Dumbing down of scuba certification courses (PADI) - what have we missed?

[daniel f aleman]

Nemrod's list is spot on. I was NAUI certified in 1974 by a just retired Vietnam veteran Air Force fighter pilot.

What you missed:

1) Initial deco training, serious study of the Navy Tables and multi level and multi stage diving, discussion and problems with calculating air consumption, required demonstration of physical laws involved in diving, greater understanding of narcosis, discussion of O2 toxisity.

This took up the entire second class instruction.

2) A full range of sport diving depth to 132 feet

Correct.

3) Actual swimming skill requirments and as well requirements for doff and don, survival swims, free ascents (not CESAa), dive survivial skills (swimming without a mask, no air procedures).

This is the biggest difference between OW instruction then and now. The above swimming skills were taught as a part of the class.

4) Confidence and self reliance

5) Bouyancy skills

Bouyancy skills were not as difficult to master then, as we did not have the wet and drysuits of today that require bouyancy skill instruction.

6) Environmental aspects (currents, rips, shore diving, sealife)

Absoutely. Instuctors, then, knew the waters in which they taught well - especially the tides and sealife.

7) A little farther back, no BC diving, why, because you learn weighting, and bouyancy

8) Introduction to doubles from the beginning (once upon a time small doubles were as common as singles and not considered advanced or tech)

This was before that advent of the aluminum 80.

9) Nobody told you not to carry a BIG knife

Fukin-a right!!

N

 

[bfw]

but have come to realize that the course I was given for around $400 back then (if I remember correctly) would probably cost on the order of $1,200 or more today. By breaking up the training into multiple levels, these agencies have given people a more economical intro to SCUBA diving.

I still feel divers should receive more training than what is provided in the basic OW cert class for most agencies. However, I am financially challenged enough to recognize there are good economic reasons for doing this.

There are a lot of economic factors you're ignoring - whether the instructional staff is in it to make a living or for more altruistic motives, economies of scale, competition, etc. There are clubs that offer a course comparable to what you had for far less than the $400 you paid in the 60's, despite inflation.

 

[bfw]

Perhaps because they are scared and stop diving before they get hurt?

See that all the time. Go into any bar, mention diving, and dozens will say "I did that, it's not so great." or some other sour grapes rationalization. Ask them a few questions, and read between the lines, and you'll see that they never got comfortable in the water.

PADI complains at every member forum about how 90% of their OW certs disappear from diving shortly after completion.

Another reason is that they are only comfortable and competent to dive with supervision, which drastically reduces the opportunities they have to dive, and raises the cost beyond most of their ability to stick with it. I know when I was certified in college, using some of those credit hours between 12 and 18 that cost nothing, if I couldn't rent some gear and just go diving with some buddies, but had to pay a trip fee to be with a guide, I'd have quit.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

What you missed:

1) Initial deco training, serious study of the Navy Tables and multi level and multi stage diving, discussion and problems with calculating air consumption, required demonstration of physical laws involved in diving, greater understanding of narcosis, discussion of O2 toxisity.
2) A full range of sport diving depth to 132 feet
3) Actual swimming skill requirments and as well requirements for doff and don, survival swims, free ascents (not CESAa), dive survivial skills (swimming without a mask, no air procedures)
4) Confidence and self reliance
5) Bouyancy skills
6) Environmental aspects (currents, rips, shore diving, sealife)
7) A little farther back, no BC diving, why, because you learn weighting, and bouyancy
8) Introduction to doubles from the beginning (once upon a time small doubles were as common as singles and not considered advanced or tech)
9) Nobody told you not to carry a BIG knife

N

What Nemrod said .

I'm a "Class of 1976" PADI graduate, and was able to observe current PADI OW and AOW classes (my 3 kids got certified OW & then AOW last summer, and I was along as an observer, helper, unofficial DM on the dives for the 2 younger ones). My wife was certified mid-80's. My wife and I decided to do AOW along with our kids

My perspective of "Then vs Now" is similar to what Walter, Nemrod and others have stated. My kids had great instructors, the course content good enough to make them "safe", but even AOW did not cover everything that was taught 30 years ago in basic OW. So for my wife and I, AOW was just a chance to get the shiney new c-cards and to dive with the kids

It's hard for me to make a blanket statement that training was better 30 years ago because so much depends on the instructor. But having said that, I think that the training organizations have set the bar a tad too low on basic swimming and self-rescue skills.

My "Class of '76" two cents.

Safe Diving.

 

[Nemrod]

I left out something important that was practiced, diver assist and rescue. Certainly a specific rescue diver course today goes hopefully into more detail and skill development but early scuba courses certainly taught surface diver assist and at least an introduction to other rescue requirments. Remember, early on we did not have a BC so establishing positive bouyancy and dumping weights and assisiting an injured buddy was a BIG deal and was practiced over and over and further, therefore the need to be an adequate swimmer. Being a good or at least adequate swimmer is a key to being comfortable and confident in the water, it is an important aspect that is glossed over today.


I remember 80 dollars which included some book long lost. I also had to purchase "The New Science of Skin and Scuba." The student had to provide their own fins, mask, snorkel. All other gear was included for the 80 dollars and it consisted of single steel 72s, some double 72s and double 38s/50s. As well both single and double hose regulators. The instructor used a double hose. He was an independent instructor, there were no "dive shops" at least in our area. Instructors were more often not associated with any type of store structure. That was 66-68. In 79-80 when my wife was YMCA certified we were in a company club and the instructor taught in the company recreational pool and was not associated with a dive store. In fact, no course I have ever taken was the instructor associated with a dive store. I think that is a problem today across the board.

During this period scuba classes were huge, often 20 to 30 students, believe it or not. It looked like the army in the water, lol. Smaller classes are better controlled, because of the large numbers things were regimented then more than today.
N

 

[daniel f aleman]

Dive assist and rescue is still taught in OW, but as Nemrod mentions, the skill set required then was more demanding than that of today.

The other componant that my OW instructor taught was Search. For the last dive, the eight divers being tought had to find something at the bottom of a lake, around 50', we were given surface references only. We developed a classic grid search area for each diver and used subsurface navigation to find the object (a gutted washing machine) - I remember learning a lot from that dive.

 

[Hoomi]

I'm not saying anything about actual instruction, however the PADI textbooks are certainly missing something. They lack editing, are full of mistakes and are written in a casual style.

Oh, come on. Why are you expecting MORE of PADI than we can currently expect from the professional journalists writing and editing our newspapers, magazines, literature, etc?

Terry Pratchett, a popular fantasy author, commented at a convention that he hired his own editor to go over his manuscripts BEFORE he sends them to his publisher, because he's disappointed with the editing done by the publisher.

This forum seems better than most, but spend much of any time in most other forums, and you'll witness a revealing cross-section of modern literacy. Anyone capable of composing a coherent sentence with proper punctuation is well above average.

The casual style, on the other hand, struck me as an intentional method to make the reading less dry and textbook-like. All the best information in the world is useless if the student falls asleep trying to read it. It's a difficult balance to achieve between clinical and casual, and no matter where they ended up, someone would have criticized the result.

As a writer, I've had to embrace the reality that we cannot please everyone. In fact, trying to please everyone is a sure recipe for failure. You may think it's too casual, while someone else still thinks it's too dry.

Of course, I'm sure you can write to PADI and offer your pro-bono services on editing and revising the next edition...

 

[tuner fish]

Hoomi, you make a good point. I agree with most everything you say. My objections to the casual writing style were more about the class I last took, Recsue.

 

[kathydee]

Thanks for all the great information! Seems like the old training produced independent, confident divers who were not reliant on dive shops or dive masters. Were there dive masters back then?

I can understand most of your arguments: some people just want to be guided around shallow reefs and don't need extensive skills or fitness, but others really need skills that (for whatever reason) they aren't learning in OW courses.

Sounds like the PADI (OW+AOW+Rescue Diver) combo is a good start towards acquiring most of these skills (except planning deco dives & supervised experience in simulated adverse conditions). Plan to take the RD course this winter. Will also check out the books Walter recommended: SCUBA Diving by Dennis Graver & the NOAA Diving Manual. Think I'll take a day with a DM friend to practice useful things, like swimming w/o mask, buddy breathing, etc.

Have heard of many near miss/accident stories and experienced some mild encounters. I clearly see how practice with self rescue/rescue techniques could make all the difference. Just want to be as prepared as possible for both me and my partners ;-)!

As a 5'4" 120 lb women I am really glad we don't have to do push-ups with double tanks to earn certification! Will have to think about carrying a "big-ass-knife."

Has anyone ever used their knife for more than freeing entanganglements? Maybe this is another thread?

Thanks!

 

[daniel f aleman]

Ooh baby...