Some thoughts on restructuring SCUBA training ...

[David_57]

It all comes down to finding a good instructor irregardless of Agency, when I started the better instructors taught the PADI course requirements as a minimum, for example I had no need for the peak performance specialty as he hammered the importance of that in my AOW class, now if you are just a card collector thats a whole other story.

 

[littledude222]

Maybe calling them specialties is the wrong term. Maybe 'extensions'? Extended training for buoyancy, boat, navigation, deep, etc.

That's a great idea, which would pretty much solve the problem completely

 

[matsat64]

Hmmmmmm, Let me see Oh yes I think that OW cert should be POW pool open water first half of the people I certified with had a hard problem with the RDP cards and I think these days computer's are subject to possible failure so if you cannot read the cards you should never pass OW cert. Then comes buoyancy , this is a major part of become a good diver . After you master buoyancy then comes navigation the next major task in becoming a good competent diver and dive buddy . So if you have enough dives to master or come close to mastering these skills , AOW should be rescue and nitrox, only because half the people I see cannot navigate or even come close to buoyancy skills. So after all the first skills you should have enough dives to be called advanced.
these are my opinions but who knows all the dive shops would close due to no money.

 

[SeaHound]

I've googled several iterations of exactly that phrase, but following up the links yielded no course I could walk into on a Saturday as a non diver and walk out Sunday as a OW certified diver. I don't believe the two day OW course exists, except on the internet.

Dave -I would love to post names and contact information for dive shops but scubaboard is facing a lawsuit and I dont want to cause trouble for this site. I am surprised that you are having such a hard time believing that no one in the dive industry anywhere in the world is teaching an Open Water in 2 days.

Wait till I tell you hear my AOW story:

When I was getting my AOW, one dive shop told me that this is how they would conduct my course. Please pay attention to the following as this is interesting:

dive 1: Shore Dive + Navigation
dive 2: deep + wreck
dive 3: drift

Five specialities were squeezed into 3 dives to save spots on the boat!!! Yup. I was wondering why dont you take me for a very long shore dive and cover all five specialties? You really think In this crazy world there is no one squeezing OW training in 2 days? No one anywhere in the world????

 

[elmer fudd]

I just did some googling myself and I had no problem finding 2 day courses, many of which went into detail explaining the 2 day only curriculum.

So I figured, what the heck? Let's try to find a 1 day OW certification. No luck there. There are 1 day scuba courses, but the ones I found were all things like "discover scuba" and "resort diver" and not full OW certification. That seems to take at least 2 days.

 

[Mike Boswell]

You seem to think they have all been adequately trained because they all survived.

The OP's stated concern with training was:

"I think this is a recipe for producing incompetent divers who will put their lives in danger along with other people."

My statement was that I have no reason to think divers are dying in large numbers due to inadequate training. The annual DAN studies of dive incidents and fatalities do not appear to show that poor training is a significant contributor.

Do I think most new OW divers are well-trained?

Hell, Walter, most of them can't even swim!

 

[Ironman]

I would love to post names and contact information for dive shops but scubaboard is facing a lawsuit and I dont want to cause trouble for this site.

This response is nonsensical. The fact, or presumption, that SB is facing a lawsuit is irrelevant as far as posting links to sites that offer 2 day OW certifications. Either the sites exist, in which case they can be posted, or they don't, in which case you are ...

I am surprised that you are having such a hard time believing that no one in the dive industry anywhere in the world is teaching an Open Water in 2 days.

Why are you surprised? The poster is still awaiting documentation that an ENTIRE OW course is being taught in two calendar days. That was the original assertion. I suspect other SBers are too.

Wait till I tell you hear my AOW story:

And, this is relevant to a 2 day OW (NOT AOW) course because???

When I was getting my AOW, one dive shop told me that this is how they would conduct my course. Please pay attention to the following as this is interesting:

dive 1: Shore Dive + Navigation
dive 2: deep + wreck
dive 3: drift

Five specialities were squeezed into 3 dives to save spots on the boat!! Yup. I was wondering why dont you take me for a very long shore dive and cover all five specialties? You really think In this crazy world there is no one squeezing OW training in 2 days? No one anywhere in the world????

If this was done in AOW, it appears to be a violation of (at least PADI) standards. Was this something you actually did? Or, was it something that you (at least thought you) heard could be done? As our collegues in nuirsing might say, 'If it wasn't documented, it wasn't done.'

 

[elmer fudd]

For those of you who can't google, here are some links.

This one says you do the bookwork at home and then attend a 2 day class. A third day is optional, but not required.
PADI Two (2) Day Weekend Open Water Scuba Diver Courses, Lessons and Classes Tampa Florida (Fl)

With this one you do the bookwork online first, then the class itself is 2 days.
Florida Scuba Diving Classes Crystal River FL Scuba Dive Class

And whadayaknow? I was wrong! These guys do offer a 1 day certification course!
Learn to Scuba Dive, Scuba Diving Lessons, Scuba Diving Classes, Scuba Diving Certifications

 

[Thalassamania]

True, that. I'd go so far as to say there isn't enough time in 40 OW dives to "perfect" buoyancy. However, I agree with Epinephelus that we should get students off their knees from pool session 1.
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It can be done rather easily in a 12 dive class.

I agree with your premise that divers should be trained well. Scuba is a self-regulated sport and most divers want to keep it that way, so an acceptable safety record is important.

Diving is not "self-regulated." It is, in fact, unregulated but tries to put on a appearance of "self-regulation."

It's human nature to want to accomplish something as quickly and easily as possible. The only way to make better training stick would be to require it.

Imagine what would happen if it were possible to get a bachelors degree in 1 year from an accredited college. Very few people would bother with 4 year schools.

I don't think that is human nature.

...

And whadayaknow? I was wrong! These guys do offer a 1 day certification course!
Learn to Scuba Dive, Scuba Diving Lessons, Scuba Diving Classes, Scuba Diving Certifications

They say it pretty up front on their website: "Courses in Glen Mills, Roxborough, Manassas, Alexandria, Frederick and Annapolis will be offered as 1 day courses, with very small instructor/student ratios (2:1) to allow us to move in a very efficient, concise manner."

 

[Mike Boswell]

Diving is not "self-regulated." It is, in fact, unregulated but tries to put on a appearance of "self-regulation."

Divers generally follow a variety of rules which govern their diving, and the dive industry places other rules and restrictions on divers. Divers must provide information on their physical condition and certifications for air fills, Nitrox fills, dive boat trips, and training courses. Divers may be required to get physical exams. To the best of my knowledge these rules and restrictions, in the US at least, are not mandated by government but by the dive industry and divers themselves. Thus divers and the dive industry are self-regulating.