I am now a Master Scuba Diver (Wow! Impressive!)

[DaleC]

But people just getting into diving don't necessarily have such buddies hanging around. It can take a while to develop those contacts.

Excellent point.

I took my PADI OW with a buddy who was getting back into diving after a long lay off but as soon as the course finished he quit diving again. With absolutely no buddies but a strong desire to dive I wound up taking AOW (which I do not regret). I think the two courses should be combined anyways to create a basic diver. By then I knew some divers and put my networking skills into overdrive. *note. If you want to have more buddies, be the guy who organizes the local buddy list. Even then it was hit or miss for a year or so as to the divers I met and the dives I did.

I bought a used drysuit and took the DS specialty (which I think could be learned just as well with a mentor) but don't regret it too much as my boots were way too big and I spent most of my first dive recovering from the upsidedown position. If I had been on my own I might well have drowned or had a heart attack and may have just chucked the DS. With no mentor available the course did help me.

I also took the nitrox course (no dives) and don't regret that one either. For me the value was not in learning nitrox (per se) which is pretty basic but in turning my mind onto gas physiology in general. I picked my instructors brains on that one (poor guy). It was probably the best $100 I've spent in scuba.

After that I seem to have fallen off the ol' PADI wagon. It seems once you take the snorkel off your mask the dream gets a little tarnished. I now have mentors and learn primarily from pushing the limits during dives and by developing my own little training regime.

(For those who don't know, BioLogic is my wife and regular scuba buddy).

My condolences to biologic :monkey:

 

[Laustimus]

It seems once you take the snorkel off your mask the dream gets a little tarnished.

I had to laugh at this, it's so true

 

[sabbath999]

OK, for those wondering what I got with the card... my packet arrived today, and I got the card, a "To Whom It May Concern" letter and a whole bunch of "Go Pro" flyers and info.

The "To Whom It May Concern" letter was reguarding my attempt to get the Nitrox cert put on with the Master cert... they basically sent a snotty little note that they couldn't possibly do that on the original card, but if I want to buy a $30 REPLACEMENT card they would be glad to.

No hats or patches or stickers or any stuff like that, just the advertising, the card and an uber lame paper certificate that I could put on my wall if I were that much of a dork.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am SHAMELESS in my card collecting. I make no excuses, I collect em.

Good on ya, mate ... lots of cards means you're doing lots of diving ... just make sure you don't end up doing most of it in a class. If it keeps ya motivated, there's plenty of classes out there to choose from (some more worthwhile than others). I've probably got over 50 C-cards at this point ... I don't know, really, most of 'em get tossed in a drawer and I never look at 'em again ... but the classes were useful. Interestingly, I have certs from six different agencies and not a single PADI card in the bunch.

We need to talk Pete into creating a ScubaBoard Master Cyber Diver card ... it might be about as useful as a PADI Master Scuba Diver card ... but it would probably make more of a conversation piece ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[k ellis]

OK, for those wondering what I got with the card... my packet arrived today, and I got the card, a "To Whom It May Concern" letter and a whole bunch of "Go Pro" flyers and info.

The "To Whom It May Concern" letter was reguarding my attempt to get the Nitrox cert put on with the Master cert... they basically sent a snotty little note that they couldn't possibly do that on the original card, but if I want to buy a $30 REPLACEMENT card they would be glad to.

No hats or patches or stickers or any stuff like that, just the advertising, the card and an uber lame paper certificate that I could put on my wall if I were that much of a dork.

LOL Easy now. The stuff came to me in multiple packages. I actually ended up with 2 certificates, A nice letter telling me congratulations, 2 bags, a couple of patches. All the go pro papers I needed to stuff my boots with and help keep the shape. I ended up with a nice miniature certificate too about 2x3 or something like that. and a card. But it was all shipped seperately to help justify the expense I guess

Anyway Congratualtions none the less

 

[azchipka]

OK, for those wondering what I got with the card... my packet arrived today, and I got the card, a "To Whom It May Concern" letter and a whole bunch of "Go Pro" flyers and info.

The "To Whom It May Concern" letter was reguarding my attempt to get the Nitrox cert put on with the Master cert... they basically sent a snotty little note that they couldn't possibly do that on the original card, but if I want to buy a $30 REPLACEMENT card they would be glad to.

No hats or patches or stickers or any stuff like that, just the advertising, the card and an uber lame paper certificate that I could put on my wall if I were that much of a dork.

Have no fear you'll be getting more stuff theres no doubt about it like others here my stuff arrived in multiple packages and I ended up with way more then expected. Want even more if your a member of the PADI Diving Society you get all kinds of additional stuff for reaching Master Scuba Diver.

Congrats on your accomplishment!

 

[Meister481]

I think the Master Scuba Diver rating is a decent Idea in general form. There are some changes that could make it a bit more "credible" in my book. I too sent in my money a few years ago just to get the card, and I found out another diver in our group sent his in as well. All of his specialties were non-diving. He made ZERO dives during his continuing education! I'm ok with 1 or 2 non diving specialties, but not 5.

 

[David_57]

I think the term Master Scuba Diver could be misleading as you can get this handle with less than a years experience and less than a 100 dives.

Certainly would not think of myself as a Master Scuba Diver with 5 years experience and over 300 dives along with my tech certs, certainly a long way to go before I become a Master of anything related to diving, but them maybe I'm a slow learner ;-)

 

[Prostar]

You could do like the guy who came into the shop last Summer and flashed his Master Diver business card. Ooooooooh!

 

[Aquaviolator]

I learned everything I needed to know about safe scuba diving from Sea Hunt, and I never recieved a card from them.

Seriously congrats! Who can say anything negative as long as your making yourself a more educated diver?