Taking Dive classes to learn, should i go with master diver or dive master

[Lorenzoid]

You can buy cards from PADI and the like, but you can't buy experience. Experience comes from time and practice.

Edit: I'm just grumpy because I spent a few hours yesterday in a murky lake practicing skills over and over.

 

[boulderjohn]

Looking at GUE or something along those lines when junior turns 16. PADI does the bare minimum. Even the MSD got watered down. I remember deep, nav and peak were required. I don't think so anymore.

You really ought to check out your facts before you post advice that can be potentially be read by thousands. What you wrote here is so far from reality that I don't even know how to correct your information. MSD has not changed since it was created--which may be a problem with it. When it was created, you had to come close to taking every course they had in order to get it. Now they have so very many courses available that it isn't even close. I have no idea what you are talking about when you say deep, nav, and peak used to be required for MSD. Did you actually mean AOW? If so, deep and nav are still required, but peak never was. The only thing that was dropped from AOW was the night dive, and that was primarily because in many parts of the world closer to the poles, you pretty much can't do night dives for the part of the year when it is warm enough to dive.

You are actually recommending that the person go to an agency (GUE) that focuses on technical diving rather than stay with an agency's recreational program. All major agencies, including PADI, have technical courses that teach the same skills as GUE.

 

[randytay]

Master Diver does not mean nothing, it means you did OW, AOW, Rescue, and 5 specialties. This is not "minimal". Perhaps finfalman has exceeded this requirement, who knows. Diving experience also counts, many of us have that over finfalman also. Why criticize others training paths?

I know PADI is the most popular agency around here (ok, most popular in the world) but it is not the ONLY agency. Speaking about the MSD using PADI's definition is kind of... you know, incomplete. In NAUI and NASE, the MSD is an actual course with a minimum of 8 dives in a variety of environment, with the goal to teach you with skills and knowledge similar to those of a DM/Instructor sans the leadership portion.

 

[TSandM]

You are actually recommending that the person go to an agency (GUE) that focuses on technical diving rather than stay with an agency's recreational program

The Fundamentals class is an unusual one, one that straddles the line between recreational and technical diving. It can be taken in a single tank, so it is very much a recreational diving class. But it introduces skills that are usually reserved for technical classes, and begins the change in mindset to a proactive one, which is very much the hallmark of technical diving.

But I believe (and I suspect boulderjohn agrees with me) that many recreational divers would be well served to have some of these skills and some of this information, before they consider themselves to have finished their training. There are not many places where it is taught in a recreational context. My husband has a "Techreational" class that does it. Fundies does it. Cavern, and Intro to Tech do, but I don't think you can call those recreational diving classes.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... my students start learning about that "proactive" mindset in AOW ... in our diving environment it's pretty much mandatory if you want to be self-sufficient at any level ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The AOW I teach is actually harder and has more skills than the standards call for in the Intro to Tech class I offer.

 

[boulderjohn]

The Fundamentals class is an unusual one, one that straddles the line between recreational and technical diving. It can be taken in a single tank, so it is very much a recreational diving class. But it introduces skills that are usually reserved for technical classes, and begins the change in mindset to a proactive one, which is very much the hallmark of technical diving.

But I believe (and I suspect boulderjohn agrees with me) that many recreational divers would be well served to have some of these skills and some of this information, before they consider themselves to have finished their training. There are not many places where it is taught in a recreational context. My husband has a "Techreational" class that does it. Fundies does it. Cavern, and Intro to Tech do, but I don't think you can call those recreational diving classes.

Lynne is correct--I do agree with her. I think a class like that is an excellent class. She also knows that I teach the same class her husband does.

My point was that the same instruction can be had from a number of sources--it is not like only one agency teaches those skills.

 

[fnfalman]

Master Diver does not mean nothing, it means you did OW, AOW, Rescue, and 5 specialties. This is not "minimal". Perhaps finfalman has exceeded this requirement, who knows. Diving experience also counts, many of us have that over finfalman also. Why criticize others training paths?

The OP asked for opinions and I gave mine.


So, the diver did OW, AOW, Rescue and five specialties. Big whoop. One can do that in less than 50-dives.