Scuba Lessons Jax expelled from PADI--students left in the lurch

[Wookie]

I wasn't aware of the violations in my OW course, either, until I became a professional. All the standards were right there in my log bog--if I had paid any attention to it, I would have seen how many times the instructor signed off on skills we had not done.

I was blessed to be taught by an ex-marine on a military base where we had nothing to do aside from pool sessions every night after work. And open water was as easy as walking down the seaplane ramp. I'm sure I had a 10 module OW course and plenty of practice. I can't imagine there was a skill we didn't do.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

My open water instructor ended up being expelled from PADI. He broke several standards on my course and as I eventually found out and did so as common practice in his courses. It finally caught up with him a few years ago. Thankfully no one was injured or killed, but the violations were clear and unavoidable to anyone interviewing his former students.

 

[redacted]

Once it became clear to PADI that standards were being violated, did they do anything to correct the problem with previous students?

 

[longtimer]

Rule # 1. If you pay, you can play.
Rule # 2. If you paid, alles goot!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Once it became clear to PADI that standards were being violated, did they do anything to correct the problem with previous students?

I believe that in many cases, PADI isn't aware. I know in my case, I never told them. Should I have notified them years later? Doubt it, as it may have come across as one instructor just trying to sandbag another. I will say that the guy who certified me was dangerous. I started AOW with him, but never finished, as he was canceling/no show (I had a time constraint) frequently. Plus he'd tell me that we would be doing a particular adventure dive in the next session, so I did the homework, but he'd have us do another that I wasn't prepared for. It was a mess. He had me do the inverted roll dry suit exercise that is only supposed to be done in confined water. Gave me a tank that was leaking at the O-ring. "you have plenty of air" (I didn't - yes, I know I should have said no, but how many new students put too much trust in the "experience" of their instructor?) Should I report those things? If PADI reads this and wants to follow up, I'll leave that up to them.

 

[Wookie]

PADI do not allow their employees to officially respond to things on SB. DEMA is the same.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

PADI do not allow their employees to officially respond to things on SB. DEMA is the same.

I meant that they would contact me directly.

 

[Caveeagle]

Seems like I remember a complaint/warning posted within the past year about an instructor in Jax that was taking money and not providing c-cards in a timely fashion. Is this the same guy?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Seems like I remember a complaint/warning posted within the past year about an instructor in Jax that was taking money and not providing c-cards in a timely fashion. Is this the same guy?

If you are asking me, wrong part of the country. A shop that closed in my area was notorious for taking its sweet time to provide c-cards as they wanted to delay paying the $20-something fee to PADI (which the students had paid for when they signed up for the class). I'm wondering how common of a practice that is.

 

[Wookie]

If you are asking me, wrong part of the country. A shop that closed in my area was notorious for taking its sweet time to provide c-cards as they wanted to delay paying the $20-something fee to PADI (which the students had paid for when they signed up for the class). I'm wondering how common of a practice that is.

I don't really think it's very common as a cost saving measure. If a shop is trying to save 20 bucks by not processing c-cards, they are already out of business, they just don't know it yet.

I think that the reason shops are slow in processing cards is instructors are slow in making paperwork perfect. I will not process a card until the paperwork is completed perfectly, as your only defense in a court case is to have your signature, the student's signature, and all other signatures perfectly complete. When the instructor hands the student record folder in to the admin at the shop, and all of the signatures aren't correct, the admin holds up the certification until it is. And the admin may be the shop owner, who may not have a lot of attention to detail, the instructor may not have a lot of attention to detail, and the student may not have a lot of attention to detail. That's one of the reasons I went to RAID. All signatures are captured online, and when all of the ticks are ticked, and all of the tests are scored, and all of the t's are crossed, the card is automatically issued.