Suspended Course Director

[Melicertes]

I did send an email to PADI but I would think it would be in the best interest of all certified PADI Dive Centers to have discredited CDs or instructors removed from the internet, certainly from PADIs own site at the very least.

I totally agree and would be very interested to see what feedback you receive, if any.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

Hmmmm.... I'm starting to think we've all been had; that there's a troll in our midst.

Something has bothered me about the OP (dwnunder) since the beginning. First, he says my post is backing up / supporting Eric, the suspended CD. ANY reading of my post would result in understanding it was critical of him, as well as Neptunes, where he did the unauthorized IDCs. I even gave him a big "told you so." How the OP thinks I'm teaming up with the guy is beyond me.... UNLESS....

dwnunder is actually a representative from Neptunes.

From the beginning dwnuner referred to my company as AQUANUTS, (nuts vs. nauts) in all caps mind you. Now, have a look at this thread, It's one I made a post to a while back and "neptunesdiving" later discovered. Interesting how they replied to me using the same name and typing convention (nuts in all caps).

It's also odd how dwnunder continues to bash the guy and claims he sent e-mails that were not answered, yet Eric gets on here and says he never got anything???

Neptunes arguably might have a grudge to bear against Eric, being that his suspension caused them some business hiccups and they already bear a grudge against me.

No proof mind you, but the longer the OPs crusade goes on, the more me thinks we're just feeing the troll.

 

[fisherdvm]

I found the initial post a little suspicious.... But crazy people do crazy things in life, I guess. And also have money to throw away, and cry when they made a bad decision.

Eric might just not have enough time to mess with maintaining his websites, and PADI just need to be kept up to date on their site also. I have not seen malicious intention on either part. Just someone griping about his stupid decision to fly to Mexico on a whim, and complaining about what he had paid for cheap hotel.

If Eric has got the gut to come out of SB to explain his action, I think Downunder owes him the respect to PM him via Scubaboard, call him directly, or send multiple emails from different addresses just in case his spam filter is blocking out a commercial label.

 

[Boxcar Overkill]

From the beginning dwnuner referred to my company as AQUANUTS, (nuts vs. nauts) in all caps mind you. Now, have a look at this thread, It's one I made a post to a while back and "neptunesdiving" later discovered. Interesting how they replied to me using the same name and typing convention (nuts in all caps).

You know, I was about to dismiss this as a little too far fetched.

But then I looked at that earlier post and I noticed a few other very odd conventions that both posters use. Random caps for words that don't need caps, run on sentences, etc. The posting style does looking pretty similar. Could be random coincidence, but you may be right to be suspicious.

Good work, internet detective.

 

[DandyDon]

Moderators have instant access to IPs. You can use the Report button or a PM with links to request comparisons. IP info is not conclusive, but an indicator.

 

[knotical]

According to PADI, Eric was suspended about a month ago, on 23 April 08.
Suspension is a temporary status.
Potential reasons for suspension include (but are not limited to):
violation of standards that affect safety
non-issuance of certification when requirements met
financial irresponsibility
ethics

Readers of this thread do not know with certainty what the specific issue is (was, now that Eric has resigned), nor do we know whether/when the suspension might have sometime been lifted. If the reason was as Eric described in his posts, it seems (to me) to have been rather a petty reason for suspension. I wonder if we’ll ever know “the rest of the story”, if there is one.

 

[Melicertes]

According to PADI, Eric was suspended about a month ago, on 23 April 08.
Suspension is a temporary status.
Potential reasons for suspension include (but are not limited to):
violation of standards that affect safety
non-issuance of certification when requirements met
financial irresponsibility
ethics

Readers of this thread do not know with certainty what the specific issue is (was, now that Eric has resigned), nor do we know whether/when the suspension might have sometime been lifted. If the reason was as Eric described in his posts, it seems (to me) to have been rather a petty reason for suspension. I wonder if we’ll ever know “the rest of the story”, if there is one.

I totally agree. I too am starting to wonder if either of them (the OP and the CD) are in fact real people and not just sock puppets who do seem to be leaving footprints (not to mention the stank) that indeed do look (and smell) very suspicious - much like a troll's. There is always three sides to any story, and I think the full, real truth is unlikely IMHO to have surfaced in this thread and I doubt it ever will.

Edit: ericzwa's profile shows a join date of 04/20/2007 while the OP's is in May this year, Doesn't seem consistent to then be two sock puppets. Since all this apparently happened in the past month or so it seems to me that dwnunder's join date indicates either a desire to 1.) discuss his recent disappointment and loss, 2.) gripe online about someone that scammed him, or 3.) add to the existing problems for the CD by operating with some hidden agenda. Option 3 seems to be more and more likely to me.

 

[fisherdvm]

What is really sad about this whole thing is that we have professional folks calling other's name. All we know is that an anonymous person raise alot of stink about someone, and others have jumped on the band wagon and also called him name. The sad part is we'll really never know who is a fraud, and who isn't. I just don't believe there is enough money to be made in diving to make these accusations worthwhile. Even a play on words - Nuts or Nauts is enough to make me less sympathetic to the OP.

 

[leapfrog]

The guy with the third side to the story is Ben. He has posted. The fourth side to the story belongs to PADI......still waiting......

 

[Notso_Ken]

Came to Cancun on the recommendation of a very good friend who did his Instructor Course and was able to get a job in mexico, Contacted the Course director and set up a date to take the IDC in Cancun, fly down and find out just before I go meet him that he has been suspended from PADI.

Does anyone have any idea why a Platinum course director from PADI would be suspended. I did not believe it a first but checked with PADI and sure enough His name appears on the PADI website as being suspended since April 23rd.

My question is has this ever happened to anyone, and do you think I might have a recourse in getting some compensation for the trip and lost expectations. Is this something PADI might be able to help me or have I just lost 600 dollars in airfare and 300 in hotel room.

Let me get this straight. You've got less than 25 dives and want to go straight to instructor???

I think maybe the guy got suspended for certifying instuctors with no experience!

Go get some good diving experience under your belt. Then in a few years think about Divemaster. Then get some DM experience and then think about instructor. Back in my career flying, I had to have 1,000 hours experience before upgrading to instructor.

Ken