PADI Beyond Master Scuba Diver

[tursiops]

One advantage of a stretched out series of classes/certs/etc is that it helps in retraining and retaining.

Indeed! And if the class content overlaps at all, then you also get repetition. Maybe there are some who never forget anything they've seen, read, experienced, or heard, but most folks are only human.

 

[Storker]

if the class content overlaps at all, then you also get repetition. Maybe there are some who never forget anything they've seen, read, experienced

There's something called overlearning. I believe that overlearning is a good thing. Just like repetition.

 

[TMHeimer]

There's something called overlearning. I believe that overlearning is a good thing. Just like repetition.

Agree. Same as I don't believe that you can overpractice a clarinet solo you are to perform. Some say you can. ie.--becoming a 5 star MSD certainly can't hurt, long as you have the money.

 

[NothingClever]

....holding out for Shaolin Diver.

Isn’t that Shaolin stuff where those old guys with wispy beards in man-dresses do choreographed dancing and tumbling with young men?

 

[NothingClever]

Hmmm...I had a draft response spooled up but it has evaporated and a ton of posts have populated since I wrote my draft probably making it irrelevant.

I’m going to go back through this gem of a thread on my 5.5 hour layover.

Or I will forget and the thread will disappear into the archive of forgotten threads.

 

[yle]

So, what is your view to this program?

Absolutely genius marketing.

I would bet the people at this shop will be contacted by PADI soon... and offered positions at PADI headquarters.

 

[yle]

For the OP, which 20 specialties would you envision taking?

I have a hard time imagining what 20 specialties could be taken, but it's possible a shop that is clever enough to come up with the "5 star Master Scuba Diver" is also clever enough to have created an entire catalog of "distinctive specialties" too. So they could be creating their own classes and then effectively marketing their classes to impressionable new divers.

Sounds like they're moving in on PADI's action!

 

[txaggie08]

These specialty classes are so subjective on what they are, it's a crap shoot. One person may teach an underwater photography class that's as stringent as any tech class, another.... "look at the pretty fish with a go pro".

I'm struggling to think of 20 non technical specialties I would see as even vaguely useful vs taking an AN/DP/Helitrox class and getting access to a low.end trimix and extra time on site, or taking a cavern class from someone besides PADI.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I've read this whole thread; interesting perspectives.

I'm a PADI MSD; not because it would make me a scuba god but because it gave me a goal and structured learning. I think the title is misleading and should have been something else (I don't wear my patch lol). I'm fortunate that my LDS has instructors that hold multiple credentials including commercial and military dive qualifications and they have very good standards for their students and pros. I had no intention of going pro and still don't.

I agree that PADI is "put another dollar in" for a lot of stuff but my view is the instructor makes the course. For example, my son and I were on a dive trip in Roatan this past November, he had better trim, buoyancy, awareness and practices with his 10 dives arriving on our first boat trip then folks there with "a couple hundred" dives.

Beyond MSD, personally I'm pursuing Solo because tech isn't readily available where I live and routinely dive and I'm not interested in deco. I will do my Wreck course but other then that and Solo the five specialties I've taken in addition to AOW and Rescue had to meet the following criteria; interested me, would be useful in my local dive environment and had skills I may need/want in the future.

 

[Hartattack]

"Five Star Master Scuba Diver Tech Diver: Complete 20 PADI Specialties, TEC 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 with 25 additional open water dives (150 minimum)"

Here lies my issue with this whole thread. Tech diving is very instructor dependent in a "best learned slowly and methodically" approach. Hence, why I will not necessarily trust the agency as much as I would the instructor with the information and course taught. Moreover, some say PADI is not high on the list when it comes to Tech instructor development. I would much rather have a person with not only years of experience, but also hail from tech-specific agencies like GUE, UTD, IANTD, et al. I'm not saying PADI TEC instructors are unqualified. In essence, it's that PADI is known as a large Rec agency first.