Reccomendations on advanced training?

[scubadiver1302001]

i am a padi diver that is taking a ssi class at scuba sciences and i am learning more there then i did at the padi stores
so you now have some grate info to work with

so have fun diving

 

[Thalassamania]

But how can you trust anything that they say?

 

[yoginidiver]

Ultimately we (my husband, ITDIVER and I) decided that Rob & Jen’s format (Southwest Scuba AKA Dive-aholic) was the best for us for our next step in our diving education. Their class format gave us the time and flexibility we needed and they have been really wonderful to train with.

Just a general observation….It seems like there are a ton of options out there, and as with anything, there’s a lot o’ crap to filter out. Ultimately, one has to choose what is right for them individually. In my limited dive experience thus far, it seems the most important thing isn’t what agency your certifications are with, but rather how much practice you are willing to get actually diving and how much time you are willing to spend reading and researching the industry in general. As with anything, you get out what you put in. Just my .02. I really appriciate the ScubaBoard community and everyone's willingness to share their experiences with us!

 

[scubajcf]

Hey Yogini, It was really good seeing you again today. There may be a group of us diving next weekend. Hope you will be able to join us.

John

 

[yoginidiver]

Thanks, John. Seems like lots of exciting changes happening at your shop - looking forward to seeing it when it's all finished! Brandon's got a thing next saturday but if you're going to be up there sunday let us know and perhaps we can swing a dive or two.

 

[Scuba Sciences]

But how can you trust anything that they say?

I take great offense to your remark - Thalassamania. How about staying on topic like we're supposed to?

Our Expert Course teaches over 35 different scuba topics to divers instead of the usual 4 specialties most stores give. I haven't seen any other program that comes close to our Expert Course. After all, we've been doing it for 37 years now.

Many SB members have taken our Expert Course and have gone on to become wonderful Sport Divers, Dive Cons, Tech divers, Cave divers and/or Instructors. The training obviously works.

 

[Thalassamania]

I take great offense to your remark - Thalassamania. How about staying on topic like we're supposed to?

Our Expert Course teaches over 35 different scuba topics to divers instead of the usual 4 specialties most stores give. I haven't seen any other program that comes close to our Expert Course. After all, we've been doing it for 37 years now.

Many SB members have taken our Expert Course and have gone on to become wonderful Sport Divers, Dive Cons, Tech divers, Cave divers and/or Instructors. The training obviously works.

I don't know you. I don't care to know you. But I have witnessed how you conduct your affairs. Please, take all the offense that you want, be my guest. The more you huff and puff, the more people laugh at you and the higher these treads go on Google when someone equerries "Scuba Sciences." So please, please, continue to screw yourself.

The facts are that you left all honesty behind when first you started sock puppet using, shill shrieking, and clacking and, second when you refused to acknowledge your wrong doing and face the music. I'm dead on topic. I can not recommend that anyone undertake advanced (or for that matter any level) of training at Scuba Sciences Inc.

It has nothing to do with expertise, which I am not in a position to judge. The reason is that you must, to effectively learn, be able to trust your instructor with your life, and if the management of that store is demonstrably not trustworthy, how could anyone in their right mind trust their life to the instructors of that store?

Take a deep breath, apologize for your behavior and practices, promise to change your ways and we'll all go happily on.

On topic enough for you?

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I reckon I'll have to take the odd position of having to defend the scientists.

Without a doubt, they have excellent instructors and have, over the years, put out a huge number of superb divers. As I have said in other threads, some of Arizona's most talented divers have roots to this store and their level of instruction is as good... and perhaps better... than any in the state. These are instructors that I would trust with my life. As a matter of fact, I have turned to them on occasion for advice on some critical matters involving my own training. Heck... I'd love to have some of their staff at our store.

Your comment above is out of line and I suspect you'll find that many of the folks here who have spoken out against some of the business tactics of this store will rally in defense of their instruction staff, their training programs and their family of divers.

 

[diversteve]

I've got to go with Stephen on this one...

I don't know you. I don't care to know you. But I have witnessed how you conduct your affairs.

All you've witnessed is an exchange of opinions on a public forum about the alleged improper servicing of a regulator from 2000 miles away. From a group of strangers who mostly have some vested interest in either position for the most part.

Please, take all the offense that you want, be my guest. The more you huff and puff, the more people laugh at you and the higher these treads go on Google when someone equerries "Scuba Sciences." So please, please, continue to screw yourself.

No comment except that you are correct about future queries.

The facts are that you left all honesty behind when first you started sock puppet using, shill shrieking, and clacking and second when you refused to acknowledge your wrong doing and face the music.

The facts are that the alleged wrong doing was in fact never proven. Although the reporting of the incident does seem to support your perceived position, in fact what it really comes down to is SSI's position on the incident vs. Cjust's. The only people who can be absolutely sure of what happened are those individuals that had the reg in their possession for some part of the time period from when it was serviced until it failed. There was a myriad of potential opinions on how it occurred but no one is able to state with absolute certainty what did happen. Your opinion from 2000 miles away is just one of them. And your opinion was empirically derived from a combination of cjust's report, SSI's reply and gossip, hearsay and negative criticism from many others - you and myself included. As was my opinion....

I'm dead on topic. I can not recommend that anyone undertake advanced (or for that matter any level) of training at Scuba Sciences Inc.

Really is anyone here asking you to?...

It has nothing to do with expertise, which I am not in a position to judge. The reason is that you must, to effectively learn, be able to trust your instructor with your life, and if the management of that store is demonstrably not trustworthy, how could anyone in their right mind trust their life to the instructors of that store?

What you're failing to do is separate your opinion of the management of the store from the potential for professionalism as demonstrated by the instructors and divecons in their store. In fact there are two separate locations so would you have us believe that all of them are guilty by association of what you claim? Some of the most highly regarded instructors in this area work out of their stores including several that have national reputations in their fields. I've read unsolicited recommendations from highly respected SB members posted in other forums here on at least one occasion for a member of their staff.

You state that you're not in any position to judge their expertise, then in the next sentence you lump them all together and dismiss them en masse. I know from personal experience that the instructors in that store have their own set of standards independent of the management that they work for. As I'm sure most instructors in your area do also.

Take a deep breath...

Might be good advice for you also. Why do you continue to bait here and in other posts:

Originally Posted by Thalassamania
But how can you trust anything that they say?

But it's not only you, there are others who continue to try to provoke a response here.

On topic enough for you?

Personally I think you're way out of line. And for the record I do personally feel that the situation was likely caused by an unwitting error at Scuba Sciences but that's just my opinion. Although my position may have a little more merit as I live here, visit the store semi-regularly, and do have my Zeagle gear serviced there. (only Zeagle dealer in town) Frankly I'll check it a little more thoroughly now than I have in the past but that's just human nature...

And lastly I think Tina has every right to be offended. Wouldn't you be if I made an equally unsubstantiated comment about the Sea Rovers?

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Thalassamania,

I have to agree with Stephen and Steve here

While I may not agree with some (maybe a lot) of Scuba Sciences business practices and quote on quote "Management"s IMO mishandling of the odd customer service issue and I've certainly spoken up about those. Never on this forum has their courses, instructors or DM's come into question.

Personally, I was certified there and can attest to their having the highest quality OW course that I know of and my instructor was top-notch. Even after having issues with the shop, I still chose to take my son back for the same OW course and instructor. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but if my 11yo daughter wanted to be in Scuba Rangers or something similar, Tina would be the instructor I would call first, no question about it.

I've had the pleasure of diving with many of their DM's and they are some of the finest, most knowledgable & approachable divers I know. I am appreciative anytime I am able to dive with them, I always learn something new.

So I have to agree your comment is out of line, being across the country you certainly don't have the first hand knowledge to comment on advanced training or instructors in our neck of the woods, and as you can see from the thread(s) you've visited in our forum we are certainly not beyond calling a spade a spade, so leave it to us locals to make local recommendations. We'll take care of our own and make sure they get solid recommendations and the Scuba Sciences Expert Course is not a bad local one for those that are looking for a lot of different information and not go straight into "Tech" or "Pro" courses as long as you know going in you will also need to go on a couple or more dive trips to complete the diving portion of the class to receive the "Expert" certification.

-Garrett