Undercurrent--"Why Divers Die"

[MikeFerrara]

Yes but the RSTC is nothing more than some of the large agencies (PADI is one of them) writing standards that they want to follow. These agencies aren't just members of the RSTC. They ARE the RSTC. LOL it's like the fox guarding the henhouse.

 

[Thalassamania]

Why single out PADI? This is a WRSTC standard. Here is the exact wording from them:
(2) Physical Conditioning and Watermanship Evaluation. The student shall effectively
demonstrate basic watermanship ability by performing, to an instructor, the watermanship evaluation required by a training organization. This watermanship evaluation shall include either: a) continuous 200 yard (183 metre) surface distance swim and a 10 minute survival swim/float without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or of other swimming aids; b) 300 yard swim using mask, fins and snorkel, and a 10 minute survival swim/float without mask, fins, snorkel or other swimming aid. If an exposure suit is used, the wearer must be neutrally buoyant at the surface.

This standard is used by a number of agencies that are members.

See, they fooled you! As one who was heavily involved in the RSTC in the 1980s let me assure you that today’s RSTC is a naught but a smoke and mirror game intended to do exactly what you’ve just permitted it to. It is the worst common denominator of all the agencies established for the very purpose of being able to say, “see … we exceed RSTC standards, we must be good!” What a crock. These are not preexisting standards that all signatories meet, the are the worst common denominator arrived at by taking the lowest standard that any of the signatories had for a given topic.

 

[boulderjohn]

Several people have commented that getting to the supposed fitness level of the BMI nearly demands that you be a very skinny person with no real muscle development. That is true. I am by no means a body builder. I am in pretty good shape for a person my age, and I exercise regularly. That exercise includes one set of upper body weight training with relatively light weights. My goal is toning more than developing muscle mass. People on this board who have met me will testify that I am no body builder, but I hope they will also say that I look fit.

As I said earlier, according to the BMI, I am significantly overweight, but according to a body composition analysis I had done not long ago, if I were to lose enough fat to get down to the very edge of BMI's overweight standard, I would be at 0% body fat--which is extremely unhealthy.

The problem with this is in the statistical relation of BMI statistics to scuba injuries. Yes, many of the people the BMI says are overweight or obese are indeed overweight and obese, but many are also people who exercise regularly and are quite fit. What is the percentage of each? It is impossible to tell. The statistics are then almost meaningless.

 

[String]

http://home.fuse.net/clymer/bmi/ <-- a slightly more useful BMI/Body fat calculator.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yes but the RSTC is nothing more than some of the large agencies (PADI is one of them) writing standards that they want to follow. These agencies aren't just members of the RSTC. They ARE the RSTC. LOL it's like the fox guarding the henhouse.

Are you saying that all the other agencies that belong to RSTC--like, say, SSI--routinely adopt standards with which they disagree?

 

[Thalassamania]

Are you saying that all the other agencies that belong to RSTC--like, say, SSI--routinely adopt standards with which they disagree?

The RSTC is a set of minimum standards for all the members. It's just a cut and paste of the worst of all the members standards, kind of the basement of diving. If all the agencies thought so much of the RSTC standards, why do they all exceed them in one way or another. You answered your own question.

 

[String]

They all agree to low standards so they can all boast about exceeding the standards in their courses.

 

[Thalassamania]

They all agree to low standards so they can all boast about exceeding the standards in their courses.

Bingo, now that wasn't hard to figure out, was it?

 

[String]

I wasnt trying to figure it out, simply rewording it for the poster

Im all in favour of CMAS standards anyway...

 

[Thalassamania]

I wasnt trying to figure it out, simply rewording it for the poster

Im all in favour of CMAS standards anyway...

CMAS are actually hammered out in conference and are designed to be meaningful rather than be, what do you Brits call it, bumph?