Ah, I didn't see that part about 50 minimum dives, might have been on separate page. The only part I saw was the bold text I copied and pasted above.
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This is where I have a real problem with the current diving/ teaching atmosphere. I’m really tired of hearing about “It’s the instructor not the agency” crap. AFAIK the instructor is a direct representative of the agency, therefore the instructor as the direct point of contact for the public, IS the agency.although it's more often the instructor than the agency, at least at the recreational level.
This is where I have a real problem with the current diving/ teaching atmosphere. I’m really tired of hearing about “It’s the instructor not the agency” crap. AFAIK the instructor is a direct representative of the agency, therefore the instructor as the direct point of contact for the public, IS the agency.
If I was to take my car to a body shop and the shop had a good reputation, but hired a total hack to work on my vehicle and they F’d it all up, then at that point that technician directly represents the quality of that facility to the people who experience that individuals work. This type of thing will get them one hell of a bad review.
If it’s the instructors who are giving agencies bad names then they better get a handle on it quick like!
I'm not here to argue your point, and maybe @boulderjohn can expand on it, as I've only read what he's written, but I'm pretty sure PADI has expressly said that independent instructors are NOT representatives of the agency. EDIT- Mike Merriman beat me to it.This is where I have a real problem with the current diving/ teaching atmosphere. I’m really tired of hearing about “It’s the instructor not the agency” crap. AFAIK the instructor is a direct representative of the agency, therefore the instructor as the direct point of contact for the public, IS the agency.
If I was to take my car to a body shop and the shop had a good reputation, but hired a total hack to work on my vehicle and they F’d it all up, then at that point that technician directly represents the quality of that facility to the people who experience that individuals work. This type of thing will get them one hell of a bad review.
If it’s the instructors who are giving agencies bad names then they better get a handle on it quick like!
yup - open water skin dive optional. elearning is more the norm than the exception."Industry standards require a minimum course that includes: 12 hours academics, with an instructor in a classroom (not online), 12 hours pool training with an instructor, and 5 open water dives including 4 on Scuba and one skin dive."
Correct me if I am wrong, but does this assertion from the charter's website also technically exclude most PADI certifications? Online training option, and isn't the skin dive optional? When I did my O/W circa 2001, my book mentioned an optional skin dive. My daughter's book (circa 2013) did not mention it at all...
Neither of did an open water skin dive as part of our certifications, so I guess I will (thankfully) not be able to use this charter...
I suspect that Wookie is right... There is likely a lot more to the story...
This is where I have a real problem with the current diving/ teaching atmosphere. I’m really tired of hearing about “It’s the instructor not the agency” crap. AFAIK the instructor is a direct representative of the agency