Restructuring Certifications

[STOGEY]

Well when I first got started diving 30 years ago all of the stuff that you get in advanced now days, you got with your basic ow cert. For example I just read a few months ago someone during a rescue course did a little buddy breathing. When you take your basic now days they tell yo the furthest thing you want to do is buddy breath, but 30 years ago that was part of your basic open water cert training.

I realise that 30 years ago people who took diving did it for other reasons besides recretion, they did it for an interest in the profession. And the basic open water course was alot more intense then it is today. I mean for padi basic I think we took four class room classes and pool dives. Then we did the four open water cert dives and we were certified.

30 years ago before we started our open water dives, the instuctor gave us a quick class in mouth to mouth recessitation, with practical experience on a real human. I didn't like that too well. I mean mouth to mouth with a male instructor was a bit much for me at the time.

I mean if they were going to give us practical experience a person who had a beard could have at least had the beard at the other end of her body.

 

[matt_unique]

It occurs to me there is no reason to have certifications that "mean" anything with the exception of DM and Instructor for commercial purposes.

We have disputed on SB for years what "advanced" and "master" means for example. Who cares? Who cares if virtual diver X on Scuba Board is "impressed" with your "XYZ" certification? It has absolutely zero significance.

It is really only for commerical (and commercial insurance) purposes that we need any sort of meaning for a given certification. Other professions with certifications or licenses hold a meaning with the intention of the certifying agency to rationalize a certain level of responsibility for the safety of others due to commercial activity. Pilots, boat Captains, Plumbers, Electricians, etc., etc.

--Matt

 

[matt_unique]

... I mean if they were going to give us practical experience a person who had a beard could have at least had the beard at the other end of her body.

That is pretty damn funny! There was a time when you would have been spanked by the mods for posting such a thing. :crossbone :lightingz :bigun2: :director:

 

[dumdiver]

Why don't you just get them all conmbind into one course - Call it a Complete Diver Course. That way when you are done, you will know how to take off your mask, go to 100 feet, Navigate a course, and actually know how to rescue a diver if they need assistance. Then promote the number of dives as experience instead of a card.
Frankly teaching you how to rescue your buddy two classes after you get your certification is beyond me. Things like that should be included in your first course.

 

[Don Wray]

Isn't it a PADI requirement to have 20 non training dives to take rescue?

 

[pir8]

Isn't it a PADI requirement to have 20 non training dives to take rescue?

Actually they can be training dives.

 

[Mothball]

Here's another possible twist to throw into the mix. Instead of just counting the number of dives, have the divers log the number of hours they have spent underwater also before the agency would consider the diver a possible candidate for an AOW or higher course. In other words, if DIVER A has 10 dives to 25' for 20 mins each equals a grand total of 3hrs 20 mins u/w and DIVER B has 10 dives to 25' for 45mins each for a grand total of 7 hrs 30 mins u/w. Which diver has more actual experience u/w? Pilots use this method of measurement and I first ran acrost this when I first trained with and began diving rebreathers. My particular rebreather can last for up to 3 hrs, so theoretically, I can have 10 rebreather dives, but actually have 30 hrs u/w experience. Just a thought to a few agencies... I'd personally like to go back to some of the "ole timers" ways of doing things. That "bootcamp" style way of doing things. Make sure the students have the smarts AND the physical and mental toughness BEFORE they get get into the water. If you can't do some basic math, you don't need to be here. If you can't squat your own body weight ten times, what makes you think you can climb my ladder in FULL SCUBA gear. If you can't "dirt dive" while blindfolded while dealing with an emergency scenario, how are you gonna deal a little bad viz when everything else is just fine in actual water? But that's just me...

Semper Fi, Dave