SSI or PADI

[Neilwood]

That UTD video is eye opening. Hand on the ground to maintain buoyancy (0:39) kneeling on the bottom (throughout).

Agreed - that UTD video is not a good example of how to do it. For all that the finger gets pointed to PADI, that is shocking for a body that promoted "doing it right".

There really is no reason why students should be taught anything kneeling other than it might make life slightly easier for the instructor right at the beginning but he will then have to correct the faults that this teaching technique creates.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Agreed - that UTD video is not a good example of how to do it. For all that the finger gets pointed to PADI, that is shocking for a body that promoted "doing it right".

There really is no reason why students should be taught anything kneeling other than it might make life slightly easier for the instructor right at the beginning but he will then have to correct the faults that this teaching technique creates.

Seriously?

Wow. The guys doing air-share are the object of the UTD film, The guys in the background reflect the skill level of students who are not even cleared for their checkout dives. This is what most mainstream divers look like when they come into UTD. It is a BEFORE and AFTER setting.

Amazing.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Seriously?

Wow. The guys doing air-share are the object of the UTD film, The guys in the background reflect the skill level of students who are not even cleared for their checkout dives. This is what most mainstream divers look like when they come into UTD. It is a BEFORE and AFTER setting.

Amazing.

Are those even UTD students in the background?

 

[Neilwood]

Seriously?

Wow. The guys doing air-share are the object of the UTD film, The guys in the background reflect the skill level of students who are not even cleared for their checkout dives. This is what most mainstream divers look like when they come into UTD. It is a BEFORE and AFTER setting.

Amazing.

Ok, I will accept the air share is the main object of the video. As this is posted by UTD Asia, it is reasonable to expect that it portrays the ideology, methodology and practical level that the agency represents. Why then have the divers in the background taking your attention away from the purpose of the video? A good video (particularly if it is expected to be representative of the agency) should only have the particular aspect that is being demonstrated without distractions in the background and it would have been easy enough to ensure that the video was shot in a manner that excluded extraneous people or was shot at a time when the pool was otherwise unoccupied.

Having students (whatever stage they happen to be) in a video kneeling in the pool is setting a bad example especially for an agency that portrays the persona of doing things the right way - quoted directly from the UTD site - link

Who this class is designed for?

The Open Water class is presented in a friendly learning environment where new divers will learn the basics of safe open water diving. The class is designed for the recreational diver who wants to learn proper recreational diving from the start.

During my PADI training I was expected not to be kneeling on the bottom. I was expected to treat the bottom of the pool as if it were the sea floor and to be avoided as much as possible. That was instilled in me from the moment I entered the water in the initial confined water section.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

A good video (particularly if it is expected to be representative of the agency) should only have the particular aspect that is being demonstrated without distractions in the background and it would have been easy enough to ensure that the video was shot in a manner that excluded extraneous people or was shot at a time when the pool was otherwise unoccupied.

During my PADI training I was expected not to be kneeling on the bottom. I was expected to treat the bottom of the pool as if it were the sea floor and to be avoided as much as possible. That was instilled in me from the moment I entered the water in the initial confined water section.

I’m not in Asia, but in my area pool access is quite difficult and expensive so any other divers or swimmers around is a non issue. This is simply how they run their classes.

With regards to your class, I’m thrilled that you started NB and trim, as I often argue with champions of mediocrity who insist that starting students on their knees is perfectly fine, igniting the problems it introduces. If it wasn’t for social media, I’d probably still be teaching that way.

 

[Neilwood]

I’m not in Asia, but in my area pool access is quite difficult and expensive so any other divers or swimmers around is a non issue. This is simply how they run their classes.

With regards to your class, I’m thrilled that you started NB and trim, as I often argue with champions of mediocrity who insist that starting students on their knees is perfectly fine, igniting the problems it introduces. If it wasn’t for social media, I’d probably still be teaching that way.

I understand that, at some pools, access is difficult and not always ideal. My point is that the video represents UTD Asia and the fact of the background distracts from the message. Choosing a different angle (looking upwards), shooting against the side of the pool etc would have provided a more "on point" message.

I really was quite fortunate in my choice of instructor - he is relatively young and quite proactive in doing things the way they should be done.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I understand that, at some pools, access is difficult and not always ideal. My point is that the video represents UTD Asia and the fact of the background distracts from the message. Choosing a different angle (looking upwards), shooting against the side of the pool etc would have provided a more "on point" message.

I really was quite fortunate in my choice of instructor - he is relatively young and quite proactive in doing things the way they should be done.

I think we can agree to disagree due to our different perspective. I look solely at the subject and ignore anything in the background. I hear you, for a professional production, this wasn't ideal, but that's an expensive endeavor. I wouldn't expect for a regional office to budget for that expense.

I'm working on an IMAX and small screen project, and production (plus pre and post) is really expensive.

 

[decompression]

If I may, certainly the subject of the UTD video is the air share, I'm 99% sure the bottom dwellers are not UTD students. Videos can be time consuming, costly and environmentally challenging to shoot now, as all UTD classes are videoed for the students benefit they can be posted, not as official promotional material but as a just for info's sake quite easily.

Now, the first video is 2 things to me; 1, absolutely horrible skills and attitudes of the divers, and 2, very typical of every dive site I've been to in the last 20 years. That is why there are Agencies and Instructors who are passionate about diving and marine environments that want to change the status quo.