jmcd16
Registered
There definitely seems to be a running obsession with "the piece of paper." After 12 dives, I got a card that said I was an "Advanced" diver -- just because I paid a little more money, had a 30m "deep" dive with some hand-holding, got shoved off a tender, handed a compass, took a few pictures, and had someone point out the nudibranchs. It doesn't seem "advanced" to me -- and I definitely did not go around calling myself an advanced/experienced diver (though I know people from the class who did).
I definitely get the impression that there is more emphasis placed on the paper than the experience. They've developed ways to charge you for everything... want to dive in fresh water? currants? cold water? rivers? kelp? below 18m? with a compass? with a camera? want to be an "underwater naturalist"? That will be 299.99, please.
Having said that... I do believe that education has a serious -- and secure -- place in diving. And I definitely want my rebreather and decompression teacher to be educated AS AN EDUCATOR. Just because he is capable of not getting himself killed... doesn't mean he is capable of conveying to me all of the information/knowledge necessary to be ready to do that kind of diving without him.
I definitely get the impression that there is more emphasis placed on the paper than the experience. They've developed ways to charge you for everything... want to dive in fresh water? currants? cold water? rivers? kelp? below 18m? with a compass? with a camera? want to be an "underwater naturalist"? That will be 299.99, please.
Having said that... I do believe that education has a serious -- and secure -- place in diving. And I definitely want my rebreather and decompression teacher to be educated AS AN EDUCATOR. Just because he is capable of not getting himself killed... doesn't mean he is capable of conveying to me all of the information/knowledge necessary to be ready to do that kind of diving without him.