Most disturbing phone call I've gotten in a long time

[Jim Lapenta]

Was sitting here today finishing up an article for our quarterly journal when the phone rang. It was someone asking me about a price for certification. I told them my price and they then asked if there was a discount in they already had all their own gear and books. What books I asked? I have my PADI manual. I'm not a PADI instructor and require our own materials that are included in the price of the class. Then he informed me that he had already done all the skills and "stuff" and was pretty good with them. Where did he do this I asked. With XXX from YYY Scuba Club. We did some pool work and some OW dives and they said I just need to find an instructor to take my test and check me out on a couple dives and give me a card.

I did some checking and there is a club that has no instructor but does have a couple divemasters who are not current and not insured and are teaching people to dive. They are using a high school pool that I doubt knows exactly what is going on. They are sending people to buy gear or are selling it to them. They are then telling them to go rent tankss with no cert card. When the shop refuses to fill tanks for someone with no card they will get them filled and take these people on dives. In addition an actual instructor has taken one of these people they trained in the pool and discovered they do not know what they are doing. After that call I spoke to another instructor who has a shop doing one day courses and sending the students with a referral to him for checkouts. Right after that I spoke with another owner who informed me a shop north of here is giving away classes. But they are selling a $250 gift card they can use towards the purchase of overpriced gear. But these free classes do not include a certification or checkout dives. They need to buy a $75 PADI manual, given a quick classroom session and a couple pool sessions. They are then told they need to go to another shop to get a card and do a "couple" checkout dives. WTF is going on and why?

And just found out another shop is having some kind of internal feud and one instructor/partner is doing students on the side and sending the students to another shop for gear. Ok but then he is also doing all 4 checkouts with some students in one day. This is the same instructor who called me a couple months ago with an issue when I made the statement that he is all about numbers. Was upset that I was using his students as an example of what not to do and strive to be like. I am more and more convinced that this is a direct result of pushing diving as being for everyone and dumbing down standards. It is exactly why I am putting out my book.

I know that in the early days divers often learned the sport from other sources than formal instruction. And may still do. But what is going on seems to be moving in a worse direction. As for the PADI DM's doing what they are doing I do not hold PADI responsible and bet that if they could they'd try to stop them. But how? They are not current or insured so what can PADI do to them. I am thinking of filing a report anyway because if someone gets hurt it is not inconceivable that since these DM's really have nothing to take they will go after the ones that do. PADI, the school district that is allowing this, and anyone else they can think of. I was going to put this in the instructor forum but it is too important an issue. Every diver and potential diver needs to be aware of stuff like this.

[mdb]

Jim:

Thank you for your usual open and honest posts. The current practices you describe are not just in Western PA. We are seeing more and more such incidents almost everywhere. E-learning, and one day classes, dumbing down of instruction, all this has been producing more and more divers who are unsafe, insecure on their own, and will drop out sooner rather than later.

I hope these poorly trained divers will drop out before they harm themselves or others.

On this board we are fortunate to have a number of ethical and competent instructors: Yourself, NWGD, Trace, Walter, NetDoc, and others.

I do hope this distributing trend is reaching an end point.

[captndale]

I do hope this distributing trend is reaching an end point.

I am afraid that the end point may be reached when a dramatic accident takes place with with one of the products of these "classes." Then there will be pressure for the government to step in and regulate and license scuba instruction. If you do not like the standards that come from the current training agencies, wait until the standards are replaced by government regulations written by bureaucrats.

We need to all find a way to stop these practices now.

[DevonDiver]

I am sure that PADI would want to hear about this. If they're using the PADI logo...and claiming to teach PADI courses, then there would be legal issues.

What shocks me is these muppets seem to think they could get away with it. Even more shocking is the thought that they have been...and some other instructor has actually been signing their students off....

If it is true, they should be named, shamed and plastered over the internet.

[flots am]

I am thinking of filing a report anyway because if someone gets hurt it is not inconceivable that since these DM's really have nothing to take they will go after the ones that do. PADI, the school district that is allowing this, and anyone else they can think of. I was going to put this in the instructor forum but it is too important an issue. Every diver and potential diver needs to be aware of stuff like this.

So how is this your problem?

Nobody is going to do their checkout dives, and PADI won't issue a card without a real, active instructor doing the paperwork, so I really don't see it as an issue.

flots.

[DevonDiver]

...because...

1) It could get someone hurt.
2) It lowers public faith in the scuba industry.
3) It encourages simular behaviour, thus undermining the the activities of legitimate instructors.
4) It is fraud...a crime... and some people choose to display civic duty in reporting it.
5) It adds weight to any arguements for further government legislation.
6) It puts more ill-trained divers onto dive boats and they could be your next buddy.
7) It's just plain annoying that there are cowboys who would act like that.

[bleeb]

So to focus only with the first issue mentioned, personal opinions aside and excluding what's going on outside the pool, it would seem the school board owning the pool (or any other pool owners) would be most unhappy with people using their facilities to: 1) teach, when not qualified to do so; and 2) actually teaching the wrong things, in an area where mistakes from lack of knowledge have significant risks.

[Jim Lapenta]

So how is this your problem?

Nobody is going to do their checkout dives, and PADI won't issue a card without a real, active instructor doing the paperwork, so I really don't see it as an issue.

flots.

The fact is that up until now someone has been doing them. Why they stopped I don't know. Maybe they moved or got caught but it did not stop the DM's from doing what they are doing. PADI has no idea if the instructor issuing the card is actually training the person. It is my problem in that he came to me to issue a cert and I am now personally aware of the situation. Up until this point I had heard rumors I could not personally verify. That is no longer the case. I may not have a legal obligation to do anything but I do have a very strong moral and ethical obligation to do whatever I can to stop this and protect those who may be hurt (including the agency and school) by the actions of these people. I will be contacting PADI on Monday as well as the school district. The industry is doing enough to shoot itself in the foot without help from those who for all intents and purposes are outside of it. For me that is enough for me to take action. My conscience is my guide. As it should be every professionals. Every one knows I am no fan of some of PADI's actions but I am not going to see them hurt over something they had no idea of until the lawsuit hits.

[SoccerJeni]

I am sure that PADI would want to hear about this. If they're using the PADI logo...and claiming to teach PADI courses, then there would be legal issues.

What shocks me is these muppets seem to think they could get away with it. Even more shocking is the thought that they have been...and some other instructor has actually been signing their students off....

If it is true, they should be named, shamed and plastered over the internet.

VERY good point! There could be legal implications here. In my industry if someone is performing surveying work without a license, they can (and should) be reported to the State Board. The State Board would then bring them in and hold a disaplinary hearing. Often the punishment results in fines that could be anywhere around $5,000. I believe if they continue to work without a license they could go to jail.

I'm assuming that these people could be reported to a State Board as well. Isn't there a governmental regulatory agency for SCUBA? It sounds like these DM's are misrepresenting the service that they are providing these students.

It's very upsetting to hear this. I valued my instruction very much!

[surfinusa555]

What about those people that may not have been trained correctly? They probably don't know the difference and could end up dead on the sea floor as well. I suspect Jim Lapenta would feel like crap if he didn't say anything, even though he wouldn't be responsible.