Should there be a minimum experience requirement between courses?

[JRK44]

Should there be a minimum experience requirement between finishing one course and going onto the next?

I have less than 50 dives. I took over a decade out of diving and have only completed c. 10 dives since returning.
Basically I'm starting from scratch again in terms of currency, though obviously basic skills are not an issue.
So I'm a diver with less than 50 logged dives and yet I'm open water, advanced open water, rescue, drysuit and nitrox, and was recently invited to become a divemaster.

On reflection, this approach may help PADI sell courses but, to be frank, does it actually produce good divers?

I propose that there should be a minimum experience requirement between courses.
What do you think?

 

[boat sju]

He has asked these same questions multiple times. That's our problem here

So. You don't have to read or reply to anything you don't want too. @tursiops either. I haven't seen the OP's other posts and I'm finding this one interesting.

What I find annoying is people posting, "do a search" or "you've asked this before", etc.

As far as the original question. Most of the certs listed have no impact on me. But if I need to pay a divemaster I would hope they are at least competent divers. Maybe a 100 hour minimum should be required for that cert. And yes I know dive count doesn't represent competence.

 

[L13]

So. You don't have to read or reply to anything you don't want too. @tursiops either. I haven't seen the OP's other posts and I'm finding this one interesting.

What I find annoying is people posting, "do a search" or "you've asked this before", etc.

As far as the original question. Most of the certs listed have no impact on me. But if I need to pay a divemaster I would hope they are at least competent divers. Maybe a 100 hour minimum should be required for that cert. And yes I know dive count doesn't represent competence.

You would understand better if you could see OP's other posts in this thread. They have been moderated out.

He had a habit of doing that: a reasonable OP followed by behavior that needed moderation (in addition to stimulating regular posters to get out of hand as well). Every one of the threads he participated in ended up being heavily moderated.

 

[admikar]

So. You don't have to read or reply to anything you don't want too. @tursiops either. I haven't seen the OP's other posts and I'm finding this one interesting.

What I find annoying is people posting, "do a search" or "you've asked this before", etc.

As far as the original question. Most of the certs listed have no impact on me. But if I need to pay a divemaster I would hope they are at least competent divers. Maybe a 100 hour minimum should be required for that cert. And yes I know dive count doesn't represent competence.

And why exactly you did not follow your own advice here?

 

[boat sju]

And why exactly you did not follow your own advice here?

Because I'm an old curmudgeon too.

But I will say I'm sorry that I somehow missed the moderator's post that the OP was a troll.

 

[crofrog]

Is a 60 minute dive less than 3 times 20 minutes?

Yes. 3 dives is 3 descents, 3 ascents, 3 predive checks, 3 dive plans etc

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

The trolling was totally obvious when this thread was posted....

Should instructors lower than course directors be allowed to take students in the actual water?

THEY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED! Unless they've spent 10 years as a course director and completed an internship at PADI HQ, they don't have the experience to conduct any type of training underwater. The open water course shouldn't include any training in the actual water. It should be purely...

scubaboard.com

But to get back on topic, I'm not saying that it should be required.......but I think it's obvious that there would be substantial benefit to having some level of additional experience between certifications.

 

[johndiver999]

The trolling was totally obvious when this thread was posted....

Should instructors lower than course directors be allowed to take students in the actual water?

THEY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED! Unless they've spent 10 years as a course director and completed an internship at PADI HQ, they don't have the experience to conduct any type of training underwater. The open water course shouldn't include any training in the actual water. It should be purely...

scubaboard.com

But to get back on topic, I'm not saying that it should be required.......but I think it's obvious that there would be substantial benefit to having some level of additional experience between certifications.

Can you say exactly why? Can you define the benefits - I'm curious.


I would like to make a hypothetical comparison of two divers -

One does all the certs as fast as possible and then does another 80 dives or something and reaches some arbitrary expereince level of 100 dives.

The other diver would presumably do many (a dozen?) dives between each certification and also ends up with 100 dives total as well.

It is not obvious to me anyway, that one method is hugely better than the other, all other things being equal.

I don't really see a problem with someone fast tracking through the recreational classes and then doing another 60 or 80 dives where they get to practice or implement those skills. Also, I think there is a benefit to doing dives under an instructor's guidance with respect to safety at least when they are new.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Can you say exactly why? Can you define the benefits - I'm curious.


I would like to make a hypothetical comparison of two divers -

One does all the certs as fast as possible and then does another 80 dives or something and reaches some arbitrary expereince level of 100 dives.

The other diver would presumably do many (a dozen?) dives between each certification and also ends up with 100 dives total as well.

It is not obvious to me anyway, that one method is hugely better than the other, all other things being equal.

I don't really see a problem with someone fast tracking through the recreational classes and then doing another 60 or 80 dives where they get to practice or implement those skills. Also, I think there is a benefit to doing dives under an instructor's guidance with respect to safety at least when they are new.

Hey John....

My only point was that the "troll" that Wookie mentioned had posted a previous thread stating that ONLY course directors with a minimum of 10 years experience should be allowed to take students to OW.

To the topic..... I just personally believe that a freshly certified OW with only 4 OW dives under their belt would most likely benefit from some additional experience at that OW level prior to taking an ADV course. Basically, I guess I am saying that when it comes to any aspect of diving that "experience" is really the best teacher. Just my opinion.......

 

[TMHeimer]

Can you say exactly why? Can you define the benefits - I'm curious.


I would like to make a hypothetical comparison of two divers -

One does all the certs as fast as possible and then does another 80 dives or something and reaches some arbitrary expereince level of 100 dives.

The other diver would presumably do many (a dozen?) dives between each certification and also ends up with 100 dives total as well.

It is not obvious to me anyway, that one method is hugely better than the other, all other things being equal.

I don't really see a problem with someone fast tracking through the recreational classes and then doing another 60 or 80 dives where they get to practice or implement those skills. Also, I think there is a benefit to doing dives under an instructor's guidance with respect to safety at least when they are new.

I agree. For me it get's back to my old pet peeve-- how comfortable are you in water to begin with before the OW course? If you are very comfortable what does it matter whether you're getting your experience doing courses or just diving? The one exception may be the Rescue Course. As long as you are reasonably good (buoyancy, etc.) I think you should take that ASAP. A few years ago PADI dropped the AOW requirement (now Adventure Diver required I think) and the 20 logged dive requirement. Even if you're not yet the greatest diver ever, you will gain the knowledge and at least know what you're supposed to do in an emergency.

 

[formernuke]

On reflection, this approach may help PADI sell courses but, to be frank, does it actually produce good divers?

All it does is sell courses, and depending on instructor creates bad divers.

I would say it depends on the course. It should also depend on the diver. Some learn faster than others plus if your instructor is really good you will be better than someone with more dives and higher certs.

Agency's will set minimum for some classes as a means of setting some kind of standard rather than leaving to the instructor to say ready or not.