What happened to PADI?

[DIVE-A-MUK]

so walter i must have misunderstood.
you believe the agencies have the lions share of the credit for the changes.
are the individual instructors given any wiggle room at all ?
i can see how the longer approach may be easier, but
i never perceived the training i got, way back when, as "intense" or causing me any misery.
i wanted to learn to dive.
my instructor said " x is required to learn to dive "
i did " x "
tom
ps welcome h'islander

 

[Walter]

Instructors can make a very big difference. It's easier to make a difference in some programs than in others. While instructors can make a very big difference, very few actually do. Most instructors teach exactly as they were taught, following agency standards to the letter.

 

[Lee Taylor]

I was certified in '83 and dove fairly regularly for a couple of years.
Then i got married, started a family .... And the importance of diving took a back seat. Actually it wasn't on the bus at all.
My son just turned 17 and has completed his ow cert. I took the coarse as a refresher along with him.
To cut to the chase... I am horrified at how padi has dumbed down the open water coarse material and the training requirements.
After every class, i left wondering " where's the beef" ?? And my poor son had to endure physics lessons on the drive home, after every class.
When i asked the " instructors " about topics and skills that were not covered, they looked at me as if i had two heads. Their reply was "oh, that's all advanced and divemaster material now " !! I just wanted to turn a few of them over my knee .
Any other old timers out there ? What's happening?

It seems to do with "regulation" or "no regulation" of the industry. We are only as good as the people that operate our businesses and government. There are a lot of losers out there that we went to high school with. We all know who they are. Unfortunately they are employees in our businesses and sometimes they pop up as problem people in key positions. This thread goes back to the principles we teach our children. My personal complaint is that I have three speciality courses and one certification with SSI that they have no record of.

 

[Osvidar]

Lee,
Ditto. My boy certed in '07. I attended the "Open Water" in a 100' diameter spring in New Mexico. In two days in the spring he's handed a cert card - not much real experience that. I'm an old LA County and NAUI instructor '71. They've chopped up the program to keep you tethered to the shop. Reminds me of NASDS in the 70s. No wonder the DMs in Cozumel treat you like an idiot - most of their 'certified' clients have very little experience. Seems to me the 10 open salt water dives I needed to get my NAUI card in '68 in Okinawa was more like what you should have. Of course the 'certified 'population would probably be 20% of what is with that approach - bad for business!

 

[DIVE-A-MUK]

agreed, but government regulation isn't the answer.
the only thing they do well is tax the lifeblood out of us.
the laws on the books now aren't being enforced.
and can you think of any government program or agency that would survive in the private business sector ?

 

[DIVE-A-MUK]

walter
what advice or suggestions do you have for me?
such as specific authors, books, videos, dvds etc
tom

 

[Walter]

Get the NOAA Diving Manual and get a good mentor.

 

[floridanewbe]

welcome aboard

 

[DiverChaz]

Yes, things have changed over the years with the certification agencies. I was certified out in Southern California back in 1972 with NAUI. I took it as a Phys Ed college course so it was quite detailed. Lot's of classroom work on diving physics, physiology, marine life, etc.

I continued to dive through the years and recently got my Nitrox and AOW from PADI. I'm not impressed with the course material but since I consider myself an experienced diver, I didn't feel the need to get to detailed.

I like to dive Key West wrecks and just within the last couple of years, dive operators run by PADI now demand AOW ratings to go below 60 feet. That's what they consider a deep dive now.

I suspect that they are a lot of newbies out there that get themselves into trouble so PADI is not taking any chances.

 

[Walter]

I suspect that they are a lot of newbies out there that get themselves into trouble so PADI is not taking any chances.

I don't understand your point. If folks are not prepared, why would it make sense to make them less prepared? Sounds like they are taking more chances to me.