Qualifications to participate in this forum

[UCFKnightDiver]

Yep, I saw it, jumped the gun a bit on that post unfortunately it's in the Instructor to Instructor forum which I don't have access to, anyone care to give a synopsis or at least the gist of the thread?

 

[wedivebc]

I am all for elite clubs and everything but we need to be careful how we approach this stuff. For example, when I started tech diving I used independent doubles, I used them quite successfully and developed some pretty good techniques for managing gas. Recently on another board, the owner was opposed to the use of indies and we debated about it with mostly anti-indie club having a go at me and another guy and when I had scored some pretty good points he decided this had been done to death and closed the thread.

I agree with using discretion about who will be here as in the above example but if this forum turns into another DIR practitioners zone it will be of little use to me.
All in all it seems like a good idea and I will be following the progress with great interest.

 

[wedivebc]

Yep, I saw it, jumped the gun a bit on that post unfortunately it's in the Instructor to Instructor forum which I don't have access to, anyone care to give a synopsis or at least the gist of the thread?

Here it is.

Some of you know me and my background -- I started diving seriously (again) 4+ years ago through a PADI shop and went up the PADI ladder. To satisfy my wife (can you say henpecked?) I took what is now called UTD Essentials of DIR and eventually what is now UTD Recreational Diving 2 (both of these were in singles).

A few months after Rec 2 (which introduces gas management, some failures and team skills), I started "playing with" doubles (Jan. 1, 2007 with "Uncle Pug" as my buddy). That spring I took GUE's DIR-F (eventually got a Tech Pass, doubles) and the following autumn did Cavern and Intro-to-Cave (also in doubles) in Mexico.

By the end of January, 2008, I had finished a Naui Helitrox class (UTD Rec. 3) and was just about to finish my PADI DM (which I had "started" 20 months earlier). By April 30, 2009, I had become a PADI OWSI and NAUI Tec 1 (1 deco gas, trimix to 150 feet).

I go through this boring recitation to let y'all know that I am a VERY baby "technical" diver with some 80 cave dives (mostly in Mexico) and 18 trimix/deco dives.

Why does this matter?

Well, this afternoon I received an email from another instructor acquaintance who does not even have this background (zero extended range training, never used doubles, no gas management workshops, etc.) -- and the email told me he was going to go take a six (?) day course to become a DSAT Tec 40 and Tec 45 diver AND get credentials to teach DSAT Discover Tec and Tec 40 classes (that is, once he got his 20 (?) staged decompression dives done). Oh, and by the way, since you, Peter, are a technical diver, want to join me in this class and perhaps we can lower the per person cost?

I told him I considered myself a baby tech diver and didn't think I had the experience to even contemplate teaching technical diving. I do feel I'm competent to teach the Essentials/Fundies/Intro-to-tech class, but certainly NOT a technical diving class.

What am I not seeing here? (Or am I seeing this very well?)

Why would a technical CD take someone on with this profile with this goal? Wouldn't you, as a CD, want someone with a solid background in technical diving before taking them on to become a technical, even a baby technical, instructor? And why would someone who has NEVER DONE IT think they can magically gain the skills to become such an instructor?

Again, am I missing it or.....This just scares the hell out of me.

 

[rjack321]

As long as I can occasionally call a dumbass a dumbass I am happy.

 

[JeffG]

I am all for elite clubs

So am I.

Makes me feel macho. LOL

 

[JeffG]

As long as I can occasionally call a dumbass a dumbass I am happy.

ok..you are a dumbass. Feel better?

 

[lamont]

I think the membership that has been established here should now have a say who the members are. Maybe a committee of 10 or a vote. I already see at least one member here that probably does not belong.

That's not going to work. A committee is nearly guaranteed to spiral out of control with drama.

Better to have mods that use an even hand and keep most of the drama in their PM inboxes.

 

[rjack321]

ok..you are a dumbass. Feel better?

Not yet, I'm biding my time to shoot your cat.

Just sayin' I prefer the less PC format. I don't need my choice dead horse beatin' words auto deleted.

 

[JeffG]

Not yet, I'm biding my time to shoot your cat.

I'm a waiting....

 

[Cave Diver]

As long as I can occasionally call a dumbass a dumbass I am happy.

I don't see a problem with this as long as ya'll remember to keep that freedom back here and not use it on the general board. If it starts to cross the line, we'll remind you.