DevonDiver
N/A
I'm not really sure why some people are so emotional about the issue of MSD rating.
Here in 'PADI Asia-Pacific' land, the card has been free for the last few years. I see that as a nice 'thank you' gift from PADI.. and it defeats all the 'put another dollar in' arguments related to the qualification. So, I guess you can accurately say that it is "worthless"... it is.
What does the diver get out of it? Well, apart from any personal satisfaction they may get from the merit badge "status", or recognition from PADI for being a loyal customer with a good attitude to training... they get an extra certification card that proves they possess a minimum of experience (50 dives), along with rescue diver training and several weeks worth of progressive training beyond OW level. Some might say that it is "handy" to have that evidence all collated onto a single card... it saves taking a handful of different cards on holiday... and proves a minimum dive experience (the dive count) if you don't have a logbook handy.
It's a recognition, a convenience, a "thank you"... nothing more, nothing less.
Maybe some people take issue because of the name. If it were called "Loyal PADI Diver", or "Sports Diver".. or any other name without the word "Master" in it, then I think there wouldn't be so much mockery of it. To be honest, I don't think that many people who carry that card place much emphasis on the word "Master"... they know where they stand... and probably better and more realistically than the majority of divers who haven't been as contentious about their scuba education...
When I see scornful posts by minimally qualified divers, who are boastful about their experience alone, I can't help but think what bad habits and sloppy procedures might exist. There is a place for experience. There is also a place for self-learning and development. There is also a critical place for taught education. All three components are vital in ensuring effective progressive development.
Here in 'PADI Asia-Pacific' land, the card has been free for the last few years. I see that as a nice 'thank you' gift from PADI.. and it defeats all the 'put another dollar in' arguments related to the qualification. So, I guess you can accurately say that it is "worthless"... it is.
What does the diver get out of it? Well, apart from any personal satisfaction they may get from the merit badge "status", or recognition from PADI for being a loyal customer with a good attitude to training... they get an extra certification card that proves they possess a minimum of experience (50 dives), along with rescue diver training and several weeks worth of progressive training beyond OW level. Some might say that it is "handy" to have that evidence all collated onto a single card... it saves taking a handful of different cards on holiday... and proves a minimum dive experience (the dive count) if you don't have a logbook handy.
It's a recognition, a convenience, a "thank you"... nothing more, nothing less.
Maybe some people take issue because of the name. If it were called "Loyal PADI Diver", or "Sports Diver".. or any other name without the word "Master" in it, then I think there wouldn't be so much mockery of it. To be honest, I don't think that many people who carry that card place much emphasis on the word "Master"... they know where they stand... and probably better and more realistically than the majority of divers who haven't been as contentious about their scuba education...
When I see scornful posts by minimally qualified divers, who are boastful about their experience alone, I can't help but think what bad habits and sloppy procedures might exist. There is a place for experience. There is also a place for self-learning and development. There is also a critical place for taught education. All three components are vital in ensuring effective progressive development.