Zero to hero - top schools?

[Jupiter31]

Scuba diving is a "process" - the more you dive, the better you get - there are numerous "90 day wonder" programs offered in locals throughout the world.

Can you do it - sure - will you jam in a bunch of diving in the period perscribed by the course - yes.

But when you graduate the program, you are a diver w/ 90 days, or 6 month experience, and regardless of classes taken, and 3 dives a day for 6 months, whatever - you are still a new diver.

Its the experience over time that counts.

Others, especially those representing these courses, may disagree - and while everyone is entitled to their opinion, I have zero financially to gain in expressing my opinion. Just an active diver for 30+ years and know what it takes to become a good one - I can't give you a specific time period, b/c everyone is different - but its longer than 3 - 6 months.

 

[sabbath999]

A top school wouldn't have a zero to hero program.

Few statements on Scuba Board are 100 percent accurate. This one was.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Few statements on Scuba Board are 100 percent accurate. This one was.

In your opinion.

 

[techintime]

My two cents...It would primarily depend on the quality of the person entered into the program. A weak individual will never become a good instructor regardless of the type of course or experience. A strong individual will absorb the material and become a good instructor in any type of course including a concentrated course. It would also depend on the course. If it is a money-making factory with low standards that graduates all who apply, then it will produce some poor instructors. However, if the course has high standards of performance that are enforced, then only a good product would be allowed to graduate. I am not a dive a instructor (yet), but I am a military flight instructor on fighter aircraft. I see the same comparison between civilian flight instructors and the much quicker path in the miitary. Civilians take years to become basic instructors in little prop planes whereas the Air Force will produce an instructor in one year who is qualified to teach all levels of flying in high performance jet aircraft...and they are good by definition...or they would have washed out. The training is full time and chock full of academics, and check rides. If (and this is a big if) these zero-to-hero scuba instructor courses followed the same model, maintain high standards of academic and practical performance and elliminate those that fall short, then they will produce a good product. If not, then it's a crap shoot that depends on the inherent ability of the individual to learn, absorb and teach.

 

[Thalassamania]

The big difference in military flight training and zero-to-would-be-hero scuba training is the purpose of the programs and the motivation of the trainers. In the first case the trainer is focused full time on working a program that is designed to maximize the survivability of a very valuable item, a multi-million dollar pilot who is flying an even more expensive aircraft, in the latter case the trainer is working a program designed to maximize his profit both in terms of tuition paid and unpaid labor provided.

 

[RU4SKUBA]

If you're ready for the IDC it won't matter much whether you take the immersion route or the 20-week, price-inflated LDS route. If you're not ready then DON'T TAKE THE IDC!

At the end you're going to be evaluated by an independent Padi Course Director, so standards will be met regardless of what type of operation you work with and if they aren't met you have a chat with Padi or you repeat the course.

People making a big deal about immersion programs really ought to be worrying about their own teaching, organization, and customer service skills. I haven't been to a LDS yet that was good (or above average) in all three areas.

 

[Thalassamania]

You can "meet standards" and still not have the experience to be a decent instructor (or diver). It happens all the time. Remember, in the PADI system, all you have to do is "meet minimal minimum standards" and they must certify you.

 

[Walter]

A weak individual will never become a good instructor regardless of the type of course or experience. A strong individual will absorb the material and become a good instructor in any type of course including a concentrated course.

People who have trouble learning a particular topic are often the best teachers of it after they've finally learned it. Often, those who breeze through a subject have trouble understanding why a student doeswn't get it, while the instructor who had trouble can relate.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

You can "meet standards" and still not have the experience to be a decent instructor (or diver). It happens all the time. Remember, in the PADI system, all you have to do is "meet minimal minimum standards" and they must certify you.

If your instructors / instructor trainers have a rigorous definition of Mastery, you would be a pretty good instructor, and from what the old guards type here on ScubaBoard a pretty good instructor would be a pretty good place to start.

So many of the posts in threads like this seem to say that there are no good PADI Instructor Trainers and no good PADI Course Directors and no good CDC owners/managers and no good PADI Instructor Examiners. I have seen good ones in all those categories and at least 3 out of 4 in the same IDC/CDC programs. Just because an IDC/CDC has the minimum path does not mean even a quarter of their graduates did the minimum path and if they did the minimum path they probably did have something special most divers don't have (like heart and brain).

The only minimum path attendee in my section was drubbed out of DM the first attempt, with relish. He tried the next section and he was drubbed out of the IDC, again with relish. Do you really think the Instructor Trainers at a CDC want just anybody to walk away from the school they teach at as an Instructor? In my honest opinion the worst PADI Career training operation I have seen is the one here in the State of Hawaii run by a bunch of ex military types who talk and act like the old guard here on ScubaBoard!

 

[boulderjohn]

You can "meet standards" and still not have the experience to be a decent instructor (or diver). It happens all the time. Remember, in the PADI system, all you have to do is "meet minimal minimum standards" and they must certify you.

That is such a semantic argument that it is really a red herring.

Remember this: what do you call the student in med school who met minimum standards and had to be passed?

Answer: Doctor.