Skills, New Divers and Scuba Training

[icechip]

I sat in on a session at the Boston Sea Rovers the other day about tightening up scuba training with regards to basic skills such as mask clearing, ditching weight, buoyancy, towing, gear set up, being comfortable in the water, etc. Sounds like more and more newly certified divers are not as competent in these skills as they could or should be. Now I'm a high school teacher and we see this phenomena in education as well: when the bar of expectations is lowered (usually with the good intention of attracting more people to the process and the promise of success) the result is usually a loss or dilution of the very skills you want them to get. So on my drive back from Boston, I chewed on some ideas. How about the following?


1. An increase in required time spent in confined water (pool sessions) even if it means making it a longer course. Is it really true that a longer course would discourage people from taking it or is that a myth?


2. Raise the "challenge" bar rather than lower it (or modify it or ignore it). Raising expectations tend to have a two-fold effect: A) a rise in skills and competency acquired and B: a rise in value (and attractiveness) of taking that challenge. Is it really true that a more challenging course would drive people away or is that also a myth?


3. What about some kind of stiffer requirement perhaps of logged dives or time spent gaining experience at each level BEFORE the next level of certification can be taken? Is it true that one can get to Master Diver with a minimum of 50 dives and all in maybe one season? Could that also translate to potentially new Instructors with limited experience?


4. What if Rescue Diver certification had an expiration date and had to be renewed at least every three years or so? Other rescue training such as CPR, first aid, etc ALL need refresher, re-cert coursework. Why not Rescue too?


When I got home, I thought I'd see what people on SB might think: newer divers, instructors, experienced divers, etc. If this is the wrong forum, please move it to where it should go. This post is not meant to bad-mouth any agency or the dive industry but a good-faith attempt to see better trained divers in the sport and maybe help them become life-long divers who embrace the wonder of scuba rather than those who gain just a rudimentary skill level and chalk it up as an experience they put some time in and did a few times on vacation. I think the sport deserves better than that.

 

[MB NZ]

I don't think anyone could argue your points, however, the primary goal of the dive industry is to make money. Would it be viable from a commercial point of view to make the changes you suggest?

Also, for many people, learning to dive is just another thing to do, another tick in the box of life experiences, rather than a life long obsession; they don't require Navy SEAL training to do a few 15 metre warm water dives under the supervision of an instructor.

Just my thoughts

Andrew
Ex-PADI DM
Ex-BSAC Assistant Instructor

 

[Pinecube]

4. What if Rescue Diver certification had an expiration date and had to be renewed at least every three years or so? Other rescue training such as CPR, first aid, etc ALL need refresher, re-cert coursework. Why not Rescue too?

This I find a little odd. In order to sign up for the rescue course (for PADI anyway) it says "You also need to have Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (CPR and First Aid) training within the past 24 months.". If they acknowledge that my first aid expires, isn't it reasonable to assume rescue should too?

 

[Patoux01]

1. An increase in required time spent in confined water (pool sessions) even if it means making it a longer course. Is it really true that a longer course would discourage people from taking it or is that a myth?

Maybe not in your region, nor in the country I'm from (Switzerland). I agree on "more time in confined water" (although not necessarily pools, I haven't put a fin in them until 2 weeks ago). However, here in Sydney, there's only strangers coming in the shops to take a course. They want their OW, and they want it fast. They'll go up to the barrier, and then never dive again until they get to thailand or mexico or that kind of places. Making it longer would definitely drive those people away. Big loss? I wouldn't call it a loss, but the industry is about money and quality isn't their concern (still waiting for a reply from PADI concerning a platinum course director that can't hold neutral in the water).

2. Raise the "challenge" bar rather than lower it (or modify it or ignore it). Raising expectations tend to have a two-fold effect: A) a rise in skills and competency acquired and B: a rise in value (and attractiveness) of taking that challenge. Is it really true that a more challenging course would drive people away or is that also a myth?

That would also drive people away... Not all of us, but some. Basically for the same reason as above.

3. What about some kind of stiffer requirement perhaps of logged dives or time spent gaining experience at each level BEFORE the next level of certification can be taken? Is it true that one can get to Master Diver with a minimum of 50 dives and all in maybe one season? Could that also translate to potentially new Instructors with limited experience?

Dunno about master diver, but divemaster @ padi is 60 dives (at least) by the end of the training. It could be enough, it could be a suicide. It depends on the person. So no, logged dives don't prove ****. I'm the least experienced of my group, and sadly I'm the only one that can get a decent frog or heli kick while lying flat and not moving up and down too much.

4. What if Rescue Diver certification had an expiration date and had to be renewed at least every three years or so? Other rescue training such as CPR, first aid, etc ALL need refresher, re-cert coursework. Why not Rescue too?

I'm not sure you've taken the course... Most of the course, imho, is not focusing on manoeuvers and actions, but actually on the thinking/state of mind. Reason for the CPR and first aid refreshers is that it's still changing, and you easily forget how to do them. Since most of the rescue course follows you on your usual diving, I don't think it's a need to be refreshed.

I'm quite with the "raising the bar" attitude, unfortunately, it's people thinking that spending a day in a pool working on buoyancy and trim to get it sorted out is "Navy SEAL training" that give it a bad view... Pool sessions can and should be fun. Learning to control your buoyancy should be fun as well. But hey, I'm no instructor and often get **** on by them because "don't tell me how a diver should be, their fins in the ground are perfectly fine, I'm the instructor here and have 9000 dives while you have 60".

Cheers

 

[TMHeimer]

You make good points that I and many will agree with. I may disagree about renewing Rescue Cert. in that I too was a career teacher. Would you want to have to "renew" your teaching certificate periodically? With rescue skills I guess it's a matter of keeping sharp, much like teaching--personal responsibility. Regarding CPR renewal, I have posted on this before. There is no test, written or otherwise that I have experienced that meant much of anything. This is after having taken the course 4 times (2 with EFR and 2 with another agency). You go to a class for a day (or hours), do what they say and get re-certified. I do study a page or 2 of my CPR books almost every day, just in case (hey, what happens if my wife has a serious problem, let alone diving?). Then every 2 years I donate $70-$90 to get re-certified (my shop requires it to divemaster classes) with no real test that I learned anything.

 

[Redshift]

I don't know how standards are written on the different agencies, but I think they should not just state exercises to pass, but require the divers to do them proficiently, comfortably and repeatedly, not doing once, all nervous, after 5 attempts and box ticked. It would enforce the view that it's not enough to just manage to do it.

As for rescue, I think it shouldn't be in the same progression line as OW, AOW, DM / MD. It's a speciality. And the skills that deteriorate the most need to be revalidated.

 

[icechip]

Would you want to have to "renew" your teaching certificate periodically?


Actually, we do have to renew our teaching certificates every five years with proof of coursework and other professional development opportunities for each area (specialty and general) that we teach.

 

[Nasser]

All good points. I do agree that the dumbing down of courses and standards should be addressed. But other than that, I also think it's important to have better vetting of instructors and perhaps stricter requirements from that side of the equation. The agency can only do so much to set higher minimum requirements but if the quality of instruction is not up to standard then it undermines everything else.

 

[Patoux01]

The agency can only do so much to set minimum requirements if the quality of instruction is not up to standard then it undermines everything else.

They could, for instance, start checking on their instructors every now and then, instead of giving out awards to people they've never seen.

 

[Painter]

As a newly certified OW, I felt I was instructed very well, but I wouldn't mind some brief refreshing of skills the next few times I dive. That wouldn't scare me away, but it might some others.