PADI Certification Questions

[mfalco]

WARNING: Although this thread could be misinterpreted, I'm not trying to be a troll


Let me know if my opinion is correct.

I am PADI OW and AOW certified. Later this summer I will get the SSI EAN cert. (The shop around here that has nitrox is SSI) Next Summer I plan on PADI Rescue Diver. I really like the courses I've taken and my instructors.


PADI says that with the OW cetification you can dive to 60' etc.

My opinion is that PADI OW certification is to get people into diving. Get them able to go diving with a DM on their vacations to the carribean, maybe ocaisionally rent some equipment to go out with a buddy and dive. Basically get more people to experience diving, but not necasarilly become "divers" I think they probably assume that if you get more into it you will further your training and education. (like myself)

Without out starting the dissing PADI thing,
Do others agree? Does PADI agree?

 

[The Chairman]

Limits.

Every diver has them, but not all divers respect them.

Your limits are training, experience, physical as well as mental. Are there others? Well, every diver is limited by time/depth/air as well.

So who can tell YOU what your limits are? NO ONE!

That's right, only you and you alone can determine your comfort zone on this. A PADI OW certifies you to dive only under similar circumstances in which you were trained. So if you are certified in Key Largo, you are in NO WAY prepared to dive the Great Lakes. Luckily, there are no Scuba Police holding us to this criteria as we would never grow as a diver.

A PADI AOW cert may very include certification to deeper levels (to 130 fsw), though I have my opinions about how FEW are really ready to tackle that. Again, your certifications are only dives similar to your training.

Now we have the litany of other factors that come into play. Not all certified divers possess the same skill set. Not all certified divers are physically or mentally the same either. Here's where YOU need to take stock of where you are at. If you are cautious and decide wisely then you will progress in both experiences and skills. If you push the envelope too aggressively, you might end up in our accidents and incidents forum as the discussion du jour. The choice is YOURS and YOURS ALONE to make.

 

[Tollie]

The basic o/w certifications for all of the major agencies that I’m familiar with (PADI, SSI, NAUI) are diver certifications. All holders of these certifications are “certified divers” and are able to dive safely within the limits of their training. All divers certified by PADI sign a statement attesting to this fact.

Divers are encouraged to seek out additional training if they are interested in extending their diving range… including deep diving, night diving, wreck diving, cave diving cold water (dry suit) or if they are interested in effectively using other dive tools such as DPV’s, lift bags, cameras and so forth.

 

[Diver0001]

Why are you concerned about this?

R..

 

[mfalco]

I agree with both of you.

I took the AOW course because I wanted to become a better diver.

I'm just wondering if PADI think most people with just OW are basically going to dive on dive charters, and other guided dives.

I felt prepared to dive afterward(and did), but there must be a reason that the AOW navigation skills are taught in AOW, not OW. (besides time)

 

[mfalco]

Why are you concerned about this?

R..

Just wondering.

 

[Tollie]

Basic navigation is taught as an o/w skill… two skills in fact on the surface and underwater. The reciprocal pattern and basic compass use is a good introduction for students.

Later for more complex patterns, squares, rectangles or triangles you need to add in the measurement of distance traveled. It’s a relatively time consuming task and so it is included in the a/ow course. If you chose to do the nav specialty you learn how to navigate irregular patterns.

I don’t know what “PADI” thinks. As an Instructor I work to prepare students to dive independently of professional supervision. With that said if a student of mine goes back north and wants to jump into cold water on a deep wreck you bet I think they need further training. I have also had any number of "quary rats" come down here and not manage boat diving very well... and not be able to figure out the impact of salt water and thinner suits on their boyency.

 

[Diveral]

I took YMCA Scuba over 20 years ago. I can tell you that the OW courses are a lot different now than they were 20+ years ago. I have a PADI AOW, Rescue, and EANx certifications as well. Even today's AOW is not a strenuous or thorough as the AOW was in 1986.

I do agree that they are using these additional and specialty classes to teach skills and knowledge that used to be covered in the OW classes of a bygone era.

These modern classes make it easier and less expensive for people to get started in scuba diving now but the continuing education is more necessary than it used to be.

AL

 

[TheRedHead]

I'm just wondering if PADI think most people with just OW are basically going to dive on dive charters, and other guided dives.

I felt prepared to dive afterward(and did), but there must be a reason that the AOW navigation skills are taught in AOW, not OW. (besides time)

I don't think that the agency believes that people will only dive guided dives. That would be naive. My OW cert is with SSI, but as soon as I became certified I begin to dive independently. A lot of new divers go to the Florida Keys and dive the shallow reefs. Those are not guided dives. And the navigation is mostly natural navigation: you simply count and follow the spurs and turn around and go back.

I personally have never used arms pans or kick cycles in real life diving. I'm sure someone can come up with a instance where they have, but that's not the way people dive. I took PADI AOW and the only new thing I learned was how to shoot a liftbag.

You learn to dive by diving.

 

[Walter]

I took YMCA Scuba over 20 years ago.

So did I.

I can tell you that the OW courses are a lot different now than they were 20+ years ago.

I started teaching it 20 years ago. With one exception, it is essentially unchanged. There have been some minor tweaks from 20 years ago. The only major change is because of an unreasonable fear of HIV transmission buddy breathing is no longer required.