Diving Classes Then and Now

[Wedge]

I did a quick search but couldn't find a thread; found some other interesting ones, though. I was discussing the length and content of my daughter's recent OW course to a friend of mine who was certified in the 80's. He went into a gentle tirade about how he had to go to "weeks of courses" and do a bunch of underwater skills, etc. I didn't catch all he said, so I'm curious how the OW training (PADI/NAUI) may have changed over the last couple decades: has it been "watered down (no pun intended)?" Thanks.

 

[rhwestfall]

here we go.....

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Depends on the agency. The OW class I teach is 8 weeks with 32 hours of instruction. 16 classroom, 16 pool. Includes rescue skills, emergency decompression planning, buddy breathing (not octo air share though this is taught also), blacked out mask drills, and a few fun exercises like station breathing where you leave you gear in one corner of the pool and swim to another set in the opposite corner. Last night I had my students do a gear exchange while sharing air.

 

[TMHeimer]

PADI (and most agencies, I believe) have week night courses vs. weekend ones. The weekend ones IMHO squeeze a lot into two days of pool sessions. Same amount of training of course with week night courses, but days in between 6 seesions to absorb way less stuff. As well, I believe in the old days a lot of the material in the PADI Rescue Diver course was covered (I may be a bit off on that). The "rescue" stuff with PADI OW now consists of cramp removal, tows, and of course out of air drill. To me, these are basic skills that usually don't involve a real emergency.

 

[Hawkwood]

PADI's recommended course hours for OW is 31.

 

[agilis]

Watered down? Not at all. I'm sure it still takes the typical 60 hour minimum of class and pool instruction for basic scuba certification, along with a demonstration of good swimming and water skills before being allowed to begin the intro course.

How could it not? Anything less would approach criminal recklessness and produce a pack of awkward incompetent inept bunglers able to do little more than follow a divemaster who probably had to put their equipment together for them.

Such a thing would never be allowed to develop here in the USA. Perhaps in some corrupt nation where sales of equipment and the marketing of multiple training courses takes precedence over common sense and moral responsibility, but never here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Whoever is responsible for spreading such vicious rumors should be reported to the appropriate government agency.

 

[flyin01]

It seems like P.A.D.I. Has watered down their course over the years. Removing some skills like equipment ditch and recovery and the night dive from the AOW course.

 

[descent]

A watered down dive program allows you to keep and control all of your gear, all of the time.

(Yard sale season starts at two minutes and forty seconds)

[video=youtube;ozq-bymUs4A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozq-bymUs4A[/video]

 

[Hawkwood]

It seems like P.A.D.I. Has watered down their course over the years. Removing some skills like equipment ditch and recovery and the night dive from the AOW course.

Why do you think a night dive should be mandatory?

 

[Hickdive]

Aaarhh! We had to swim 3 miles, wearing a 20lb weight belt, up hill, before we were even allowed to see an aqualung in those days.

The instructor used to thrash us with rolled up copy of Skin Diver just for having the temerity to exist. One guy in our class was set fire to for asking a question; whilst we were underwater!

It took three and half years to qualify just enough to be allowed to use a snorkel; another six months and we were allowed to use the snorkel in the water.

Today's divers don't know how easy they've got it.