How many certifications dives should be required?

[emtdan]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, as I am helping some of my friends through certification. Do you agree with what seems as the consencous from dive agencies for 4? Should there be more? less? Should the ammt of supervised dives change the certification?
Thanks!

 

[dmmike]

My vote was for 5, I think that I dive should be added that just works on controling your depth at several locations in the water column, example: 3 minute safety stop, horizontial several feet off the bottom (like your taking a photo). When we work with students this is the atea that challenges them the most.

 

[Frank Kohler]

I voted 6 I think that this would be a good number to really see if the divers really toke in what they where given and you know like the first 3 should be like monitored and all but see what they do and if they do things right and if they don't then use the last three to show them the right way. also 6 is way better then 5 lol

 

[Diver0001]

When I took OW in 1985 we did 6 check out dives. The last two dives were mostly guided dives but it made a nice transition from being in a course to just diving. I would like to see more instructors going the extra mile like this. To my way of thinking if you're going to do 5 then you're going to be busy with it for 3 days so you might as well do 6. That's also how I voted.

To answer your other question, I don't think that taking a number of guided dives should change the certification but I could see making a number of unsupervised post-certification dives being relevant information for a dive-op.

R..

 

[trevinkorea]

I don't think there should necessarily be a maximum or minimum.

If a minimum is absolutely necessary I'd say more is better. Perhaps six.

The number should be dependant on what the student requires to be a safe diver. some can do it in four, other's likely need many more.

I think it should be the instructor's call and student's should not necessarily be told exactly how many dives are required or they should be told that there is a minumum of X-dives but if more are needed they will cost X-dollars per dive.

Some instructor's may take advantage of this, but if it results in safer divers it's not all bad.

I also think that if a student is able to master the skills in less time, they should be able to skip some of the dives. Again, the instructor's call.

 

[dmmike]

The reason I picked 5 was that you could 3 dives in one day an two the following day. The tasks are not so great as to push the students to the limits of thier pshyical limits.

 

[H2Andy]

i think 8, spread into at least two weekends

basic skills, lots of repetition

 

[lamont]

30-40?

 

[Buoyant1]

I voted for 6 because you should have to go back (within a given time frame) with no "pressure" of certification tasks, to see how you are just diving.

That wouldn't be much of a hassle for someone that has an LDS who trains and certifies, but for the people that take the "slam bam thank you ma'am get your certification over the weekend" type courses.

It's all about being safe, and after going through the course, I find it hard to believe that you can be all that safe after a weekend cram session!

 

[markfm]

I'm thinking 6, with the latter like a 500 mile tuneup on a car. Get through your basic OW dives, then go out for a couple of normal dives, being blazingly clear about your newbie status, then get back with your instructor (one plus of stressing continuing education -- get feedback and hints from other divers during your "normal" dives, then get back together with an instructor to work polish and follow-on training).