Should SB be mandatory for new divers ?

[BarrelRoll]

There is a wealth of experience here. I have and continue to benefit from my seat time viewing ScubaBoard so I would encourage this as an activity.

I would be hesitant to mandate the activity as it's not well suited for all. IMO the board has some definite biases especially in gear selection and agency dogma. There are also many cases where threads with good information are polluted with nonsense. If a person does not have critical thinking skills and the ability to sort it all out they will be confused and misinformed.

Additionally folks have different learning styles, levels of web access / comfort. I would be totally in favor of promoting awareness and encouraging engagement.

Pete

Spot on.

I agree with the intent of the OP's idea, but Scubaboard is way to open to everyone's opinions to be mandated as a resource. If you were to mandate something like this, it would need to be HEAVILY moderated for content.

I love Scubaboard for what it is, but it could absolutely be detrimental to someone not used to evaluating information from an objective point of view.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Rather than make SB mandatory, we should make Basic Open Water certifications provisional, lasting a limited amount of time unless the diver receives additional instruction.

Jeff

What sort of additional instruction should it be?

-Mitch

 

[knowone]

YES. The best of the best. Pre requisites. Reading typing computering timezoneing laughing crying spitting sooking professorshiping engineering psychologying politicsing diving over 4 ft tall...........

 

[The Chairman]

While I don't think we'll ever achieve the "mandatory" status (nor would I want it), ScubaBoard has taught a lot of people about safety and that includes me.

Now, if you want to see some REAL gear bias: head to an LDS. They'll tell you why the brands that they carry are the only ones to consider, because they don't sell crap and everyone else does! [/tongue in cheek]

That being said, I think our Instructor to Instructor section should be required for all DMs wanting to become Scuba instructors. But hey, daddy's kind of biased.

 

[Scott L]

Although previously a diver for years, since discovering Scubaboard in 2008 my interest in learning more about the sport has spawned 4 new advanced certifications and a much, much enlightened education with the constant exposure of many great folks willing to share their vast experience and advise. Thank you SB and NetDoc...

 

[spectrum]

What sort of additional instruction should it be?

-Mitch

Speaking for myself...

The notion of a lifetime certification based on any of the currently available programs is dubious at best. Certification is barely exposure to the basics. I see value in a provisional certification that has a sunset. It could matriculate to a lifetime certification based on documented activity and demonstrated proficiency. Nothing grand just demonstrated independent diving.

What that entails in terms of who, what and when will be comparable to health care reform and best lives in another thread.

Pete

 

[diver 85]

no----well,...only to those wanting to become nerd divers--------

 

[orm]

If nothing else they'll have a complete and comprehensive list of positives and negatives of wearing a Wing\Back plate as apposed to say something like a jacket BCD.

And if they ever found themselves in a sticky situation and unable to provide any meaningful conversation over dinner one day, they can also regale their guests in the inherent qualities of the split fin in relation to the plain single blade fin.

Yeah, let's do it.

 

[RJP]

It would be proposed to make SB mandatory for any new diver being certified.
With your new credential, the diver should open a new account in SB, so as the new diver can make a visit to the threads and learn as we all have learned with this site.
Thoughts ?

They merely need to be told to get a BP/W!

:cool2:

 

[Ana]

It would be proposed to make SB mandatory for any new diver being certified.
With your new credential, the diver should open a new account in SB, so as the new diver can make a visit to the threads and learn as we all have learned with this site.
Thoughts ?

thoughts? sure. How about NO.

Recreational diving is for fun. Some people require a lot of information to achieve entertainment, others only need a little bit of compressed air and some water. Let people find their own ways and keep additional "mandatory" out.