New Crew Pack Questions

[Octopusprime]

I am interested in others opinions of the NEW crew Pack's. In the past we used the OW crew pack with the eRDPml but there is a new crew pack with no eRDPml but a computer book. and the new AOW crew pack includes SMB and Whistle.

My thoughts are we would still teach the manual tables and planning without a computer. I do think that anyone today buying new equipment would at least include a basic console computer however I think there is still value to teach the basics.

New OW crew pack includes a smb and whistle but the SMB looks kind of junky and if it is a P.O.S. I think I would rather put together a package and make a kit including small reel.

I am a DM candidate and was thinking of getting one of each to familiarize myself with new materials.

 

[Roatan Joe]

The new Crew Pack comes with a computer simulator card that has a code that allows a student to log onto a website and see how a particular computer displays data. The old computer crew packs used to have a supplemental computer book, but the new OW manual has the added information now and the Computer Crew Pack just includes the computer simulator code card and no RDP. I personally like to use the RDP Crew Pack, but others like the Computer Crew Pack. I think it's just a personal preference thing for diveshops and Instructors. If the diveshop or student isn't going to provide a computer for training, then I just stay with the RDP Crew Pack and teach tables. As an independent/freelance instructor I can't justify keeping enough computers on hand for students to use for training.

As a DM candidate I don't think I would spend the money on crew packs. Maybe updated manuals if you don't have them, but the entire crew pack doesn't seem to make much sense to me. If the Instructor has computer students, then just borrow their code to see how the simulator works. There's not really much to it.. But if I were you I would talk with your Instructor/mentor and see if he/she thinks you should spend the money.

I think you mistyped the second time when you said the new OW Crew Pack includes a whistle and SMB.. To my knowledge it's only the AID Crew Pack that has those extra items. For class I provide an SMB and whistle to OW or AOW students if they don't already have the items. I also recommend they buy their own after class.

 

[DENLASCUBA]

I agree it wold be a waste to purchase the new crew packs, if you are already in your DM course your instructor should be updating you with the new information in regards to the courses. If you really want to read through the new materials I would ask your instructor or dive center if they have an open book that you can just borrow to look at. Also once you have your DM cert you will be given a PADI PRo login and you can look through all the training bulletin that inform you of any updates to courses, materials, and answers to questions sent in.

As for teaching computers vs tables this is a personal preference and also if you have enough computers for all your students, if you do not then tables it is. I prefer to teach tables but also teach how to use computers afterwards and give my students a computer for their open water dives, now they know how to use both. I also work for a conservation group in Myanmar for this group I do just teach computers as they are not permitted to dive without a computer and the depth is no more than 10-12 meters even though they are AOW certified.

As for the smb i provide an smb and whistle to the students as well and inform them they can purchase one from me or at a dive shop near them. Also for the smb that I give to the student I do not attach a reel, only a 5 meter small line so they know exactly where they should be during the safety stop.

As for new divers and purchasing equipment, I still have alot of students purchasing equipment without a computer as they do not want to invest the extra money at the time of purchase and say they will just rent one when they go diving. Those that do not purchase the computer also say its because they really don't know how much diving they will be doing yet and just want thier own "standard" gear until they start diving more often.

 

[Omisson]

Only an issue if you intend to go on to instructor...You should check and see if the future IEs will require them... Right now everything is in transition.

 

[Octopusprime]

Thanks for all of the feed back.... and I am planning on going for my instructor so the entire process I have been trying to absorb as much information as I can.

Here is a link to the new AOW crew pack with smb/whistle PADI Adventures in Diving Crew-Pack w/SSM & Whistle it is available in padipro.com I was talking to my instructor about them and he still has eRDPml crew packs and is going to use them up.

My thought is use for OW the eRDPml and if student has computer encourage them to do computer with AOW.

for AOW have a package of Reel/SMB/whistle for sale (im researching wholesale and Ecommerce now my background is in technology and retail management).

As far as gear goes When I bought my first reg set I purchased stage1,2 octo and console all at once and console upgrade to computer (low end) was only $50 extra. it is not great but will be a great backup once I splurge for the wrist mount computer.

 

[Roatan Joe]

New OW crew pack includes a smb and whistle but the SMB looks kind of junky and if it is a P.O.S. I think I would rather put together a package and make a kit including small reel.

Here is a link to the new AOW crew pack with smb/whistle PADI Adventures in Diving Crew-Pack w/SSM & Whistle it is available in padipro.com I was talking to my instructor about them and he still has eRDPml crew packs and is going to use them up.

My thought is use for OW the eRDPml and if student has computer encourage them to do computer with AOW.

After reading your two posts I am starting to believe that you don't quite understand the crew packs and what they are used for. The crew pack with the whistle and smb is the Adventures in Diving Crew Pack (AID) which can be purchased for students that are going to take the ADVANCED class.. The AID Crew Pack with the whistle and smb is not for Open Water students. The AID crew pack comes with an Adventures in Diving Manual, not the Open Water Manual, student folder, logbook, etc....

For new Open Water Certifications you can use the Computer based Open Water Crew Pack or the RDP based Crew Pack.. There is not currently an Open Water Crew Pack available that includes an smb and whistle.

My apologies if you knew all of that, but it seems like you were mixing things up. When your instructor uses up his OW RDP crew packs, he won't be switching to the crew pack with whistle and smb, because that's for Advanced certifications, not Open Water certifications.

 

[Hawkwood]

YES, you can have the whistle and SMB included in OW student crew packs. That is the way we bring them in. It has increased the cost our OW crew pack by about $20.

You have have crew packs assembled in any of a number of custom ways. We also have the crew packs include the Dive Planning Slate in addition to the whistle and SMB.

 

[Roatan Joe]

YES, you can have the whistle and SMB included in OW student crew packs. That is the way we bring them in. It has increased the cost our OW crew pack by about $20.

You have have crew packs assembled in any of a number of custom ways. We also have the crew packs include the Dive Planning Slate in addition to the whistle and SMB.

Okay, I stand corrected then.. sort of..

My point was that the AID crew pack that he was linking to isn't for Open Water Certs.. Hawkwood, do you just tell your PADI that's the configuration that you want? I don't see anything like that listed in the standard PADI price book. It gives the option of ordering the smbs and slates ala carte, but that's all I see.. Thanks..

 

[Hawkwood]

Yup, we order the basic crew pack - manual, student folder, sticker, and then the whistle, SMB, and Slate in addition to the Crew Pack.

As a group, we decided that since we all felt that surface signalling devices were important safety devices, then those would be items the students would own right from the get go.

We were also given the option of just having some of the slates available for students to use, but again we decided that the Dive Planning Slate was really useful for the new diver. It's a nice addition for them and the "happy face" stuff on the other side is really, really useful for us. You would be surprised at what you might think they understand and "Master", but they may have questions/doubts that they don't bring up otherwise.

 

[Roatan Joe]

Yup, we order the basic crew pack - manual, student folder, sticker, and then the whistle, SMB, and Slate in addition to the Crew Pack.

As a group, we decided that since we all felt that surface signalling devices were important safety devices, then those would be items the students would own right from the get go.

We were also given the option of just having some of the slates available for students to use, but again we decided that the Dive Planning Slate was really useful for the new diver. It's a nice addition for them and the "happy face" stuff on the other side is really, really useful for us. You would be surprised at what you might think they understand and "Master", but they may have questions/doubts that they don't bring up otherwise.

Okay, well I guess I misunderstood you when you said you can have the crew packs assembled any number of ways.. I thought you were talking about ordering them from PADI in that configuration. But yeah, a diveshop or instructor can add anything to the crew pack they want. I loan student slates, whistles and smb to my students during training, but I don't force them to buy it by including it in the crew packs.