Hello all,
First post here, (on the board in general as well)
I am very new to diving, just completed the course work for SDI, and have first pool dive this weekend. Until talking to my instructor, I always thought PADI was it, and the only one. My brother in law is taking his classes through PADI, not sure of the course work there. I can say that even though SDI teaches computer more then tables, I know for me, that wasnt an issue, as my instructor, stated they were allowed to teach other areas as well being SDI, and since I wanted to know more about tables he spent a couple hours with me, just going over them.
Being a person that understand the whole computer field, I also know they fail, anything mechanical or electronic can and will fail, and maybe its my old school thought process, I want to know what to do in that case, so I asked.
Now in reading all of this thread, I agree that more training is the right way to go, and that doenst mean only classroom, or initial cert. It means always be ready and willing to learn more. You also dont know your limits, you learn first what they are, then learn to extend them. You can have all the training in the world, but personal responsibility has to be mentioned as well. I think for what the training is for rec ow diving, it is there for one thing get your feet wet. Everyone should know that it is not the end of training, and if you want to do more, you have to learn more and limit yourself to your training.
I know for me, its my life and possibly my dive buddies if I screw up, or extend what I "think" I know or can do, and sorry but not willing to risk either. It is a business afterall, so yes the into training will be geared towards the Greatest reach, which benefits the whole industry, as long as the instructor is teaching that is it just that, a training stop on the way to more advanced, and the student understands the same thing, it should work.
Another example, even though my brother and I will be both certified my end of next month, there is not one signal dive we are planing, where its just the two of us. Already making sure to dive with a more experienced dive buddy, to make sure, if a problem arises there is someone better then we are there.