bubble blower:
I believe one of the complaints is that their standards have declined over time.
Lets clear up THAT generality.
All training agencies standards have delined over time. PADI is but one member of the RSTC, Recreational Scuba Training Council. This is the organization that comes to a concensus as to what the 'minimum' trainig standards should be.
If you're going to slam PADI, be fair and slam all the others that contribute to the problem also. Here's the list, straight from RSTC's website, so you don't miss anyone:
"Members affiliated with RSTC Europe, include ACUC, BARAKUDA, NASDS, PSS, SNSI, FIAS, IDEA Europe, IDD, PADI and SSI, as well as DAN as an associate member in the position of "consultant"."
In the U.S. - IDEA, PADI, PDIC, SSI, YMCA
In Canada - ACUC, PADI, SSI
In Japan - NASDS, NAUI, PADI, SSI
Since it appears to be a consortium of agencies that get together and agree on what the minimum standards should be, is it fair to put all the blame on PADI if we're not happy with the trend?