WORLD ’ s Youngest Master Scuba Diver

[simbrooks]

Its definately wise to practice what you learn in each class and perfect that before continuing on the classroom/new skill learning. I have only got 10 dives post OW and am going to consider more classes in time, i also want to get out diving more to hone what little i have learnt so far. I still dont intend to do any professional work, so i might take an MSD if the program actually gives you something in addition to the dive/speciality requirements - so i am willing to know IF any agency out there does an MSD that has something more than the card purchase price. I too am going to do an AOW and rescue in the near future, might take the SSI route of doing the specialities rather than just the PADI version though. It is very easy to see how someone can just buy their way to the MSD and get in more than half the dives required (by some agencies) to get this card just in classes.

 

[MechDiver]

Well do you know where I can find more nonsense then?

"New Posts". Click most anywhere.

MD

 

[HamsterHuey]

This seems like one of those pointless arguments. This kid has been diving for about two years, from what I read. Looks like he lives in HI. My guess is, he probably dives quite a bit. He has a certification that everyone that dives (well, has been diving for more than a week) will recognize as a recreational dive certification.

The question has been fronted, "What can he do with this certification." Well, tell his friends. Tack it on the fridge. Be happy about it. Feel a sense of accomplishment. Continue with his diving. He has an incentive to learn more, dive more, and grow as a diver.

Or, maybe he'll meet a bunch of disgruntled divers on an Internet forum that belittle his accomplishment. Maybe he'll read that several people say certifications are worthless, and in 6 years he won't try for his DM rating. We will be free of someone with 8 years of diving experience in the same water. Gosh, I would hate to have someone like that on the boat!

I know for me, PADI had the best class schedule for where I'm stationed. If NAUI or SSI had a better schedule, maybe I would have gone with one of them. Maybe that's what influenced his decision, rather than "gaming the game" for an easy certification.

If the certification is "worthless", then it really doesn't matter that he got it, does it? I think the biggest concern would be, would you rather have him DM'ing a trip at 18 with 8 years of diver's experience, or teaching at 20 with 10 years and several specialty courses, thus a pretty good knowledge of the PADI "learning tree"? Or would it be better if he did his OW to Instructor between the ages of 17-18, and then tried to pass himself off as a guru?

 

[jhelmuth]

"Most of the adults I see that have a "master" certification really should not be diving at all."

If you want to live in fantasy land and pretend that the above statement is false, I can't make you get a clue.

...

If you can't understand this quote from my original post, then you are in no position to comment on standards and certifications within the diving industry. If you don't get "It doesn't matter" from the above quote, all I can say is good luck in your upcoming "master" class.

Well, I apologize for not being able to interprit your original post correctly. I guess it does take 2 to communicate. But as far as I am concerned, the fact that I dive and am a part of this industry makes it OK for me to comment on standards and certifications. It doesn't mean that my comments are valid or worth a hoot - but I do reserve that right and I don't think you're in a position to take that away because you didn't like my interpritation of your comments.

PS - I think I also reserve the right to comment as an American citizen and a member of this board. Of course, they could revoke that right if I'm out of line.

Oh yea, and my opinion on "most adults with an MSD.." is that they may not be qualified in my mind or someone elses (even yours), but I would say that most actually do have enough skills to be diving. Probably not to your level, but not so bad that they should not be diving. Smme don't and I wish we could revoke their cards, but I don't run the show. Also... I think I'll skip collecting the MSD card and get one that actually does something for me. I'm not into cards unless I get something outta them.

 

[J1M1]

I believe that the kid getting his Master cert is great. I don't know if the kid has the skils neccessary to have the certification, but that will come in time. Every diver at one point or another will come into a situation underwater that must be dealt with such as an emergency regardless of what their certification level is and they must deal with it. PADI Master program is not teaching decompression diving and many open water divers will reach depths of 100 ft.+ on their dives. Is the kid any less capable of dealing with an emergency than for instance an open water diver? Probably only physically. He would probably be doing 100ft.+ dives anyway. Now he only has more information on which to act on if a problem arises. Again since the program is not teaching anything beyond 130ft. i believe the kid is just that much more prepared if something were to happen regardless of how skilled a diver he is. Some info on how to deal with an emergency is better than none. It also seems that the kid is extremely enthusiastic about the sport, and anyone who seems this enthusiastic is probably diving all the time and is making a strong effort to hone his diving skills and become the best diver that he can be. I hope this is not just a stunt to be the youngest, that would be diving for the wrong reasons. I would be worried if the kid jumped right into anything deeper that required deco. But i'm sure that will come in time as well. Congrats. to the kid and hope to see his name in the future. Also think it is good for the sport to see young people diving if they are doing it responsibly. Cheers,,,,, J.D.

 

[RiverRat]

I think it boils down to the individual. Do you value what you've learned so far and will you take those skills and perfect them in a real world environment. I remember when I got my Novell Certification (CNE, computers). I was a "paper CNE" but it wasn't until I got a job and started working on live networks that I really started to learn something.
Practice makes perfect.....

 

[TCDiver1]

Is it O.K. if I blatently steal this and hand it out to some of the divers bouncing off the bottom wearing entire catalogs of gear?

Sure, for what good it would do.

 

[fins wake]

The "merit" of a certification is to the holder of the cert. If the card is meaningful to them, then it has merit. Whether is is meaningful to anyone else is irrelevant. The value of a cert may be different things to different people. The charter boat captain lets someone dive because they have an AOW card. Thus the card has "value" to that captain. As has been stated, the c-card means a certain criteria was met on a certain day by a certain individual. Thats all. It does not affect the merit or value of the card.
I have a number of c-cards. Some were hard, some were easy. All were worked for and earned. Some have merit (to me), all have value. Whether 99% of the posters on this board agree with the value of those certs is totally irrelevant to me.

Well put. Agree entirely.

Y'know, folks, if I walk into a computer store/car salesroom/clothes shop and ask about something and all the geezers there do is badmouth the rival product, whilst perhaps being a bit hypocritical about their own at the same time, I'm going to walk away and stay away ... I'm like that.

Doesn't matter if it's diving and PADI, NAUI, TDI, IANTD, GUE or whatever either. Except it's never happened to me in PADI/TDI/IANTD places ...

Now, to be absolutetly frank, my first OW instructor was a cross-over from NAUI who emphasized some rescue skills and a slow descent from the start, and perhaps because of this I've always held NAUI in very high regard, always aiming at some stage to do some course with the organization.

Now, on this forum, there are a lot of angry-young-men-type (and some not so young) NAUI people who may be perfectly fine instructors, in fact I think some of them definitely are (!), but who come across almost uniformly as terrifically narrow-minded, bigoted and sometimes, just plain careless with their facts.

Perhaps some food for thought for you instructors out there. In all seriousness and with due respect.

 

[cornfed]

Now, on this forum, there are a lot of angry-young-men-type (and some not so young) NAUI people who may be perfectly fine instructors, in fact I think some of them definitely are (!), but who come across almost uniformly as terrifically narrow-minded, bigoted and sometimes, just plain careless with their facts.

Is "cheap shot" hyphenated?? wink

 

[JRScuba]

12 years old is still 12 years old. As it was previously mentioned, a 12 yo black belt in karate means that he has been taught the technical things needed to get the belt. That is where it begins and ends. Will he be able to defend himself as a true black belt in a real life situation? Walk through some of the tough sections of any large city and be the NINJA he is trained to be, I'd have to see that for myself. In my opinion, how he acheived that status is to be seen. Granted, there a a lot of older divers the do not deserve the titles have. Rules and safety is what diving is all about. Then throw in the all mighty dollar and you figure what it is all about.

Bottom line 12 years old is still 12 years old.

Enough said, common sense dictates what this is all about.