The value of PADI

[Eric Sedletzky]

Q: Do you know what they call the person who finishes last in his class at the worst medical school in America?






A: Dr.

A Kaiser doctor?

 

[Walter]

Under the PADI system, one can not really be considered having had the training to be an independent diver until one has passed the Rescue class (if then but that is another story).

I agree with you, especially with the "if then" part. Unfortunately, that's not the way it's advertised, that's not graduates are told, that's not the way operators view it. Folks get their PADI OW c-card and dive independently all the time. They have no clue they are not prepared until something goes wrong.

The problem gets further compounded because some operators tell folks with an AOW certification that they are now qualified to dive to 100 ft.

 

[cooperscuba]

I personally think the term Advanced Diver is VERY misleading.

It's Advanced OPEN WATER Diver NOT Advanced Diver. Sheesh!

 

[gypsyjim]

Base my choice in a buddy on their actions, not any card. Seen DM's and for that matter instructors that I wouldn't feel safe diving with; I didn't feel paticularly safe diving in the same part of the ocean!

 

[BDSC]

Thrillhouse:d. Under the PADI system, one can not really be considered having had the training to be an independent diver until one has passed the Rescue class (if then but that is another story).

When you say "independent diver" is that the same as "solo diver"?

 

[fnfalman]

People make too much fuss over nothing. You can't learn everything about diving out of a single course or even two courses. If you don't like another person being your buddy, then get a different buddy. Or better yet, have a dive plan before hand.

If you see another diver being deficient about something, you can either be a nice person and bring it up in a constructive manner and help that person learn something new. Or you can get on ScubaBoard.com and make it sound like you're such a badass diver and everybody else are junk.

 

[cooperscuba]

Base my choice in a buddy on their actions, not any card. Seen DM's and for that matter instructors that I wouldn't feel safe diving with; I didn't feel paticularly safe diving in the same part of the ocean!

Too true. I recently had a guest who was a CMAS instructor, had over 1000 dives, the buoyancy control of a brick. He was also terrible on air and had a fantastic reason for it; he used an eighteen liter cylinder back home and had never bothered to learn breathe control. I've also been on boats with DMs who couldn't run a race let alone a boat.

 

[Walter]

When you say "independent diver" is that the same as "solo diver"?

That means someone who doesn't need a DM or Instructor to hold their hand while they dive.

You can't learn everything about diving out of a single course or even two courses.

Of course not, I'd just be happy if they were competent to dive. You can learn that in one course. Not being able to teach everything is no excuse for teaching next to nothing.

 

[gypsyjim]

If you see another diver being deficient about something, you can either be a nice person and bring it up in a constructive manner and help that person learn something new..

I agree. Nice when you can do that for sure.... sometimes it's welcome. Other times you have to count your fingers after even a simple friendly observation, question, hint or suggestion!

 

[BDSC]

Thrillhouse: d. Under the PADI system, one can not really be considered having had the training to be an independent diver until one has passed the Rescue class (if then but that is another story).

I guess I just don't follow what is being said here. In general I thought that when you pass your OW course and AOW course, you should easily be able to dive without the supervision of a DM or instructor. So why the above statement? When you say "one can not be considered having had the training to be an independent diver" who is doing the considering? Is that just some person's opinion of the PADI system? Is the NAUI system any different? If one passes the NAUI OW and AOW are they also considered not to be ready to be an independent diver? If that's really the case, then I would think both agencies are failing miserably.