WORLD ’ s Youngest Master Scuba Diver

[bwerb]

Here's a slightly different scenario...let's see if anyone discern where I'm leading.

If someone shows you a GUE Tech 2 (or heck...Tech 1) certification card...what does this tell you about the diver?

 

[rmediver2002]

Here's a slightly different scenario...let's see if anyone discern where I'm leading.

If someone shows you a GUE Tech 2 (or heck...Tech 1) certification card...what does this tell you about the diver?

I feel the same as my previous statement, each diver will be evaluated on thier own merits... In fact I would likely expect more from them...

Jeff Lane

 

[DFC5343]

The cert means nada...it all in the water.

 

[fins wake]

For example, here is one path to MSD:
After this you qualify (as far as I can tell from reading PADI'S website) for the MSD rating because you have satisfied the minimum requirements.

Err, no! The non-diving courses wouldn't count for the MSD, i.e. Equipment Specialist and Coral Reef Conservation. Swap these courses for actual diving courses, and you'd be spot on.

The MSD is what you make of it. It can be wreck+nitrox+Dräger SCR+cavern+deep. Or it can be much more mundane. The PADI MSD with 50 dives is still likely to be a lot more experienced than the PADI Rescue Diver with 20+ dives ...

I wouldn't get all misty-eyed about a PADI MSD, but then the sight of a NAUI MSD doesn't get my juices flowing any more either. Both agencies are fine, both courses are interesting. And since the concept is different between the two MSD certificates, one can actually do both courses and keep everyone apart from possible Apartheid Diving Society members happy ...

If someone shows you a GUE Tech 2 (or heck...Tech 1) certification card...what does this tell you about the diver?

I would expect them to be able to take care of themselves at the depth they're trained for. I would also expect them to behave in the manner proscribed by their training standards, i.e. no deep air (30 metres maximum in their case and preferably nitrox), to be non-smoking, to abstain from drugs etc. :58:

There are parts of the world, however, where the GUE plastic isn't yet so well known, and where a PADI, CMAS, BSAC or NAUI card (in roughly that order) would yield as much leverage on a dive boat, and where, say, a TDI cert would yield even more ... :150:

E.g. the Red Sea.

This has no particular bearing on any technical prowess this way or another, merely that in the greater world of plastic diving cards the cookie may not always crumble the way it does on some diver forums ... :unclesam:

 

[DFC5343]

I guess if what you are doing is all you have then its better than nothing at all. The certifying agencies are very good at taking the cash but never follow up or change standards to make it more of a professional process. I have many ideas as well as alot of others but will it be for everyone? Not sure. Requiring logged/certified dives for each level should be a must have. But can the midwestern folks get openwater dives to qualify...hard to say. Its all very customer orientated. Money is the biggest factor with selling gear a close second. All and all it sperates the men from the boys so to speak. If you want to really call yourself a diver...get the highspeed training. If your happy doing just rec...go NAUI/PADI whatever flavor of the month. It will all still boil down to what is done in the water for whatever diving environs you are into.

 

[ElectricZombie]

This from a NAUI instructor, 23 year old college student and instructor, and international man of mystery (per public profile).
Zombie - like so many others you tear others down without knowing them. I really don't mind if he has a MSD cert (or not). It doesn't belong to me, and certs are all about money (they don't prove or deny anything). It's curious that your an instructor and that you associate yourself with NAUI, but say that most MSD you meet aren't worthy to be OW qualified. Maybe the only worth wild divers are certified by you?
Maybe we should all consider that no matter what our certification say, we are only as good as what we have invested in learning and the practice to make it the best we can. Nothing more - or less. Quit tearing people down when you don't know them.
And if I'm going to follow that advice...
I'm sorry EZ - but please consider what I'm trying to get at. I may be doing a lousy job of it, but my heart tells me that stuff like this is not that productive and really shows our own faults and intollerance of such trivial things as certifications.

I think you need to re-read my post as you have missed the point.

I am not tearing anyone down. In fact, I could care less what certifications this kid or anyone else for that matter has. The plastic they carry around like a badge of honor is meaningless to me or anyone else who has been diving for any length of time. (Everyone has an experience where they dove with some guy who thought he was the greatest diver ever...only to nearly kill himself moments later.) Instead of showing off a bunch of cards, all they have to do is get in the water and prove it. The standards for classes in the industry are deliberatly set low for the reason you stated; money. Because of this, your average diver is not proficient in even the most basic of skills. I have seen Instructors who could not demonstrate even basic bouyancy control or explain how to use a dive table. How did these people get to this level without such basic knowledge? The answer is low standards from OW on up. When adults and Instructors fail to demonstrate even the most basic of skills, I find it hard to beleive that a 12 year old child can do any better. This isn't the kid's fault; it's the poor standards under which he was trained.

Again, I think you misunderstood the tone of my post. I'm not tearing the kid down; just commenting on how the certification has become worthless due to lower standards.

Yes, I'm associated with NAUI. On the whole, I find NAUI to be almost just as bad as PADI in some respects. The only thing that makes NAUI worthwild is the fact that I can add skills to make the class legitimate. I don't dumb the class down, I don't lower standards. When people are done with my class, they can dive...very well. I have one student that I certified last year that I would put up against any Instructor I've ever met. I know Instructors and "master divers" who would not pass an OW class if it were conducted correctly. No, I'm not the only one certifying good divers. There are other Instructors out there who do not beleive in lowering standards also.

"Maybe we should all consider that no matter what our certification say, we are only as good as what we have invested in learning and the practice to make it the best we can." - I agree 100%. Certifications are expensive pieces of plastic that anyone can get...you have to actually apply yourself and practice to actually improve.

The bottom line is that the lowering of standards in the pursuit of increased revenues have made certifications such as "master diver" absolutely worthless.

 

[cornfed]

Err, no! The non-diving courses wouldn't count for the MSD, i.e. Equipment Specialist and Coral Reef Conservation. Swap these courses for actual diving courses, and you'd be spot on.

According to PADI's website they do.

"the AWARE - Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course counts as one of five Specialty course certifications required for the Master Scuba Diver certification." (http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/continue/conservation.asp)

"You can count this Specialty certification towards your Master Scuba Diver certification." (http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/continue/equipmentspecialist.asp ).

The MSD is what you make of it.

That's kinda the problem...

 

[Dive Source]

Here's a slightly different scenario...let's see if anyone discern where I'm leading.

If someone shows you a GUE Tech 2 (or heck...Tech 1) certification card...what does this tell you about the diver?

I discern that they were probably made to buy a lot of Halcyon gear - LOL

( seriously though - that is certainly a training accomplishement beyond MSD)

 

[jhelmuth]

I think you need to re-read my post as you have missed the point.
I am not tearing anyone down.

from your earlier post...

I'm glad the kid found something he enjoys, but I hardly beleive that he has developed the skills necessary to be called a "master" diver. Most of the adults I see that have a "master" certification really should not be diving at all.

Sorry I missed the part about where "it doesn't matter"

 

[TCDiver1]

gedunk,

I understand the concept. You don't.

Lol, of course you do. Silly of me to think you might not actually be omniscient in matters of scuba.

I believe i understand the concept just fine, thx. But thats just my opinion, i could be wrong.