cancun mark:which is exactly what I have been trying to tell Mike for nearly a year now....
he only difference, is Mike believes that students need to do this uncertified and under supervision,
I on the other hand, believe that a diver can progress under their own steam as long as they understand the basics and have a level of skill and knowledge of the limits of their education.
I agree. With emphisis on the last paragraph (bolded). I don't think all students are getting that and I certainly don't think it's built into a canned course (standards).
Also my concern isn't at which point they get habded a card so much as it is whether or not they end up in a situation where they need skills they don't have or even know they need.
Now, this might be a leap of faith but I'd bet that, considering the kind of diving you do for fun, you have a pretty good idea what skills make the difference on a dive especially if things don't go perfect. Maybe you have an edge on a new instructor who has only barely met the minimums. You might even give your students a good deal of insight and instruction the you take for granted but that new instructor has no clue about. That's all just a guess but I'll stick with it.
See? right back where we started...so no kiss.