Observations during gf's cert. class

[RedCash02]

Regarding tank sizes, we typically use 50 CF cylinders in the pool. Our feeling is that there is no need to over burden the diver while they are learning the skills; and we never run out of gas. We can get to heavier tank humping in a later session; it's not too hard to learn that skill!

Yeah that makes a lot of sense for the pool considering most of the time is above water anyway.

I just remember how poor my air consumption was on my first checkout dive and that was in a calm 70F spring. 59 F with surf and possibly poor viz could be tough. I told her if she can handle this I'll trust her a lot more in the Keys.

 

[fab50diver]

I took my OW class in July. WE LEARNED TABLES! Backward, forward, inside and out.

I DO agree that the materials need some upgrading. What they need more than ever is to have an educator review them and make suggestions. The reading level needs to be consistent.

No one in our class used anything other than AL80s. I would have loved to use a 63. I found it a little difficult to remove and replace the weight belt with such a large tank.

Our instructor/student ratio was 4-1. For the OW dives it was about the same or less. They seemed to have plenty of help in that dept.

With that said, readers should be aware that every shop appears to have some variation in the difficulty of the course. They should NOT assume that because people on the forums complain about how easy a particular certification was or how tables or the math portion of the Enriched Air course is no longer taught that this will be the case at their shop. I've read with interest the posts on the decreasing requirements by PADI but I can tell you from first-hand, VERY recent experience that ALL instructors are NOT dumbing-down their courses.

Just my two cents;-)

 

[RedCash02]

With that said, readers should be aware that every shop appears to have some variation in the difficulty of the course. They should NOT assume that because people on the forums complain about how easy a particular certification was or how tables or the math portion of the Enriched Air course is no longer taught that this will be the case at their shop. I've read with interest the posts on the decreasing requirements by PADI but I can tell you from first-hand, VERY recent experience that ALL instructors are NOT dumbing-down their courses.

This is very true. The problem is that these exceptional instructors are really just swimming against the current. You can't do it forever. If the industry wants you to adjust your teaching then eventually you will. If for no other reason than simple economics. You can't compete with the 5 star dive shop down the street that offers cert. for $100 less and one fewer day of class.

I couldn't imagine if a shop today tried to make students go through what my uncle did when he was certified back in the early 80's. Among other things, they'd probably get sued. haha

 

[master00sniper]

Took OW in august this year, instructor had us learn with both the eRDPml as well as dive tables, although he didn't require us to purchase nice copies of them, he did have some printed out on white paper for us. It was good too see the difference between the two. I still need to get me some tables to take down with me rather than relying on my computer, although like a good diver I make sure I know what the NDL limit is for my planned depth(s) before hand.

 

[TSandM]

I was very grateful for my little aluminum tank in the pool. I couldn't climb out of the pool wearing it, anway. If somebody had put somebody larger and heavier on me, I suspect I would have been like a overloaded balky mule, and told my husband to find somebody else to dive with. (We used steel 72s in OW.)

 

[lowtech]

I'm a bit confused.

So they are teaching your gf how to user a dive computer and not the eRDP?
That would seem like a pretty big chunk of missing education.
I took OW with tables and, from what I remember, there was a whole chapter on tables.
I would imagine the new curriculum, has a whole chapter on using the eRDP.
If they are teaching the eRDP, I was under the impression that it's just an electronic version of the tables.

 

[RedCash02]

I'm a bit confused.

So they are teaching your gf how to user a dive computer and not the eRDP?
That would seem like a pretty big chunk of missing education.
I took OW with tables and, from what I remember, there was a whole chapter on tables.
I would imagine the new curriculum, has a whole chapter on using the eRDP.
If they are teaching the eRDP, I was under the impression that it's just an electronic version of the tables.

I don't think they are using the eRDP, either. I'll ask her to be sure. I'm sure an instructor could chime in on what the minimum requirements are. PADI gives this separate pamphlet with the computers and a little table stuff the that substitutes for the waterproof RDP they used to include.

 

[DMDavid]

My daughter was recently (Oct) certified through PADI and they were taught to use the tables but the instructor did tell her that it would no longer be taught after 2010.

Regardless of what might be said I do believe it's good to have an understanding of the tables, I've had more than a few dive trips saved because of it.

Out on a boat when you discover that your computer has died is not the time to learn how to use your tables (if you even brought one with you).

 

[scubafanatic]

My daughter was recently (Oct) certified through PADI and they were taught to use the tables but the instructor did tell her that it would no longer be taught after 2010.

Regardless of what might be said I do believe it's good to have an understanding of the tables, I've had more than a few dive trips saved because of it.

Out on a boat when you discover that your computer has died is not the time to learn how to use your tables (if you even brought one with you).

.....the average diver would be better served by diving redundant dive computers, versus misreading/misusing their 'rusty' recollections of long forgotten tables.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

My daughter was recently (Oct) certified through PADI and they were taught to use the tables but the instructor did tell her that it would no longer be taught after 2010.

That is not a true statement. PADI will now allow instructors to teach with computers, to follow the trend started by SSI. However, they do not disallow the teaching of the tables, they are just giving the instructors options.