SkimFisher
Contributor
It says, "Hey, I spent an assload of money with PADI and all I got was this stupid title."
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Is it really fair that while one diver takes rescue, buoyancy, deep, navigation, night and search/recovery to earn MSD another diver can take rescue, naturalist, photography, Nat. Geo. diver, shark diver, and Fish ID to earn MSD? Which one of these divers is truly closer to being a Master Scuba Diver?
I see your point. On the other hand, stepping up to Bachelor's degrees for a better range of options for comparison, if we come a B.S. in Chemical Engineering to a B.A. in Liberal Arts or a B.S. in Physics to a Bachelor's in Accounting or some form of Music (not sure how those are worded), do we have an equivalent? No. And many people who take general ed. course work for a degree recall very little years later, yet still hold the degree.
It's not a perfect analogy, Master Scuba Diver vs. a college degree, but there is some legitimate basis for comparison. Not all 'Master' Scuba Diver cert.s indicate equivalent training, but then, neither do all college degrees. And there is a 'shared core curriculum' of open water diver and rescue diver training, so even there, it's not completely arbitrary. People can take electives, or choose from different choices to meet requirements, pursing degrees.
Richard.
It says, "Hey, I spent an assload of money with PADI and all I got was this stupid title."
Aquatic Eagle, Thanks for the info. on double triangles/squares-thought it was something like that. Also for some clarification on NAUI. I didn't realize (5?) specialties were required by NAUI before starting MSD. Shows what I know.
NAUI MSD does not require that the student already possess five random specialties but requires that they master 5 fundamental areas. The five required areas are: emergency procedures/rescue, deep and simulated decompression diving, limited vis. or night diving, underwater navigation and search and recovery. The student (or class) can choose three other areas to learn and must take the required academic sessions and exam. The difference here is that NAUI is designating which five areas are most critical to become a MSD. PADI will let someone with any 5 specialties (and there are some pretty ridiculous ones out there) pay a fee and get the MSD card.
NAUI MSD does not require that the student already possess five random specialties but requires that they master 5 fundamental areas. The five required areas are: emergency procedures/rescue, deep and simulated decompression diving, limited vis. or night diving, underwater navigation and search and recovery. The student (or class) can choose three other areas to learn and must take the required academic sessions and exam. The difference here is that NAUI is designating which five areas are most critical to become a MSD. PADI will let someone with any 5 specialties (and there are some pretty ridiculous ones out there) pay a fee and get the MSD card.
Clear up some more for me: In mastering these 5 fundamental areas (which I completely agree with), is a lot of the work pool work? It would seem 8 dives would not be near enough, though as you said, the instructor can require many more. Then after mastering these 5 areas is the diver awarded 5 specialty certifications like with PADI? While I may agree to a point that having some knowledge of areas that really don't do much for diver safety, efficiency, etc. may make a master diver more rounded in overall knowledge, I wish PADI would make the "core" ones required for MSD. I like to think I'm at least a little better MSD than someone with 5 "peripheral" specialties.