It would certainly be a different industry if all instructors thought the same way you do. It goes hand and hand with your post listing all the reasons why you dont have a shop. You're not stuck doing as the shop tells you to do. I've seen too many people with cards that they dont deserve them but scuba is a business whether we think of it that way or not and the shops are in it to make money, its not a non-profit organization.
As I begin to broaden my scuba horizons I have recently been introduced to a few 'independent' instructors and have definitely noticed a different mentality when it comes to giving out cards. Its a nice change and I hope they (you) dont cave to the pressures of certifying people. I have enjoyed going from agency to agency for the different cards that I hold as I feel I have gained a 'broader' view of skills and requirements thus making me (hopefully) a better rounded diver. I think its important to keep training and to dive with a variety of people trained in ways different from my own so as to learn from them also. A couple of months ago I watched an independent instructor out at Lake Pleasant doing OW certs and was pleasantly surprised in his high level of expectations of his students.
I just noticed I was rambling......oops.
Was hoping to do that damn dive you guys are planning but we're committed to being in California. That would be a good thing if we were actually going there to dive but we wont be Trying to talk hubby into buying a pontoon boat....maybe we could 'host' some damn dives next summer.....
Kaz
As I begin to broaden my scuba horizons I have recently been introduced to a few 'independent' instructors and have definitely noticed a different mentality when it comes to giving out cards. Its a nice change and I hope they (you) dont cave to the pressures of certifying people. I have enjoyed going from agency to agency for the different cards that I hold as I feel I have gained a 'broader' view of skills and requirements thus making me (hopefully) a better rounded diver. I think its important to keep training and to dive with a variety of people trained in ways different from my own so as to learn from them also. A couple of months ago I watched an independent instructor out at Lake Pleasant doing OW certs and was pleasantly surprised in his high level of expectations of his students.
I just noticed I was rambling......oops.
Was hoping to do that damn dive you guys are planning but we're committed to being in California. That would be a good thing if we were actually going there to dive but we wont be Trying to talk hubby into buying a pontoon boat....maybe we could 'host' some damn dives next summer.....
Kaz