PADI tables finally going away?

[DiveNav]

..........can replace them with something else that can be used worldwide........

Internet?

 

[boulderjohn]

What is Powell's book? Who is Powell?

Michael Powell wrote Deco for Divers.

If you read that book, you will have a very, very thorough understanding of decompression theory, but you won't know how to read a dive table.

This was brought up several times in the thread you chose not to read before posting. A number of people have explained that it is not only easy to teach decompression theory without mentioning tables, it is quite possibly preferable to do so.

By posting as you did, you remade a point that a number of people have already dealt with many, many times, including very recently. This was a shorthand way of summarizing many pages of posts that people don't feel like repeating in full.

 

[peterbj7]

Yes, I remember hearing of the book, though I've never seen it. It may be so that it gives a good understanding of compression/decompression theory, but my method also gives an adequate level of understanding, in probably a much shorter time span. Mind you, I don't know that any source can give a "very very thorough understanding" of this subject, since it is largely empirical and more is being learned every day.

I'm curious as to how it is "preferable" to omit mention of dive tables when teaching what you call decompression theory (in fact the subject is a combination of compression, decompression and recompression theory).

I "chose not to read" some 80 pages of posts. Is that adequate grounds for sarcasm?

None of which alters my stance on dive tables.

 

[John_B]

Internet?

Please, dude, seriously.

Maybe the Internet exists everywhere in your pretend dive world where people dive from the comfort of their SoCal easy chair, but some of the best diving I've done has been at places where Internet has been sporadic (and expensive) at best, if it's available at all.

So let's not pretend that high speed Internet is in any way essential to actual scuba diving.

 

[boulderjohn]

I'm curious as to how it is "preferable" to omit mention of dive tables when teaching what you call decompression theory (in fact the subject is a combination of compression, decompression and recompression theory).

Try scrolling up a few posts. Or you can use this link.

I "chose not to read" some 80 pages of posts. Is that adequate grounds for sarcasm?

You know, I really think it is. Let's try some more sarcasm as I rephrase your comments:

"I see that you people have been discussing this for quite some time, but I don't feel like reading any of this obviously very thorough discussion because my time is too precious. Instead I will barge in with an opinion that has probably already been covered very thoroughly already. Because my time is precious and yours isn't, I want you to respond to my post by repeating all the salient parts of the pages I chose not to read. That will save my precious time and give you something to do with your otherwise hollow existence."​

By the way, there was a thread on ScubaBoard a few months ago on best and worst posters. One of the things that came out was a pet peeve of a lot of people: people who enter a long thread well after it has about run its course without reading it and bringing up old comments that have been dealt with at length previously. You have the right to do that, but you should expect groans of anguish when you do.

 

[The Chairman]

So let's not pretend that high speed Internet is in any way essential to actual scuba diving.

Yeah, that internet's a passing fad anyway. No one will ever use a message board about diving to learn something new!

 

[tomfcrist]

Tom, are you suggesting that there is no reason for him teaching that way? Maybe you don't think in that manner, but a number of us do. It's great that he wants to teach tables, but we want to know "WHY?"

I noticed in your response to the reasons I gave for not teaching tables, you essentially stated "that's the way I do it" without any caveats as to why. That's fine, and there is no debating your actions, but we would like to know the raison d'etre or the impetus behind that style.

No, i never implied that, nor said that....He asked from a pedagogical standpoint. That has nothing to do with what is required to be taught, or needs to be taught, it has to do with teaching theory. which by the way is a personal ideology, not collective.

Raison d'etre......that was explained to you way back in this forum, you just cant believe that its possible that a student would use the tables that were taught to him/her after the class. Your opinion, so whatever.

Impetus....you sure you have the right word here????? I love the fact that you are attempting to use big words that most people would have to google to find the meaning to, but try to use them in the right context.

 

[The Chairman]

Tom,

quite often that pedagogical standpoint includes WHY they teach in a certain manner. Why they feel that this is the most efficacious way to teach theory? Or possibly, in a vernacular you can appreciate: "What's the dealio, yo?"

I am not sure the impetus (or motive) has been adequately explained to us, and definitely not by this individual as they just got here. For the most part I am getting...

• That's the way we've always taught this.
• Tables are more basic than PDCs.
• Tables are analog. (Whatever the hell that means.)
• Tables are the shizam.
• BECAUSE WE DO!

Now, while I have compiled this list tongue in cheek, the bottom line is that we don't fully understand why and have been frustrated in trying to engage several people in a dialog about that. Obviously, we think that some of the reasoning used is fallacious and would love to compare and contrast our differing ideologies with a minimum of rancor.

I love the fact that you are attempting to use big words that most people would have to google to find the meaning to, but try to use them in the right context.

Sorry Tom,

I try to use the right word for the right concept and make an honest effort to avoid the use of sesquipedalians. I don't see "impetus" as a particularly rare or archaic term, and would expect that most people have learned it by the ninth grade. Moreover, I am certain that I am using it correctly, but thanks for your concern. Hopefully, I have made a few people break out their online Funk & Wagnalls to expand their vocabulary from time to time. For this, I refuse to apologize. After all, ScubaBoard is all about learning.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Internet?

Uh, have you been to places where the only Internet connection is an unreliable satellite connection to a single terminal in the dive shop, and electricity depends on generators? There seems to be quite a bit of dive education going on this way. PADI can choose to ignore these "backwaters" of the world, but I suspect they won't. Plastic tables may be a tool not well suited for teaching deco theory but they have some value and work anywhere, anytime, with instructors and students who speak any language.

 

[DiveNav]

Yeah, that internet's a passing fad anyway. No one will ever use a message board about diving to learn something new!

exactly