How do you feel about PADI bashing on this thread??

[matt_unique]

If you had offered "I think they are a bunch of right wing commies" I would have voted for that....

I think there is a DIR bias (favoritism) on this board and I think that goes hand in hand with PADI bashing and every other agency. As with MS, Walmart, etc. it's now sort of popular to bash PADI.

PADI, by way of revenue, is the undisputed king of scuba certification. Say what you will, the proof is in the dollars. Same to be said about MS, Walmart, etc. When you produce 50 gazillion of anything, it's easy for desperate competitors to point out how company X produces 10,000 bad products (divers, operating systems, whatever). If you actually compared the number of bad products to the total volume, it would paint a different picture.

Now, with that being said, I do think standards are lax and I have personally contacted PADI about it. An email to PADI to express your suggestions will do more than years of PADI bashing here. I think PADI would actually increase their annual revenue lead if they were to increase their standards. I don't think they realize that however.

The most important advice offered for new divers on this board, in my opinion, is to research your instructor and choose the person over the agency.

--Matt

 

[Jon C]

If you had offered "I think they are a bunch of right wing commies" I would have voted for that....

--Matt

More likely capitalists, don't ya think....

 

[matt_unique]

More likely capitalists, don't ya think....

Ha ha, yes, that's true. I was suggesting they replace the words "left wing" with "right wing".

--Matt

 

[GreenDiverDown]

How do you feel about PADI bashing on this thread??

What thread?

I'm so out of the loop.

 

[covediver]

As the question asked "How do you feel about PADI bashing on this thread" I am shocked that no one responded. "This is as good a place as any."

As one who holds a couple of certs from each of the different alphabet orgs, I have found them to be all about the same. Perhaps we should the question should be "How do you feel about (fill in the blank) bashing."

 

[PePaw]

If you had offered "I think they are a bunch of right wing commies" I would have voted for that....

I think there is a DIR bias (favoritism) on this board and I think that goes hand in hand with PADI bashing and every other agency. As with MS, Walmart, etc. it's now sort of popular to bash PADI.

PADI, by way of revenue, is the undisputed king of scuba certification. Say what you will, the proof is in the dollars. Same to be said about MS, Walmart, etc. When you produce 50 gazillion of anything, it's easy for desperate competitors to point out how company X produces 10,000 bad products (divers, operating systems, whatever). If you actually compared the number of bad products to the total volume, it would paint a different picture.

Now, with that being said, I do think standards are lax and I have personally contacted PADI about it. An email to PADI to express your suggestions will do more than years of PADI bashing here. I think PADI would actually increase their annual revenue lead if they were to increase their standards. I don't think they realize that however.

The most important advice offered for new divers on this board, in my opinion, is to research your instructor and choose the person over the agency.

--Matt

Wow ! Thanks Matt. I agree.

 

[downdeep]

10. Nic-Knack, PADI-whack, give a dog a bone.

Dear God, I need to get underwater.

 

[ams511]

I think the first line of defense in any organization is the training of professionals. If the instructors and dive masters are not experienced or trained well then how can they train students properly?

 

[MSilvia]

I don't see much that I'd consider "bashing", but that often seems to be the reaction to any post that isn't positive, whether factual or not. If someone thinks an agency, technique, piece of gear, or whatever is flawed, I like to hear why so I can form my own informed opinion.

I don't mind when people rehash the negative aspects of training agencies, but neither am I particularly interested. I've heard the arguments, and unless I see something new, it's not likely to change the opinions I've already formed. If all a user does is post the same negative comments over and over, I'll usually stop paying attention to them. I don't mind honest negativity, but one trick ponys get old fast.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

If people don't care for PADI, why don't they just switch organizations? Most certifying organizations have the same basic requirements, and at most, will make an instructor from PADI (for instance) go to the instructor training class of the new organization.