Tables VS Computers

[deepblueme]

Why should we even bother teaching either one.

Just tell your students to get in after the DM, stay above him then get out before he does and you'll be ok.
Remember to tip him well!!!

I think this way we could cut the class time down to just one day.

How many people really dive with out a DM anyway!!!

 

[Hemlon]

Ummm....most of us??

 

[String]

Why should we even bother teaching either one.

Just tell your students to get in after the DM, stay above him then get out before he does and you'll be ok.
Remember to tip him well!!!

PADI beat you do it with the scuba diver "qualification". I think its either SSI or SDI have done a shallow water one recently as well.

How many people really dive with out a DM anyway!!!

In some parts of the world 100% of dives are without a DM.

 

[Garrobo]

Most rec diving consists of this: You put on your gear. Make sure everything is working, jump in the water, go below and puddle around for about 45 mins to an hour depending on how much air you use, keep track of your dive buddy, group or DM and the time below and how much air you have left, go up and do a three minute stop (if necessary), get out of the water and onto the boat. Take a P if you can, drink and eat something, Tip the DM. You need neither tables nor computer for this type of diving.

 

[String]

If you want babysitting and only visit areas where flock herding mentality is in force then thats fine.
If you go somewhere where you aren't forced to follow a babysitter you need dive planning and management skills of your own. Not everywhere forces the nasty follow-the-leader limiting approach to diving.

 

[pickens_46929]

Yep... depends upon the type of diving you want to do...

I generally dive without a DM if I can but in some places you just can't avoid it. I've seen a few scary DMs that weren't really safe. The kind that I had to ask myself, "How have they survived this far?"

So why teach tables and computers, and all that... because the simplest answer is, "it's your life that is being risked... do you want to blindly follow or should you really have enough knowledge to be able to recognize situations where saying 'no thanks' or 'hmmm... are you sure?' gets out alive rather than dead"

 

[Spady]

I agree that it depends on what kind of diving you want to do. I sort of like to explore on my own, but I have no objection to folks who would prefer to follow a DM as part of the "herd". Whatever makes you happy.
Just remember though - not all Divemasters are created equal.

 

[DandyDon]

Why should we even bother teaching either one.

Just tell your students to get in after the DM, stay above him then get out before he does and you'll be ok.
Remember to tip him well!!!

I think this way we could cut the class time down to just one day.

How many people really dive with out a DM anyway!!!

Sad that's how it works sometimes.

 

[Garrobo]

Dandy Don: "Sad that's how it works sometimes."?? That's how it works most of the time. I would bet that most divers don't go anywhere to dive more than once a year if that and NEED to be babied by a DM. The 'herd' is probably 99% of PADI C-card holders. That's why I try to deal with OPs who use fast boats or six-packs so there isn't a herd to deal with. But since I have less than 50 dives this year I stick with someone who has more experience diving than me or a DM if one is in the water. That's common sense. I'll be the cool dude who can go off on his own a little later.

 

[String]

Maybe we're spoilt here but ive never heard or seen a in-water DM on any charter boat. They help you on/off the boat and make coffee along with giving a dive brief. They then say have a nice dive and you see them an hour later.

Everywhere (rightly imho) charges a lot extra for guided dives for the very few people that ask for it.