Master.........Really?

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I'm not gonna pay for AOW 3.

Master Scuba Diver sounds a lot cooler. I can't impress the chicks at the bar with a card that says AOW 3.
 
It was called Open Water I, Open Water II and Advanced Open Water till the mid nineties when for marketing reasons they changed the titles to solicit the egos of divers wanting a grander title without really earning the knowledge or more importantly the experience.

That is what I was assuming. Captain Obvious over and out.
 
When I hear any title that begins with "Master" I envision a seasoned veteran of his/her chosen field, educated and experienced…

I personally find that the overuse and abuse of the term diminishes the certifying agencies that issue the card. PADI's minimum Prerequisites list begins with 12 years old and includes 50 logged dives. NAUI and SSI are not much better. Far from the exclusive achievement levels the name implies.

Master Scuba Diver Rating Courses - Advanced Open Water Diving - PADI Scuba Dive Training Organization

NAUI Worldwide Master Scuba Diver

SSI :: Advanced Diving :: Continue Your Adventure with SSI! :: take your dive @ diveSSI.com

These requirements should not even qualify for a term like journeyman. Removal of the "trainee" moniker would be more appropriate. This is not to deride students who earn the merit badge, which is all that is available to them. I fear marketing has run amuck once again.

I think that the Master prefix applies to the very top of most professions, perhaps one step below "Hall of Fame". More appropriate would be for a board of Master Scuba Divers to certify instructors at all levels.

It is especially egregious to people who have worked with US Navy Master Divers — which probably inspired the use. Many won’t win personality contests, at least in the old days, but their depth of knowledge and judgment almost universally earns respect. Granted, that variety of work exposure is more limited compared to many commercial diving supers where such a grandiose title and certifying process does not exist.
 
These requirements should not even qualify for a term like journeyman. Removal of the "trainee" moniker would be more appropriate. This is not to deride students who earn the merit badge, which is all that is available to them. I fear marketing has run amuck once again.


Certainly it is. And it's all about a semantic niggle.

Who cares what training is called? Seriously. Does it harm you in any way?
 
Here's my dilemma: Most MSD's I've seen know the title is a joke. I've seen some excellent MSD programs put together and think that title is fairly accurate, but that doesn't seem to be the norm in my neck of the woods.

On the other hand, I'm proud of my Master Instructor rating. To be honest, I thought I was going to stop at IDC Staff, but after the umpteenth OW student asked me if I was working on becoming a divemaster someday, I realized that title DOES mean something to some people. So I went for Master Instructor. New students immediately realized I was the high man on the totem pole amongst the staff (which was good because I was younger than most of my students). I will vehemently defend my ranking and my training because I KNOW I was trained by one of the best facilities on my side of the country and I have the certifications, lack of QA investigations and happy student testimonials to back it up. But I've seen other MI's that I wouldn't allow to assist with a class.

So I see a purpose in the title, but I also see that ultimately it comes down to the training behind the title.

(As an MI, I've tried to join on with new shops when I've moved and ALWAYS get the speech about how "we train to a higher standard than most", yet when I get in the water with them, there are standards violations right and left. So even having a title and coming from a well known, respected program doesn't really get you anywhere.)
 
I am in the networking technical field and there are a ton of certifications also. People shouldn't be so hung up on certifications since they do not translate into experience. In my professional world a Cisco CCIE is the top level certification and I have interviewed many of CCIE's that I would not deem master at all. In this case they were not in practice as CCIE's and just held the paper title after their technical experience drifted away.

I just graduated with my degree in computer networking, and I've been wanting to slowly shoot towards my CCIE. I was under the impression having that certification really did make you 'master'. Your telling me otherwise? Perhaps I should rethink.
 
I just graduated with my degree in computer networking, and I've been wanting to slowly shoot towards my CCIE. I was under the impression having that certification really did make you 'master'. Your telling me otherwise? Perhaps I should rethink.

Nope, think they are saying there are A+ masters, that probably really do get it, and really could be considered masters, then there are the 'just made it' masters, that yes, they did get their cert. They did the time, they paid their dues, they did pass, but just barely.. edit: you know, just like divers. There are those that safely do everything, have no issues, but maybe are exactly perfect, then you have those that just are naturals and everything they do diving wise is just stellar.. Of course, both of the people took the same courses, dont care who it's thru, there will be a 'low' point that is still passing, and they will be a 'master' diver.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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