If you could change one thing about dive training...

[kensuf]

In 1970, we did ditch and don from, and then to, the bottom of the pool, as part of a LA County class

I was required to do a ditch n don (dump gear, swim to the surface, swim back down, put gear back on) as part of a NAUI OW course in 1981. I was also required to do a skin ditch (mask, fins, snorkel).

Not sure if that was part of the standards or if my instructor made us do it.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

some of us would like to see a different cert for ow training in cold water vs. warm water

I cannot agree more with this. My analogy would be to take a person who learned to drive a car on an automatic transmission and has only ever driven an automatic......and then having them rent a big U-Haul truck with a 5 speed and clutch and let them drive up the hills of the streets of San Francisco. All perfectly legal and within the regulations. On the flipside, a diver properly trained and certified in cold water with a 7ml wetsuit, hood, gloves, low vis, 30lbs of lead......would easily be able and prepared to adapt and dive most warm water environments..

 

[Bigbella]

I cannot agree more with this. My analogy would be to take a person who learned to drive a car on an automatic transmission and has only ever driven an automatic......and then having them rent a big U-Haul truck with a 5 speed and clutch and let them drive up the hills of the streets of San Francisco. All perfectly legal and within the regulations. On the flipside, a diver properly trained and certified in cold water with a 7ml wetsuit, hood, gloves, low vis, 30lbs of lead......would easily be able and prepared to adapt and dive most warm water environments..

Yeah, bilk the consumer even further.

My ex was from the Seychelles, accustomed to 27˚ C water, for her entire life; and I managed to get her going, at Point Lobos, Carmel, years ago, during the course of an afternoon, and a thermos of coffee, for the 9˚ water.

Her only brief stumbling block, was the limited flexibility of the 7 mm suit and 3 kilos of weight, since she only wore bikini bottoms and, maybe, the occasional t-shirt, in the islands.

Gotta love the tropics . . .

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Yeah, bilk the consumer even further.

My ex was from the Seychelles, accustomed to 27˚ C water, for her entire life; and I managed to get her going, at Point Lobos, Carmel, years ago, during the course of an afternoon, and a thermos of coffee, for the 9˚ water.

Her only brief stumbling block, was the limited flexibility of the 7 mm suit and 3 kilos of weight, since she only wore bikini bottoms and, maybe, the occasional t-shirt, in the islands.

Gotta love the tropics . . .

Do you think it would have been appropriate for her to boat dive for the first time in a 7 mil?

 

[Bigbella]

Do you think it would have been appropriate for her to boat dive for the first time in a 7 mil?

She did.

We went out in a Zodiac . . .

 

[boulderjohn]

A driver who has never learned to drive a standard transmission would almost certainly have the necessary common sense not to go out and drive a large truck with a stick shift. Driving licenses assume that drivers who face other conditions beyond their training (ice and snow, etc.) will continue to use such common sense.

Similarly, OW training tells students to get proper guidance or training when encountering conditions beyond their training.

Now, imagine what would happen on ScubaBoard if any agency were to introduce different certifications for different introductory conditions, in effect requiring students to take a whole new OW class if they wanted to dive different conditions. The threads would be filled with outraged posters screaming about such a blatant money grab.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

She did.

We went out in a Zodiac . . .

Fair enough. I don't think a separate course is needed, but some sort of orientation (that you provided).

 

[CT-Rich]

A driver who has never learned to drive a standard transmission would almost certainly have the necessary common sense not to go out and drive a large truck with a stick shift. Driving licenses assume that drivers who face other conditions beyond their training (ice and snow, etc.) will continue to use such common sense.

Similarly, OW training tells students to get proper guidance or training when encountering conditions beyond their training.

Now, imagine what would happen on ScubaBoard if any agency were to introduce different certifications for different introductory conditions, in effect requiring students to take a whole new OW class if they wanted to dive different conditions. The threads would be filled with outraged posters screaming about such a blatant money grab.

Let’s see, their is a shore diving cert, a night diving cert, a boat diving cert, a deep cert, a drysuit cert, ice diving…. The future is now…

 

[Bigbella]

Let’s see, their is a shore diving cert, a night diving cert, a boat diving cert, a deep cert, a drysuit cert, ice diving…. The future is now…

 

[boulderjohn]

Let’s see, their is a shore diving cert, a night diving cert, a boat diving cert, a deep cert, a drysuit cert, ice diving…. The future is now…

All of those provide additional training for divers that need it. In fact, that is consistent with my post. You get your generic certification, and then, if you wish, you can add additional training for training not covered in that original certification. I am not sure what the problem is that you are trying to highlight.

My point was that people get certified and then can choose to get further training for areas outside of their initial training. They don't have to get that training if they don't need it. That contrasts with the posts preceding that, in which people seemed to be suggesting that OW certifications be limited to the conditions under which the diver was trained, meaning, of course, that the diver would have to get a different OW certification or required additional training should that diver wish to dive under different conditions. "Oh, this says you were certified to dive in the 80° water of St. Croix. This is Seattle, with colder water, so we need to see some additional certification."

So I guess I don't see your point. You seem to be suggesting that these certifications are required in addition to the OW certification. Are you saying that if I was certified with my OW dives being done on a boat, then someone is going to demand that I have shore diver certification before I can wade in from the beach? If this is what you meant, could you provide links to places requiring this?