how to tell the difference between a PADI or TDI Instructor

[Dectek]

A short story before I get to the good stuff.
While on vacation I wanted to do a wall dive. I was informed that I could not do the depth as an OW diver however....
For an Additional $30 plus $49 for the crew pack I could take the dive and get credit toward my AOW. A diver standing within ear shot voiced up and asked this question....
How can you tell the difference between a Padi Instructor and a TDI instructor?

His Answer:
Both instructors are returning from a dive and the boat that they are on starts to sink about a mile off shore.
The TDI instructor says to his class: "Everyone put on your maskand fins and inflate your BC...we are going to do a surface swim to shore."
The Padi instructor yells out: " Forget that!!! Everyone get out your credit cards...we are about to do another wreck dive."

Plug in your favorite or least favorite training agency where you please.
The money was well spent. The wall was Fantastic!!!!
BTW: Who the hell needs to be certified to take a few photos under water? But if you fork over the bucks....you can get another certification knotch in your belt.

 

[art.chick]

I vowed months ago not to mention the name of the agency/religion that always starts fights on the board, but I liked your joke! Glad you had fun. Hope you don't find yourself on any involuntary wreck dives anytime soon!

 

[MikeFerrara]

You don't need a cert to take pictures underwater. However you do need to be able to dive and do something else. I was at a crowded dive site on Saturday and every diver I saw, I mean 100% of them left a trail of silty destruction behind them. I'm not talking about students, I'm talking about divers sporting drysuits and loaded with other expensive kit. I cringe when I see these idiots with cammeras. In fact, I cringe when I see other divers. My OW student don't muck things up like this.

It appears that all the good prices that can be had on equipment and dive travel do nothing for dive skills. You can buy toys and spots on boats but you must earn skills and as far as I can tell it is increasingly more difficult to find others who can teach you.

Sorry about the rant. People with no dive skills sporting cammeras is one of the things that bug me.

 

[exnewwavedivers]

It's not PADI vs TDI... nowadays, it seems more like PADI vs _________ (fill in any agency)! HAHAHA!

 

[roakey]

I originally heard this joke about ten years ago and it went like this:

There are three classes on a boat for their checkout dives when the boat begins to sink.

The YMCA instructor yells at his students: Everyone! Take your gear and throw it overboard, dive down and don it. Surface and await further instructions!

The NAUI instructor yells: Everyone don your gear, inflate your BCs and do a giant stride entry and wait for rescue!

The PADI instructor yells: Who has their credit cards? For $150 I’ll give you a wreck specialty!

Roak

 

[art.chick]

You sure are steamed, aren't u? There are some silt-kickers out there. And it does damage the quality of the dive for others. The only way I can see it geting better is to have more pool time before dumping the roto-tillers into open water. I doubt that raising the price on travel & gear will reduce the bad techniques' proliferation. It will just mean richer people will plow the silt. Hey, maybe there can be a Silt Specialty Patch!

 

[MechDiver]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
It appears that all the good prices that can be had on equipment and dive travel do nothing for dive skills. You can buy toys and spots on boats but you must earn skills and as far as I can tell it is increasingly more difficult to find others who can teach you.

I think the statement about "others who can teach you" is misleading in this context. An instructor, no matter how skilled, cannot force a skill on someone. Bad wording, but I can't find the right words at the moment.

Someone can demo something till they're blue, but if the student does not think the skill important, they will not learn it. I think alot of the current problems are caused because the divers just don't care if they silt up the whole place, or if all their equipment is dangling. Yes, an instructor/buddy can set an example, but thats about it.

 

[roakey]

MechDiver once bubbled...
Someone can demo something till they're blue, but if the student does not think the skill important, they will not learn it.

Males, especially young ones (lest say 20s) are easy to make them think it’s important, you don’t demo, you simply do. If the instructor looks cool in the water in a horizontal position with all gauges and gear neatly tucked away, the young male will do EXACTLY that. Women listen and all you have to do is tell them that it’s important and they’ll do it.*

The problem is instructors hanging vertically in the water with gauges dangling. I think back to DMing in the 80s and I’m embarrassed. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Roak

* I teach handgun marksmanship. We always split up a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend pairs because of the relationship dynamics. With very few exceptions when we hit the range the woman ALWAYS out shoots the guy because the mechanics that are behind a good shot are subtle and can only be learned by listening, not watching which is how most guys learn. Once embarrassed by their mate THEN the men become very good listeners.

 

[MechDiver]

roakey once bubbled...

Males, especially young ones (lest say 20s) are easy to make them think it’s important, you don’t demo, you simply do.

Subtle distinction between instruction and teaching. Point taken.
Peers have a way of destroying all those carefully laid plans though...

I dive tech with a couple well chosen friends. I dive rec with a group of friends whose style is, well, casual. No matter how the instruction, at whatever time, the desire to dive at a higher level is no longer there.

Phil