat (flat sea), checking everyones remaining air if it is 50 bar or more, the deep (it 32 or so meter there, no way you can go deeper) and the diving time (everyone jumped in at the same time and went back at the same time). Very strange!!!!
A week later I went with Real Diver and the went with the same boat as Mermaid and the Mermaid staff did not check anything from anyone.
Strange: one time checking everything, next time nothing at all not even I briefing...

Add: It seems I have the luck to be at the strangest situations when diving

 

[Bowmouth]

Well I made the Rescue Diver a few month ago and look at that theoretic test. I bet if I let my 70 year old mother do the test without any knowledge on diving (but smart lady) she can do more than 50 % and pass it.

I saw a lot PADI dive center who don't give tanks for rent as they want to earn money with their day trip instead. So not not accepting a other certificate might be a) just greed and b) that many PADI people don't know any other thing than PADI on diving.

You got some weird ideas and you're very quick with drawing weird conclusions too.

Maybe your Mom would be very good at doing the test but would she also be all that great with the rescue exercises and scenarios? The test is just a part of the RQ course and is in such a way designed to check if one understands (most of) the knowledge requirements. Nothing more and nothing less.

It's up to a DC if they rent out tanks to individuals yes or no. If they do not want to rent out tanks than that may be because they are not all that comfortable with giving their tanks to an individual they do not really know (and may use their tanks to do something foolish).
Also; how can one be greedy by not renting out tanks and not making any money?

Just for your info: I'm PADI, NAUI and IANTD certified.

 

[Bowmouth]

Add: It seems I have the luck to be at the strangest situations when diving

Maybe it's because you are a strange person???

 

[h90]

You got some weird ideas and you're very quick with drawing weird conclusions too.

Maybe your Mom would be very good at doing the test but would she also be all that great with the rescue exercises and scenarios? The test is just a part of the RQ course and is in such a way designed to check if one understands (most of) the knowledge requirements. Nothing more and nothing less.

It's up to a DC if they rent out tanks to individuals yes or no. If they do not want to rent out tanks than that may be because they are not all that comfortable with giving their tanks to an individual they do not really know (and may use their tanks to do something foolish).
Also; how can one be greedy by not renting out tanks and not making any money?

Just for your info: I'm PADI, NAUI and IANTD certified.

What I wanted to point out, is that after doing the Rescue Diver course, you are by no means ready to really rescue someone. You know that some DC offer the Rescue Diver in one single day. What can you learn in one day. Of course it is the DC who does something wrong by offering to make it in 1 day, but PADI does not check/verify the quality enough.
Result is that you have certified Advanced Divers who can't dive safe without having a DM (underwater nurse) near all the time. (just recalling my last buddy....could not clear the mask and on the second dive he put an ear-plug in his ear and we had to ascent and cancel the dive because he got pain at 10 meter. That are the things which make me question the PADI teaching)
I don't know if the others are different. At least in Pattaya you can get many colorful PADI certificates even with a dangerous lack of knowledge.
Yes the practical things for the Rescue Diver are good, no question.