What would your ideal training agency look like?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

After many of the discussions on here about different agencies I thought as a community, both divers and instructors, we could have a good discussion about the ideal training agency.

As divers, what do you like and dislike about training organizations? What do they do well and what do they do poorly? Consider course progressions, recognition and anything else you can come up with.

Instructors, what would you prefer to see in your ideal agency? Consider training materials, agency support, course progressions, etc.

Would love to see what Scubaboard’s ideal training agency would look like and how it would be better for divers and instructors than what is currently available.


Going Pro should have a higher bar. Having passed an Into to Tech type course, and decent audit-able dive experience rather than a dive count which can easily be attained by "tea bagging"

Dm Course should be more rounded rather than based of demonstrating skills with a few dives thrown in. PLUS should have a minimum course length and be a proper apprenticeship where you learn and gain experience - rather than turn up, pay money and get a card

Regular Pro updates with regard to practical teaching methods, embrace best practice.

Teach Instructors to teach, rather than just teach standards

Build in Nitrox and basic back gas deco into training main training, like the BSAC model.
 
I guess I could think of a lot of things, but one comes to mind. Though I have only experience with PADI, I think in general the training is very good. Ideally, I would like to see some of the more "vital" skills from the Rescue course put in the OW course. Stuff like dealing with a panicked diver, CPR, bringing an unconscious diver to the surface. I have heard this was the case decades ago. Tied into that is the length of the OW. I did mine over 3 weeks and one weekend checkout dives. This was OK, and better than the "weekend" courses I later assisted on. There is a lot to cover in 1 weekend of pool, and it all happens at once. This is OK for someone who is comfortable in the water to begin with.
How about-- the 30 hour courses of yesteryear but at the same cost of today's OW.......?
 
My first thoughts on this would be to add nitrox to open water and beef up instructor requirements. When I did my IDC I was the only one in class that had salt water experience.I think instructors should have a broad range of experience warm, cold, fresh, salt and different gear configurations.
 
My ideal agency would be extremely minimal as opposed to what we see now. What we see today are for profit agencies that make money off selling training material and certification cards. We continue to see this trend with the consolidation of equipment manufacturing, travel, and training under consolidate corporate rooftops.

The ideal training agency would eschew this idea and become just a promulgator of training standards and honest inspector to ensure those teaching to those standards are competent, periodically inspected, and participate in continued education to maintain relevancy. Standards would not be tied up in a business model, marketing, or profits, they would exist simply to promote the safety of those participating in the sport.
 
My first thoughts on this would be to add nitrox to open water and beef up instructor requirements. When I did my IDC I was the only one in class that had salt water experience.I think instructors should have a broad range of experience warm, cold, fresh, salt and different gear configurations.
I don't disagree. But I think you may be eliminating some good prospects if they don't have the money to travel to tropical (or cold) locations or to purchase different sets of gear to own and get used to.
In the past I've said I would personally prefer to take a course from an instructor who has a ton of experience in the area where he teaches (as opposed to one who doesn't, but has more varied experiences). Having both would be ideal.
 
A really good thread so far. It’s fun to fantasize.

What will the real future of dive certification and agencies be?

Unfortunately, none of the above. A few real-deal divers will hang on, but the bulk of recreational diving will veer towards an amped up, longer lasting, and more universal Resort Course starting with an adult Bubblemaker.

It’s not what “we” want, it’s what “they” will buy and tolerate.
 
I don't disagree. But I think you may be eliminating some good prospects if they don't have the money to travel to tropical (or cold) locations or to purchase different sets of gear to own and get used to.
.
I agree that travel can be expensive but different gear configurations can be done without spending a lot. I have no need for side mount but I built a simple one for under $100.00 just to get some experience with it. How can an instructor who has only used a jacket bcd explain back inflate wings.
 
[QUOTE="TMHeimer, post: 8880565, member: 89119]How about-- the 30 hour courses of yesteryear but at the same cost of today's OW.......?[/QUOTE]
At the time (in the seventies) courses organized by diving clubs were more than 100 hours, not 30. And they did cost almost nothing, half of a Padi OW.
Instructors were not paid, the public swimming pool was given for free by the municipality, and when going at the sea in the weekend we were renting a fisherman boat for a few bucks.
Padi landed here with everything much more "PRO", providing a much shorter course for twice the price.
And it was a great success!
 
[QUOTE="TMHeimer, post: 8880565, member: 89119]How about-- the 30 hour courses of yesteryear but at the same cost of today's OW.......?
At the time (in the seventies) courses organized by diving clubs were more than 100 hours, not 30. And they did cost almost nothing, half of a Padi OW.
Instructors were not paid, the public swimming pool was given for free by the municipality, and when going at the sea in the weekend we were renting a fisherman boat for a few bucks.
Padi landed here with everything much more "PRO", providing a much shorter course for twice the price.
And it was a great success![/QUOTE]

***************************************

Of course you are correct, and with so much more experience than me. I have, though, read on SB from more than one that those courses on this side of the ocean were more like 30 than 100 hours. That could be wrong, just what I recall reading. I don't know if dive clubs were involved here in instruction way back then. They are not now of course, as it seems to be all done by shops or independent instructors.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom