Open Source Instruction for Entry Level Scuba

[Wookie]

A couple of areas that are consistently overlooked are the declining fitness, strength and medical condition of divers as they age. The second is the change and updating of information and techniques. The one-time certification card somebody obtained 20 years ago, might be widely accepted, but how safe is this diver? We have the same problem on our highways and nobody has been able to find a solution until after the accident and a judge orders the license pulled.

You might think that certification agencies or insurance companies might get onboard with an annual skills evaluation. Means more profits for them, no?

 

[redacted]

A couple of areas that are consistently overlooked are the declining fitness, strength and medical condition of divers as they age. The second is the change and updating of information and techniques. The one-time certification card somebody obtained 20 years ago, might be widely accepted, but how safe is this diver? We have the same problem on our highways and nobody has been able to find a solution until after the accident and a judge orders the license pulled.

Plenty of data on the highways issue. I beleive at least some states require special exams based on the data they have collected. Where is the data on the scuba issue?

I don't like to encourage more unfounded requirements that just waste more diver's $$$ on something other than going diving.

 

[awetmedic]

It just makes so much sense. How many times have we all told our students to continue their education, stay fit and take refresher courses? How many times do students actually do it? Scuba is a sport. It is no more enforceable than playing baseball.

 

[awetmedic]

Nobody would want to move scuba from being a sport into a gov't regulated activity, and it should not be.

 

[mathauck0814]

There are four things that need to be proven in court to bring a civil case here in the USA. If we did something that ran past the limits of our insurance, we would have really screwed up and would deserve it. Fear of financial loss is a great fear for many. They wouldn't get much in my case. I am certain I can avoid negligence and criminal acts. Malicious suits can be handled by my insurance.

I am hoping my instruction never gets so sloppy that I am counting on my insurance being okay if I ever need it.

You don't have to be wrong to go bankrupt defending yourself.

Though your flip answers to the very real questions that most have posted in reply to your experiment would indicate that you've got this all figured out. Which begs the question, why did you need to come here and start the thread in the first place?

 

[awetmedic]

If I gave flip answers, I am sorry, I hope you chastise the others on here too that gave flip answers to me. I am not defending my inability to sound social, I know that is a problem. I came here to get information, and I got some great help, especially with the information coming from Austrailia. I believe in open source, this means that I do not have it all figured out. We should be able to stand up to public inspection and scrutiny, and getting blasted in here by some and helped by others is a place to start. The more brains working on something the better. If I can't launch open source information I hope somebody else can. It dosn't matter where open source happens if it is truly the product of a global community, everyone can benefit.

 

[faster7581]

I dont think your idea is bad, it sounds like a great way to learn, just as long as your students fully understand, that after they pay $100 for your card, that in all likelyness they will still need to pay the $250-350 to get another cert card from the agency's that the lds will except i they want to dive outside your facility, or at least get fills somewhere else. Which kind of defeats the saving $$$ end of it.

 

[mathauck0814]

Nobody would want to move scuba from being a sport into a gov't regulated activity, and it should not be.

I'd also contend that recreational scuba diving is hardly a sport and more of an activity. I'll take the out of shape diver who understands the physics and has the mental capacity to handle an issue before I'll take the 18 year old who's physically fit and understood as much as, "yeah, yeah, breathe through the hose, swim along, I got it".

 

[mathauck0814]

I dont think your idea is bad, it sounds like a great way to learn, just as long as your students fully understand, that after they pay $100 for your card, that in all likelyness they will still need to pay the $250-350 to get another cert card from the agency's that the lds will except i they want to dive outside your facility, or at least get fills somewhere else. Which kind of defeats the saving $$$ end of it.

Yet here's the thing - any instructor anywhere can set the price on their courses. The only thing separating this guy from issuing cards for free or damn near close to it is the axe he has to grind with commercial certifying agencies. There's absolutely nothing stopping this guy from teaching the PADI/NAUI/YourAgencyHere course, including several weeks of additional content as he sees fit and then ordering the PIC. His cost will be for the application processing and the PIC (which is far less than $100). Any instructor anywhere can give away their time and knowledge as they see fit and certify people for very little.

 

[endurodog]

Awatecmedic, I'm not sure what your end goal is for your certification. Is it something connected to your non-profit or something to do with keeping divers more current on their certifications? or something else?