Planned deco on a recreational dive?

[boulderjohn]

I'm sure the PADI syllabus covers dive planning, but in the 7 years of running monthly open water training sessions. The normal comment I get from PADI trained divers wanting to gain the BSAC Sports Diver qualification, is "I've never been shown how to plan a dive". Therefore, we go back and do the Ocean Diver theory and practical lessons on dive management. As Sports Divers they will be expected to be Assistant Dive Managers.

There was a lot of valid cricism along those lines in the past. PADI greatly revised its OW course a few years ago, and it amped up the dive planning portion considerably. Students learn about turn pressures for example, and they have to calculate turn pressures for a dive using rule of thirds on the final exam. At the end of the pool sessions, they are supposed to do a "mini-dive" in which they simulate planning a dive independently and then execute it in the pool. With the OW dives, all the required skills are now supposed to be completed in the first three dives. On the fourth dive, students are supposed to plan and execute the dive independently, with the instructor listening in to the planning and then joining them on the dive, intervening only if needed.

There was never a time that students were told to follow a DM or other professional in their dives.

 

[Edward3c]

There was a lot of valid cricism along those lines in the past. PADI greatly revised its OW course a few years ago, and it amped up the dive planning portion considerably. Students learn about turn pressures for example, and they have to calculate turn pressures for a dive using rule of thirds on the final exam. At the end of the pool sessions, they are supposed to do a "mini-dive" in which they simulate planning a dive independently and then execute it in the pool. With the OW dives, all the required skills are now supposed to be completed in the first three dives. On the fourth dive, students are supposed to plan and execute the dive independently, with the instructor listening in to the planning and then joining them on the dive, intervening only if needed.

There was never a time that students were told to follow a DM or other professional in their dives.

Not being a PADI instructor I'll take your word for what the syllabus requires. I can only comment from what I experience when warm water PADI (and SSI) divers want to dive in the UK. Those trained in the UK usually do know how to plan their dives. Its the 5th dive for our Ocean Diver trainees, if the instructor has to intervene it will not be signed-off and they have to do the lesson again.

When I've been diving Asia or the Caribbean (including Florida) I've been encouraged to 'just follow' the guide or DM when they see my BSAC Advanced Diver qualification. Therefore, your suggestion that dive planning is a forgotten skill is valid.

 

[Storker]

up till PADI rescue diver we are not really trained to actually plan a dive. It's included in the manuals and theory but not practiced in training.

That's too bad. Around here, people are expected to plan their dives when they've graduated OWD

 

[Storker]

I can only comment from what I experience when warm water PADI (and SSI) divers want to dive in the UK. Those trained in the UK usually do know how to plan their dives.

I assume that's regardless of which letters are printed on the card. I'm a bit wary of warm water certed instabuddies, but if my instabuddy took their cert up here, it doesn't matter to me whether the letters on the card say PADI, CMAS or BSAC.

 

[eelnoraa]

The problem here should be obvious. There is no telling the quality of the instruction from a PADI cert. This is true all the way up to instructor level. Looking back, I have had a very good quality OW instructor and a very bad lousy quality AOW instructor. The later is still teaching today. This is why I have no confident in PADI at all

 

[Diver0001]

That's too bad. Around here, people are expected to plan their dives when they've graduated OWD

Since the change in standards a couple of years ago being able to independently plan and execute a dive without help is an integral part of the course. Prior to that it was in the course but not given the attention it deserves, giving sloppy instructors a lot of wiggle room to not teach it well (or at all) as noted above. That's why they changed the standard.

R..

 

[Storker]

Since the change in standards a couple of years ago being able to independently plan and execute a dive without help is an integral part of the course. Prior to that it was in the course but not given the attention it deserves, giving sloppy instructors a lot of wiggle room to not teach it well (or at all) as noted above. That's why they changed the standard.

R..

And in some places, national standards are stricter than PADI's. I took my PADI OW more than "a couple of" years ago, and I had six OW dives. The last two were planned and conducted by the students, while the instructor and DMs only watched us. National standard requirements.

 

[Diver0001]

And in some places, national standards are stricter than PADI's. I took my PADI OW more than "a couple of" years ago, and I had six OW dives. The last two were planned and conducted by the students, while the instructor and DMs only watched us. National standard requirements.

That's possible. EU norms were also stricter than PADI standards on certain issues as well. For example, while Americans were complaining the gas management wasn't given enough (or any) emphasis instructors in Europe were operating under EU norms that required it.

R..

 

[tursiops]

The problem here should be obvious. There is no telling the quality of the instruction from a PADI cert. This is true all the way up to instructor level. Looking back, I have had a very good quality OW instructor and a very bad lousy quality AOW instructor. The later is still teaching today. This is why I have no confident in PADI at all

I had a bad NAUI instructor once. Should I disregard the entire agency?

 

[eelnoraa]

I had a bad NAUI instructor once. Should I disregard the entire agency?

Well, I didn't suggest that and I know nothing about NAUI, so can't comment. With PADI, you really don't know what you will get is my experience so far