Thank heavens for PADI

[NEWreckDiver]

because it's so easy to lose the point of the thread and
get into training standards and who's best, toughest,etc.

In the big picture diving is a sport competing with dozens of others for the recreational dollar. The bigger it is the more people and interest. More dive sites. More shipwrecks like
Speigel Grove. More dive boats. More ScubaBoard...

We can stay exclusive with the fan base of Arena Football and Curling or we can expand. I favor expanding. I like the additional financial and political clout. We can influence fisheries policy, reef protection, and usage of underwater resources like the Tortugas if we're a big enough interest group that politicians have to consider us when making policy.
That's why PADI is the future for us.

Finally a voice of reason here.

I find it interesting that whenever any question about PADI comes up, there is a few folks here that will chime in with all kinds of bashing without even looking at the big picture.

 

[MikeFerrara]

because it's so easy to lose the point of the thread and
get into training standards and who's best, toughest,etc.

In the big picture diving is a sport competing with dozens of others for the recreational dollar. The bigger it is the more people and interest. More dive sites. More shipwrecks like
Speigel Grove. More dive boats. More ScubaBoard...


We can stay exclusive with the fan base of Arena Football and Curling or we can expand. I favor expanding. I like the additional financial and political clout. We can influence fisheries policy, reef protection, and usage of underwater resources like the Tortugas if we're a big enough interest group that politicians have to consider us when making policy.
That's why PADI is the future for us.Courier New

There are some advantages to having that clout but there are also responsibilities.

I also think that much of how dive training and even equipment manufacturing and sales has evolved is because of the mentality of competing with other pass-times. I don't think all the effects of this have been good.

For instance, and this is just an example, while we're getting more people diving, more of them are infrequent divers who aren't very good at it. That's how I bowl and golf, BTW. I do it only once in a while when the urge strikes and I'm not very good. You can argue that they're good enough to do their vacation dives with a DM but we're also seeing countries/ local governments pass laws controlling who can or can't dive without a guide, how deep they can go, whether or not they can dive at night...ect. It's getting to where the word diver conjures the image of a tourist who needs watching and I think this can hurt us. Well it's ok for the tourists who want to be taken on guided dives but maybe not so good for others.

So yes, the money gives the industry clout but I'm not sure I'm happy with who has the clout because they certainly don't speek for me.

 

[Mako Mark]

"Diving's Internet Religion"


hehehe

 

[rockie_diver]

I think we should start a Sport Divers Association to represent the diving public with the dive instructors orgs!
What do you think? :06:

Rockie Diver

 

[MASS-Diver]

because it's so easy to lose the point of the thread and
get into training standards and who's best, toughest,etc.

In the big picture diving is a sport competing with dozens of others for the recreational dollar. The bigger it is the more people and interest. More dive sites. More shipwrecks like
Speigel Grove. More dive boats. More ScubaBoard...

We can stay exclusive with the fan base of Arena Football and Curling or we can expand. I favor expanding. I like the additional financial and political clout. We can influence fisheries policy, reef protection, and usage of underwater resources like the Tortugas if we're a big enough interest group that politicians have to consider us when making policy.
That's why PADI is the future for us.Courier New

Fisheries, reef restoration, underwater resoures; are you serious? Looking at the big picture, dives do so much more damage to reefs than good. You really think more JAs out there kicking over corals is a good thing. You can talk politics today all day long, but, the real deal is that poorly trained sport divers beat the crap out of reefs. I think these areas were better off when they were "wild."


I'd rather see the sport go in the other direction. I would rather it be exclusiv. I could care less about people that dive twice a year. By the same token, I could care less about PADI, it doesn't matter how many people they have introduced to the sport, they are a joke to most serious divers.

 

[Jetwrench]

I'd rather see the sport go in the other direction. I would rather it be exclusiv. I could care less about people that dive twice a year. By the same token, I could care less about PADI, it doesn't matter how many people they have introduced to the sport, they are a joke to most serious divers.

Well, I guess I'm a "joke", since My C-card is from PADI. On the other hand, I think not. Myself, and most if not all of my buddies, are PADI trained. No surprise, I'm sure, but we dive safe! It also doesn't surprise me that PADI is a constant target for others because or it's size and influence on our sport. I pay no attention to it, learn as much as I can, apply what I have learned, and continue to progress. Call me a joke? Whatever. I would never apply a cert agency to a divers competence or if I am a "serious" diver, as you have. To that point, you are wrong and should acknowledge it. If you can't, I guess you have a problem I am happy to say I don't. I'll have more to say as soon as I calm down just a bit.

 

[gj62]

I'd rather see the sport go in the other direction. I would rather it be exclusiv. I could care less about people that dive twice a year. By the same token, I could care less about PADI, it doesn't matter how many people they have introduced to the sport, they are a joke to most serious divers.

Now that you're in, all others stay away...
Be serious - if it weren't for PADI promoting the sport before you were born, you likely wouldn't be doing it - because there'd be MANY fewer shops, fewer equipment manufacturers, etc. PADI may have many flaws, but for those of us that do this recreationally, we owe that ability to PADI (and the other pioneering rec agencies).

 

[Lawman]

OK, I've listened to the complaints about PADI but they all seem rather vague. Let's get specific.

1. What specific complaints do you have about PADI as an organization?
2. What specific parts of PADI training don't you agree with?
3. What exactly do other mainstream training organizations teach that is in conflict with specific elements of PADI training?

So far all I've heard are general alligations of greed and poor training. Get specific with specific alternatives.

 

[SDAnderson]

Troll.

 

[Lawman]

when you ask for specific complaints about PADI it gets
very quiet?