C-Cards/ Qualifications or common sense?

[Otter]

medical1 once bubbled...
My instructor put it too me very bluntly- "It don't look good on my resume if my student dies. I'll take all the time you need to make sure you fully understand the info". That is the mark of a good instructor

Not only does it look poorly on a resume, but it really cuts down on the referrals! :bonk:

DSAO

 

[medical1]

Otter once bubbled...


Not only does it look poorly on a resume, but it really cuts down on the referrals! :bonk:

DSAO

You want to stay alive for more advanced classes? ut:

Remember there is no real money in air fills

Knowledge is dangerous / Not having the knowledge is deadly oison:

 

[scubacowboy]

o2scuba once bubbled...

scubacowboy once bubbled...
Personnally I dont feel its the Agency as much as the LDS thats out for all the profit, unfortunatley the instructors not only get paid to teach you, they are also on a commisioned pay when it comes to selling you your gear.

What color is the sky in YOUR world??????????

A little late on my response. But I wasnt referring to the actual instructor, I was refering to the Shop. I know an instructor gets paid on the commision of what he or she sells in addition to the teaching.

 

[medical1]

scubacowboy once bubbled...
A little late on my response. But I wasnt referring to the actual instructor, I was refering to the Shop. I know an instructor gets paid on the commision of what he or she sells in addition to the teaching.

You know first hand don't you

Did you buy a computer yet?

 

[-hh]

Otter once bubbled...


Again, assuming that you are PADI O/W, then you have in fact dived beyond the bounds of PADI training....

Actually, it depends on when he was certified: PADI's OW Card didn't always contain the 60fsw bit.


I forget exactly when this little caveat got slipped in, but it was sometime during the 1990's. IRRC, it was prior to AOW's max depth being cut back from 130fsw to 100fsw (probably so as to make room for "Deep Diver", IIRC?). Anyone have the exact year handy?



-hh

 

[scubacowboy]

actually on my second looking for my third, I may have a used vyper for sale soon, gonna buy the Nitek HE

 

[medical1]

So far it seem like most of the people that answered the poll somewhat agree or don't agree that qualification beyond C-card don't make you a safer diver. Diving regularly & repitition seems to hold more weight ut: in regard to safety

 

[scubacowboy]

Sorry man but I don't agree. there are just some skills that need to be taught by a qualified instructor that repetition won't teach you. This starts at the OW level and continues throughout your diving days.

For example, I am an SSI Dive Master, I have completed all the training requirments and checkout dives, along with the required amount of logged dives. Now as many times as I've dove at Ginnie Springs I would never condider passing the Reaper sign until I have the proper training required.

Let me ask you this. Your diving a wreck you have never been to before, neither you or your buddy has had any previous dives on or in a wreck enviroment, nor do you have any wreck training, Do you penetrate? Without knowing what to expect, what additional gear is required, ect. ect. I would'nt.

You're planning a nite dive, do you know the proper equipment needed, how to give your buddy the OK signal in the dark?

These are the skills you'll learn in advanced training. I remember you said you were going to take stress & rescue, theres alot of skills to learn in that class, how to reconize stress in your buddy before during and after the dive, how to surface your buddy when he is freakin' out, and so on. These skills my prove invaluable one day.


Remember one thing, if your diving with a buddy, his/her life may one day be in your hands, or visa versa I'd be more comfortable with a buddy that has those C-cards, and is'nt more or less self taught. I dove with quite a few buddies in the past, all fairly good divers, but I only have 3 that I actually enjoy my dive with, one of them being my instructor, I know that if I get into trouble they have the training to handle the situation.

All of this goes along with the the repitition diving, I'm by no means the worlds best diver, I learn something everytime I dive, and I'm certainly not trying to be a smart ass, or promote a LDS, its just my opinion that those C-cards you get do mean something about your skill level.

 

[scubasean]

scubacowboy once bubbled...

its just my opinion that those C-cards you get do mean something about your skill level.

I agree that the possession of a particular C-card (OW, AOW, etc.) provides indication of whether a person having them has been exposed to certain material, but I'm not sure I agree that it provides any measure of confidence that those divers are any better than someone having a lesser cert.

Cowboy provided great examples of times when further training would be nice....wreck penetration, night dives, etc.

But as an AOW holder, someone might "think" I have night dives with an instructor...But, I've only done them with buddies...PADI AOW only requires deep and nav dives, with the rest being electives (three elective dives are required).

Also, I believe the lack of a particular card does not make you less of a diver...Many folks having a basic OW card are plenty safe down to 100 ft or more. Merely because the cert. is supposedly to 60 ft. doesn't make the person less safe.

 

[Krisscuba]

I have seen cadivers pulled out of AOW sites that had AOW certs.

I have seen divers that get OW one weekend, AOW the next hit a site rated as Advanced. the site rating means advanced experience and skills, not a paper card you bought. With their false sense of security they became cadivers,.....as do many cave divers.