Question: Why are divers usually cool people?

[wobbegong]

Jeremy,
glad to hear you've joined the diving world and enjoying it.
As you can see not all divers are cool, some of them can be quite nit picky.
Don't let them spoil your fun, safe diving, Wobbie.
And to jhelmuth,
why did you feel the need to list your dive equipment in minute detail? Got me confused that one.

 

[Lieutenant_Bob]

Yeah..We are cool, arent we...

Allthough I have met some quite uncool divers. Most divers are really likeable human beings, but then someone allways ruins it for everybody, breaking off corals, touching everything, using their dive knife as a digging tool.

After that has been said, the divers I have met have been a mixed bunch. Mixed, but cool..Passion for the sport tends to colour every man or woman.

 

[Blue Kangaroo]

Hmmmmm. I kinda agree with the comments about AOW and push push push $$$$ but would like to add this comment.

The way I describe AOW to my students is that it's a series of experience dives with an instructor - afterwards you will not be an "advanced diver" so don't kidd yourself but you have built up some more knowledge and "hand holding". Many students don't feel ready to go it alone after a basic o/w course - please no comments on PADI as an agency or my own teaching !!

Many students use AOW to decide what they would like to try in the future - People might want to try a night dive with an instructor - some love it others hate it, but the point is they have had the opportunity to experience it. Compas skills are an essential part of diving ( and IMHO not stressed enough in OW) and deep diving is equally important.

When I outline what the OW course is about I actually box AOW and OW together - obviously explaining that AOW does not mean advanced skills. I believe that they are both entry level courses. Adventures in Diving is the new PADI name - a bit crass I know but it does try and re describe what AOW is all about.

I'm certainly not money grabbing ( I teach for the fun of it and some cash to buy new gear ) but I do encourage AOW throughout the o/w course becasue I believe it represents a good investment for the student diver.

Just my thoughts

Blue.

 

[jeremyrfoster]

Blue... agreed.

When I did my 5 dives for AOW it basically made me a "beginner advanced diver"... just the transfer of information from instructor to student is not going to make an advanced diver... it's just going to show me where to start in becoming one myself.

I'm glad you box OW and AOW together. I suppose you have some responsibility in determining who would benefit from the two-in-one.

 

[CBulla]

Divers overall are pretty cool. Some are freaks like the gent that was in my last boat dive (former commercial diver with 1 leg.."anyone seen my fin? Its the blue one!" was his line), and some are very laid back move like a ray through the water divers. Overall, as a group of people we are seen as the adventurers into the water frontier, boldly going where only few other folks have gone before, in search of new life forms and auqacivilizations.. and I'll stop there before I get hollered at for stealing someone elses lines We're intelligent (some much more than others) and we live life.. thats what I see.

A brief view on the certs and I'll drop off the soap box - IMHO the OW and AOW should not be taught back to back. I can see the AOW and Nitrox as a back to back, one is an optional skill training for the other, however, I see divers who hit the water and have the mixed gasses and can't even read their dive table well, much less good bouyancy control. Without having at least those two basic skills down, then the rest of your training (navigation, night dive, deep dive, etc.) really isnt much more than going through the motions. Not that I have much room to speak, I dove for about 20 years before getting certified (nothing more than 20-30ft), but I think the training is lost without the skills to substantiate them.

 

[jonnythan]

WTF?

OW training isn't good enough, but... er.... giving them more training at the same time is BAD BAD BAD THE INSTRUCTOR SHOULD BE SHOT!

The more training someone gets, the better. AOW at the same time at OW is fantastic if you ask me.

 

[Windwalker]

Well, It seems that there could be some interesting debate about Whether AOW should be taught immediatly after BOW.

so as not to Hijack this thread, could a mod please split it into a differnet thread?

Thanks

 

[jeremyrfoster]

Done.

Here's the link to the new thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/t33664/s.html