PADI online nitrox course cancelled?

[Sirto]

I recently attempted to sign up for the PADI Discover nitrox online course (to get the classroom portion out of the way so as to minimize the amount of vacation time spent in a classroom) and it appears that PADI has removed this class from their website.

I just thought others might be interested.

 

[mike_s]

In the online class did you do the classroom portion online and then go take the test at the LDS and do the check out dives?

I don't know how they can really have an online class anymore. They did away with the check out dives, so if they had the online course there wouldn't really be much need for them to get you into a PADI LDS.

 

[BrianV]

Bummer, I'd do an online nitrox class in a heartbeat.

 

[OHGoDive]

I think Mike hit it. The online course went away at the same time that PADI dropped the dive requirements. The online course used to require you to go to the LDS for the analysis and dives, but, without the dives, they can't funnel any money to the LDS. So, the online courses would take money out of the LDS pockets, and that doesn't seem to be what PADI (or the other agencies) are about. I wouldn't look for them to return.

 

[boulderjohn]

What I hear--very unofficially--is that it really wasn't flying anyway. People were not signing up for it.

 

[Sirto]

They still required you to go to the LDS to get hands on with the analyzer and some other things which I now forget.

The cost was $30 online plus $100 at the LDS that I checked with but that gave you two tanks to do dives with so. Doing the entire course with the dive shop was $140 so it wasn't an issue of saving money but rather saving classroom time on vacation.

 

[OHGoDive]

If I recall correctly, you could only complete your certification with certain, e-learning certified shops. Very few shops were available when I looked at it, and none in Ohio. That may have had something to do with its lack of popularity too.

 

[mike_s]

Well I will say that most likely most folks wanted some "hand holding" the first time they used this "Voo Doo gas". For someone that doesnt' understand it, I can see that hesitation.

Like OHGoDive said, if you can't find a shop that will do the e-learning check out dives, what good are the online classes also? I can see it not "taking off" like PADI anticipated.

 

[Hemlon]

The last I heard, PADI listed the Nitrox dives as optional. My LDS's (which is a PADI 5 Star Center) Nitrox course still listed the dives as required.

What is the latest news?

 

[mike_s]

The last I heard, PADI listed the Nitrox dives as optional. My LDS's (which is a PADI % Star Center) Nitrox course still listed the dives as required.

What is the latest news?

Apparantly not all LDS's read their PADI Training Bulletions. This has been released for about 3 months.


The following is a quote from Page 6 of the PADI Instructor Training Bulletin for Second Quarter 2006....................

"April 7, 2006.....Enriched Air Diver Course Dives No Longer Required! Since the PADI Enriched Air Diver course was first introduced, enriched air diving has become more popular with more widespread reputable enriched air providers. Some who teach the course have requested a reevaluation of whether or not dives should be mandatory for course certification. As a result, effective immediately, the PADI Enriched Air Diver course no longer requires dives, though they are still recommended. Instead, a pre-dive simulation is required. The critical objectives of the Enriched Air Diver course are both learned and applied out of the water, and center around the physical procedures of gas analysis (and related use of logs and contents stickers). The performance requirement for the dive can effectively be addressed in a pre-dive simulation, which can be presented in conjunction with practical application 1 and 2. The performance requirements for this simulation are listed below:

1. Demonstrate pre-dive equipment setup, blend analysis label confirmation for two enriched air dives with two different scuba cylinders fill with EAN.
   
2. Plan two enriched air dives including maximum depths, oxygen limits and no stop limits using the RDP, the DSAT Equivalent Air Depth and Oxygen Exposure Tables and the Enriched Air RDP's, based on: depths, times, gas supply and surface intervals. provided by the instructor and the analyzed content of the two scuba cylinders filled with enriched air."