When PADI doesn't recognize PADI

[TSandM]

I'm pretty sure that if my husband were approached by a student who had been trained by someone he didn't know, he would want to do an assessment dive with the student before accepting him into AOW. If you live where there is no easily accessible shore diving, I could see wanting to see you in the pool before booking a charter boat and then discovering you weren't really ready to go on to AOW.

Most of the instructors around here wouldn't charge for such an assessment dive (although they ought to) but then again, we have oodles of easily accessible shore diving, so the cost to an instructor is very little to do such a dive.

 

[TMHeimer]

Are you sure that he didn't mean that he wants to do a pool session with assessment and maybe training before the aow to make sure you have learned the proper stuff in your ow?

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

That seems to be the crux of it-- He said "redo a PADI OW refresher course" with him. Most take that as doing Scuba Review and paying for it. If that's the case and I were the student I WOULD laugh and walk away.

If the instructor means just do a pool session --without cost-- so he can evaluate whether he wants to admit you to his AOW class that's completely different. If there's no charge, what's the difference, as you'd get tips from another instructor free.

Which is it?

 

[Timmyjoe]

That seems to be the crux of it-- He said "redo a PADI OW refresher course" with him. Most take that as doing Scuba Review and paying for it. If that's the case and I were the student I WOULD laugh and walk away.

If the instructor means just do a pool session --without cost-- so he can evaluate whether he wants to admit you to his AOW class that's completely different. If there's no charge, what's the difference, as you'd get tips from another instructor free.

Which is it?

If the instructor just wanted to evaluate me before AOW, that would have been fine with me. We could have gone to one of the three quarries around here, done a dive together, and I would have been cool with that. But he said do the PADI OW refresher, in a pool, and I know from my previous experience with this instructor he has no pool privileges so the pool cost is on me and the pool he uses would be over $200 for the couple hours he wants, plus the cost of the refresher, then the cost of AOW. I even was specific when he said "refresher", I responded that I didn't think I needed "refreshing" since I had just finished OW less than two months ago and had been practicing in a pool (which I know isn't as good as Open Water but you dive what you can) about once a week since. But he repeated, "refresher" with him in a pool or no AOW.

I can certainly understand that an instructor would want to make sure you have basic skills before he takes you down to 100 ft on a deep dive, and I would have no problem diving with him so he could evaluate my skills, but not to the tune of $200 to $300, on top of the cost for AOW.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Mikko Ilari Laakkonen]

Yeah, skip it and get an honest instructor.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

 

[Diver0001]

This isn't exactly PADI not recognizing PADI; this is one individual PADI instructor not recognizing training by anyone else.

OR

Perhaps he didn't explain it well, but instructors are encouraged to assess incoming advanced students. However, this should not automatically mean a Scuba Review at additional cost - if that's what he was trying to sell.

Not all instructors are created equally. When I have local students coming in for con-ed I always ask who trained them. I know many of the instructors in my local area and just hearing the name will give me useful information. Some names give me a good feeling and I'll have a sense that the student was well trained. Some names give me alarm bells.

In all cases, I'm required to make an assessment of the student's skills before commencing with con-ed so unless I know the diver already I use the scuba review for that as well.

R..

 

[Colliam7]

This guy just sounds like an ass. Tell him to get stuffed.

Jim has provided an appropriate assessment, and used the optimal technical terminology. I agree with his comment.

 

[chillyinCanada]

But he said do the PADI OW refresher, in a pool, and I know from my previous experience with this instructor he has no pool privileges so the pool cost is on me and the pool he uses would be over $200 for the

So the instructor didn't actually and specifically say this would be extra dollars on top of what he's going to charge for AOW? You are just assuming?

 

[Diver0001]

A skills assessment is a requirement of the AOW course. It should be included in the price of the course. If it turns out, however, that the student needs remedial attention then that's another discussion.

It is not required to do the skills assessement using a scuba review as an instrument, nor is it required to do it in the pool. The scuba review is handy because it's a structured method but the instructor could also opt for making an OW dive with the student or (ratios permitting) have the student tag along with a planned dive.

R..

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I am regularly involved in AOW classes in a PADIi dive center, and all OW divers are welcome. We assess during the class, and make it clear that there are standards to met before issue the certification just as in OW, but the standards are higher. Not everyone gets the AOW card the first go. I prefer divers who have at least 20 non-training open water dives before starting the AOW class, but some with less experience do fine and some with more do not do as well. There is no accurate predictor, and so all OW divers are welcome in the class. Assessment comes during the class, including during the AOW open water dives. That is where it belongs. The problem with "independent" instructors, regardless of their agency affiliation, is that they can, in some cases, have a tendency to "make up" their own rules, and I guess that is their business. But Timmyjoe, the instructor with whom you spoke is full of gas. I suggest you go elsewhere.
DivemasterDennis

 

[shmuggy]

The best way to advance your diving skills is to go diving- not taking another course right after OW. This instructor is not interested in you- he is interested in your money. I would find another instructor that you can trust.