PADI course for idiots?

[AussiePro]

My wife is just in the process of getting her OW certification and I was having a flick through her course book. It appears to be written for school children, honestly are people so stupid that they need to be told what order to pack their equipment bag? For the first time in my life I am scared to dive, because apparently there are people out there who are diving and need a book to teach them basic life skills.

 

[TSandM]

Although I agree with you that the materials aim at a very low common denominator, you have to remember that the age limits for the classes are low, and that not everyone who signs up for diving classes has any advanced education at all. PADI is, indeed, attempting to make materials that are readable and intelligible to anyone, and in the process, has developed materials that can insult the intelligence of some of their students.

 

[Dr Dog]

are people so stupid that they need to be told what order to pack their equipment bag? teach them basic life skills.

You would be surprised, the lowest common denominator is out there and will most likely be on a boat with you one day

 

[Simon-]

It appears to be written for school children

Junior open water is from 10 years old, so yes, it is

 

[Crowley]

and yes - speaking from personal experience, rather a lot of people need to be told how to pack their equipment....

I would suggest reading the manual more thoroughly, instead of just "flicking". There is a lot of very valuable information in there that is often missed because people don't read through it properly.

Cheers

C.

 

[TSandM]

Yes -- what I didn't get into my post was that, despite the sometimes patronizing tone of the PADI materials, there is a lot of good information in them. I really like, for example, the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving, as a resource for recreational divers . . . but there are times I'd like to slap the writer up side the head for the tone. Still, at least, unlike GUE, PADI employs proofreaders

 

[supergaijin]

Folks who grow up around water often have understanding of basic watermanship concepts far outweighing those from landlocked areas. How many times did you swim at a beach before taking up diving?

The OW course is a basic course to introduce people from all walks of life to scuba diving, including those without English as a first language but where translations do not exist ie. filipino or thai

Every agency beginner diving manual that I have seen uses simple language and 'spells out the obvious' to account for these factors- any less would be a failing of the agency IMO. I don't believe PADI is the odd one out here, however much we like to target the 300lb gorilla in the room.

The lifestyle that many people lead nowadays makes diving affordable and possible through 'easy' training like the basic OW courses (which are available through every agency that I know of).

Trouble arises from beginner divers who gain access to 'advanced' dive sites without earning the necessary experience.

 

[AussiePro]

Yeah I'm sure PADI isnt the only agency with this sort of education. I did my ow cert a long time ago through NAUI and while I remember it being quite basic, I'm sure there wasn't so much state the obvious in my course. On the plus side I think they do a great job explaining some of the concepts that beginners could find difficult like pressure/depth relationship etc.
I think I have enough experience in the diving industry to get away with a quick flick through.

 

[ajduplessis]

......Still, at least, unlike GUE, PADI employs proofreaders

You can add IANTD to the list. It's shocking a times.

 

[agilis]

Of course the materials are written for stupid people. Look around you. You are living in a nation of stupid people. Any business venture (like scuba certifications and the instructor's tied in equipment sales) that fails to conform to national reading levels and a typically limited capacity for rational sequential thought will fail. Those enterprises that carefully dumb down their product and focus on the dim and simplistic thoughts and perceptions of potential customers has a much better chance of success.

The whole idea is to sell the products to as many people as possible. You don't do this by making any part of the process difficult.