One Result of Commerce in Recreational Diving

[Tassie_Rohan]

Yep - Thailand is the other place that I've come across 'Zero to Hero' courses. Converting any backpacker who comes along into an instant DM.

Yes, there are many excellent DM’s in Thailand, but my - have I seen some complete shockers as well – ‘heros’ flailing away with their arms, gauges akimbo, sucking through air at an impressive rate with no situational awareness of the group they are ‘leading’.

I don't care if they have bought every recreation and teaching card padi/naui/ssi offers: if they have only been diving for a few months in the same water then they are still novice divers.

The funny thing is to see such courses appear in response to a government initiative in a cold water environment where there is usually a lot less demand for DM and OWSI training.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

Correct link to coroner's report:

http://66.70.225.22/accidents/frenchpass.html

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

There an impressive photo of french pass here: looks like a small waterfall.

The description states that the current can reach 2 meters (6-7 ft) a second.

Not a place to hold a training dive....

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

There an impressive photo of french pass here: looks like a small waterfall.

:11:

Unbelievable!

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[orangelemon]

They had a “Zero to Divemaster” course which took non-certified students through to Divemaster, in 7 weeks full time or 26 weeks part time study, as well as certifying them in a whole host of specialties including deep, wreck, nitrox, navigation S&R. All up the student received around 14-16 cards.
They also had a DM to MSDT course than ran along similar timetables and included all fees to PADI and a CD to prep them for MSDT. This means that as soon as they passed their IE they were Master Scuba Diver Trainers, able to teach such specialties as Wreck, Nitrox, Deep etc.

Interesting, tragic and worrying read but if an IDC candidate decides to do a MSDT 'prep' with their course director then they can teach the specialities that they have been trained for but need 25 Certifications to be classed as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer

 

[GEODIVE]

Mass diver production is an issue that worries me most in my business.

The problem lies in the economic system itself. We are living a life in which money making is the corner stone of the value system.

Succesful is the instructor who certifies one zillion divers per year.Succesful is the diver who gets to be an instructor in no time. Succesful is the bussiness that sells, sells, sells.

We have lost track...not only in the diving industry but in everything...
In universities, knowledge is not the issue, getting the diploma and then a fat sallary, is...

Quality was the rule in the past, quantity is the rule nowadays.

I am very pessimistic, although i try to help my fellow citizen without looking for my profit, although i prefer to dive 20 times for free with a -hard to get it- student , although i trully believe that each one of us, individually, can resist to this consuming and earning madness.

The side effects of our current civilization are destroying earth in long and short scale , wouldn't you agree that 6 lost divers is the small picture of the whole process?


PS i participated as an IDC staff- (translator) in an IE last week . The quality of almost all candidates was very low. Who is to blame? The CD who was only thinking of the 1300euros of each participant? The instructor who made them DMs (looking in the 550 euros cost of their DM course)? The examiner who was "flexible" and signed their entrance in the industry even that they obviously weren't in position to teach....none of them, i suppose, and all.

We are all high priests of productivity.

 

[Azza]

Interesting, tragic and worrying read but if an IDC candidate decides to do a MSDT 'prep' with their course director then they can teach the specialities that they have been trained for but need 25 Certifications to be classed as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Yes you are quite right. My mistake.

 

[Azza]

The funny thing is to see such courses appear in response to a government initiative in a cold water environment where there is usually a lot less demand for DM and OWSI training.

Cheers,
Rohan.

It wasn't just the diving courses that had a government initiative. There were/are courses run in outdoor leadership,the movie industry and a whole host of other "tertiary" education with little hope of finding work afterward.

There an impressive photo of french pass here: looks like a small waterfall.

The description states that the current can reach 2 meters (6-7 ft) a second.

Not a place to hold a training dive....

You don't even live here and already you know it's not a place to dive.
I don't know what was running through this guys head.

That a cool photo.

 

[Tigerman]

OUCH!! That picture looks SCARY!
No way Id jump in there.. Not knowing how deep it is, I guess i could make the ultimately stupid mistake of thinking "its prolly no more than 50 feet", but even that would be a seriously FUBAR position to put oneself in..
It makes me think diving Saltstraumen is a good idea..
A 60-105 meters deep (200-345 feet) whirlpool dive? NO THANKS!