PADI Holds The New World's Record for Fastest OW Class

[RonFrank]

I can't count the number of college lectures where the professor was in error or deliberately pushing a personal belief. If no one challenges the lecture then the majority of the students go on taking it as fact.

The Irony of our LDS OW class was that the instructor had to cover stuff that had NOTHING to do with the course material. For example, we got a lecture on the dangers of purchasing gear over the internet. Fake gear, ripp-off's, no warranty, the horror of it all. Interesting that our LDS now does internet sales :11:

The instructor showed a slide show marketing their very good travel agency. While I think having a travel agency built into the LDS is a good thing, hyping it during the training class is like paying to watch commercials :11doh:

They also pushed additional training, personal gear sales (which BTW is VERY sucessful for the LDS), and high end gear. The instructor said he could dive any reg he wants, but dives a top of the line Brand X. He goes on to say that regs will last a lifetime, so consider getting the best, i.e., most expensive. Ironic that he dives only relatively recent equipment likely at the request of the LDS with an instructors discount.

So basically I'd say that at LEAST 10% of the classroom time (and more likely closer to 25%) was spent hocking gear, and LDS services. Hardly time well spent from a learning perspective.

BTW, I think that our LDS does a much better job in training that a LOT that I've heard and read about. My comments are really not a big dig on them because the instructors I've worked with are all excellant, and REALLY care about making sure people they certify have the skills needed to dive safely. I can only imagine how worthless some of the training out there really is. :06:

 

[caseybird]

Man, enough already. We know there aren't thousands of embolizing, drowning newbies. Hey, how about we worry about our own skills, the ocean will survive a few clumsy beginners. You can show them how it's done.

 

[Web Monkey]

Actually, they are.

On my last cruise ship dive (last year) one diver came up bleeding from his nose, another was bleeding from his eye, and the third looked like his leg lost a fight with a cheese grater. 3 injured out of 20 isn't exactly a ratio to be proud of.

They probably would have done better if they had more than 4 dives in an 8 foot pool.

Terry

Man, enough already. We know there aren't thousands of embolizing, drowning newbies. Hey, how about we worry about our own skills, the ocean will survive a few clumsy beginners. You can show them how it's done.

 

[friscuba]

Actually, they are.

On my last cruise ship dive (last year) one diver came up bleeding from his nose, another was bleeding from his eye, and the third looked like his leg lost a fight with a cheese grater. 3 injured out of 20 isn't exactly a ratio to be proud of.

They probably would have done better if they had more than 4 dives in an 8 foot pool.

Terry

4-5 pool sessions is the norm for pretty much all agencies. 8 foot pools are quite common. I took a YMCA class that was taught in a 5'pool, although they did have one session in a deep pool. Then it's going off to open water. The bleeding isn't good, but frankly not uncommon as far as the nose goes. Reef rash unfortunately is not uncommon, are you saying that nobody touches the bottom if they've been trained in a deeper pool? How exactly can you claim that 4 pool sessions followed by 4 open water dives is setting new standards for bad training? Sounds quite typical to me.

So were the divers on your cruise ship dive all students? I see certified divers come here and have the same troubles, and it didn't matter where they were trained, or by which agency, some divers just aren't up to snuff.

 

[Divedoggie]

It sounds like a cruise ship problem.
My PADI classes were very thorough. Super hard-core instructors. Perfectionists.
My SSI specialty classes were a breeze.
I know of a NAUI instructor who I will never dive with again because she has no bouancy control, and flails about everywhere. Is this a reflection on NAUI? No! She's just incompetent.
My home study and my own attention to detail, and then actual practice has been my best teacher.
I was told to NEVER SERVICE your own reg(which I don't) but the first thing I did was get ahold of an old reg, take it apart, replace and lube all o-rings, reassemble, hook it to my tank, test it, etc. Its not rocket science. Gas regulators are on many pieces of equipment throughout anyone's house, from hot water heaters to your backyard grill.
I would never depend soley on one source for all of my learning and information.
That said, I really like PADI, and I'm starting my PADI Rescue Diver course next week with a really great instructor.
SO, lets all go enjoy ourselves underwater, and set great examples for those who are learning!

 

[DandyDon]

Ok, if we can have Comedy Defensive Driving classes, why not Comedy Open Water?

:lol:​

 

[Web Monkey]

Since everybody seems to think that a 1/2 day of class plenty, maybe we should reduce it to an hour. Or eliminate it entirely and have the student read the book at home and fill out the test on a computer and do the pool sessions in the bathtub.


Terry

 

[Web Monkey]

The bleeding isn't good, but frankly not uncommon as far as the nose goes. Reef rash unfortunately is not uncommon, are you saying that nobody touches the bottom if they've been trained in a deeper pool?

I'm saying that people who have been trained to stay off the bottom and have had enough practice don't touch the bottom.

How exactly can you claim that 4 pool sessions followed by 4 open water dives is setting new standards for bad training? Sounds quite typical to me.

Bring "typical" only makes it common, not good.

So were the divers on your cruise ship dive all students? I see certified divers come here and have the same troubles, and it didn't matter where they were trained, or by which agency, some divers just aren't up to snuff.

Most were students. I talked to a few afterwards and they said they would never dive again, which probably accounts for the low accident rates.

Terry

 

[scubaaaronh]

I get nose bleeds every dive. well every sneeze, bump, touch of the nose, any high stress, heck i even get em when i m sleeping. nose bleeds mean nothing. Hopefully after the ENT did his thing i will never have another. and i agree with friscuba, about reef rash i've seen other divers that have very good skills bump into something and get it. Espically on the fist salt water dive in w while.

 

[cgilyeat]

Terry, I don't think that everyone is agreeing that 1/2 day of class is enough. What is enough for one person, will not be enough for another. I completed my certification through a LDS in a course that was one weekend course/pool and the second weekend OW dives. Each class/pool day consisted of the morning in classwork and the afternoon in the pool learning the skills. I did the OW dives a few weeklends later in a quarry, 3 dives on Sat and the last on Sun.

Do I consider my self to be a competent diver? Not really, I still have things to work on, air consuption, bouyancy control, etc, But. I also feel that I'm ready to dive with a buddy as long as I stay within my limits. And for me that means dives of 40-60 feet until I'm confident of going deeper.

There are places I'd like to go and dive, for example I'll be in Corpus Christi, TX in late May, I'd really like to take a trip to the Flower Gardens reefs, but I'm not going to because, I don't think that I'd be comfortable at the depths, current, etc that are there. In otherwords, I'm doing to do my best to not be stupid in my diving.