Problems with Certified to 130 feet in one course, circa 1975-1980

[boulderjohn]

I was at the Blue Hole in NM were I met a super duper self impressed PADI instructor (John take note--Please! No Cardiac problems!)
He stated with great authority that all diving began with PADI -- there was absolutely no recreational diving before PADI reared it head in 1969-- no books, no training nothing !

Just to make sure everyone knows--although I am the "John" to whom he is referring, I am not that ill-informed instructor.

 

[Erich S]

I remember taking my PADI Basic Scuba course back in 1976 and we had to be CPR certified before we could get our c- card. The course was very challenging even for an 18 yr old kid!

 

[ScubaBackpacker]

How much did your course in 1975 cost in 2017 dollars? How much time was spent in the class and in the water?

I don't remember how much the circa 1975 course cost. But it went on for 2 or 3 months and we did regular weekly classroom and pool work. It was a much greater time investment than what most of the courses seem to be today.

 

[boulderjohn]

There are a couple of reasons courses are shorter today.

One is that they decided that much of the material covered in the course does not need to be covered in the course. Education theory says that learning material that is not important for the course adds nothing of value and detracts from the ability to learn what is important. If you want people to learn and remember 10 numbers, don't give them 100.

A second reason is that much of that time years ago was spent listening to instructor lectures on diving. Listening to lectures is the worst way to gain information. This has been largely replaced by home study (either using a text or eLearning) followed by a review and supplemental discussions with the instructor.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Just to make sure everyone knows--although I am the "John" to whom he is referring, I am not that ill-informed instructor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No John you are certainly not Ill informed !
You are one of the best informed (not infirmed) divers I have ever read
However you are a staunch defender of PADI

Never the less I certainly would like to have you as a neighbor !

SAM MILLER

 

[Marie13]

@Sam Miller III you definitely have some interesting stories...

 

[JamesBon92007]

Re 130 feet maximum depth

I searched 'Underwater Recreation Manual , July 1954 by Bev Morgan the very first LA County diving instruction manual, which the first organizational dive manuals published a very historical document .

There is no reference to maximum depth

I searched the second LA County diving instruction manual, Underwater Recreation by Al Tillman No date on publication but I suspect 1958=9 (Al passed away about 10 years ago- no way to verify date)

Also there is no reference to maximum depth.

I have all of the LA co recreation al diving manuals as well as a number of long forgotten dive manuals in my library and will review in the future-- just to see if 130 foot is mentioned

I recall from the day I transitioned from free diving to SCUBA , in 1951, at that time 130 feet was considered the maximum depth or sport divers

Perhaps 130 feet is a modem urban legend of SCUBA ??
)

Interesting. I do not even recall having a manual for my course in '69 but for my 1983 course it was from LA County Parks and Recreation. I don't have the manual handy but I'll ask my daughters if they have it. I don't remember if I read that 130' was the recreational limit or if I was told that or what. Maybe I read it in Skin Diver Magazine. I have a couple of old Dacor depth gauges that enter the "Red Zone" at around 135' but those are more recent acquisitions so that couldn't be where the idea came from. In any case, in my mind that is the approximate depth where you should begin thinking about breathing something other than plain ol' compressed air.

I was surprised when I learned that PADI considers 120' to be the rec limit because I had always known it to be 130' but I don't know where that number came from.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I do not know what agency authorized your 1969 course but in SoCal I suspect it was NAUI. (In 1969 PADI had not been established )

NAUI was founded by LA Co personnel so I suspect they would have used LA UIA manual or one of the many manuals that were being published at that time. At that junction in time and in UW instruction, as I recall there was never a hard and fast rule for you to use a particular manual.

In 1983 I would suspect you used and edition of "Underwater recreation " published by LA Co

I have a book in my library by as I recall by Hank Fry tiled "!30 foot down." I cant recall its contents

SDM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Sam Miller III you definitely have some interesting stories...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marie 13
Long ago with is was a pre teen I had the opportunity to determine the course of my life
1) I could be handsome, charming, wealthy, living in a big house with an incredible social life
2) I could have a life of adventure underwater , travel explore, write, photograph and live a life little boys want to live and old men whished they had lived

I chose number two and have never regretted my decision

And I still have lived a very productive life, contributing to society for the betterment of mankind '
( and I sincerely hope a few divers along the way)

I suspect you are also well on the road to choosing a number two as your life style

SAM

 

[boulderjohn]

I do not know what agency authorized your 1969 course but in SoCal I suspect it was NAUI. (In 1969 PADI had not been established )

NAUI was founded by LA Co personnel so I suspect they would have used LA UIA manual or one of the many manuals that were being published at that time. At that junction in time and in UW instruction, as I recall there was never a hard and fast rule for you to use a particular manual.

You may have misremembered this one. PADI was established in 1966. According to a history of NAUI, co-written by Al Tillman, PADI was founded by the Chicago NAUI group after NAUI canceled an instructor training session in Chicago. That decision was made as a result of NAUI's decision to focus on California diving and back off from its nation-wide efforts. That decision was made in large part by NAUI's chronic financial problems, due primarily to its decision to attempt to be a non-profit organization. (I am just summarizing Tillman.)

NAUI was indeed founded by LA Co personnel, including especially Tillman, largely because of the aforementioned non-profit issue. Since LA Co was funded by county tax dollars, it could never be a national organization. Tillman (and others) founded NAUI so they could extend the training, but they tried to keep the non-profit status without the benefit of tax dollars.