PADI Inadequacies

[kalvyn]

MechDiver once bubbled...


No mask breathing lasts longer and, for some tasks, involves swimming without a mask. At least, that was the standard when I took my OW.

PADI does not do mask swapping until DM training.

MD

OK, thanks for the explanation on no mask breathing. In my first pool session, my instructor had me put my face (no mask) in the water, and breathe through my snorkel normally. I had to repeat until I was comfortable doing this. Another thing my instructor has his students do is put their faces (no mask) in the water before their first OW dive. This gives one a good idea of what to expect when it's time to do mask clearing in 46 F water, and I'm glad he had me do this! It was still a bit of a shock when I flooded my mask, and I knew what to expect.

Stephen Ash: You raise very good points! Also, as I mentioned in my original post, my instructor covered things listed as an N for NAUI on the diverlink comparison chart. I should rephrase my comments to include "As part of their initial research". I certainly did not mean to imply that this diverlink page be the sole source of information, or a deciding factor. I chose my instructor based on someone else's previous experience with him, not on the certifying agency. Did I get lucky? Judging from things I've read on this board, I think I did. I certainly would have never asked all those questions Mike F. mentioned in his post, or have even thought about one agency being "better" than another.

Jimmie

 

[GreenDiverDown]

kalvyn once bubbled...

OK, thanks for the explanation on no mask breathing. In my first pool session, my instructor had me put my face (no mask) in the water, and breathe through my snorkel normally. I had to repeat until I was comfortable doing this. Another thing my instructor has his students do is put their faces (no mask) in the water before their first OW dive. This gives one a good idea of what to expect when it's time to do mask clearing in 46 F water, and I'm glad he had me do this! It was still a bit of a shock when I flooded my mask, and I knew what to expect.

Stephen Ash: You raise very good points! Also, as I mentioned in my original post, my instructor covered things listed as an N for NAUI on the diverlink comparison chart. I should rephrase my comments to include "As part of their initial research". I certainly did not mean to imply that this diverlink page be the sole source of information, or a deciding factor. I chose my instructor based on someone else's previous experience with him, not on the certifying agency. Did I get lucky? Judging from things I've read on this board, I think I did. I certainly would have never asked all those questions Mike F. mentioned in his post, or have even thought about one agency being "better" than another.

Jimmie

sshh...kalvyn...we can't talk about those things in this thread!

SA

 

[SMKChef]

djhall once bubbled...


Huh??? As in, "the bouyancy skills of a cow/horse/pig/etc?" Are farm animals supposed to have good bouyancy characteristics or skills??? Maybe I just don't get it? Or perhaps its just a farm thing?

Of course, I also seem to recall several posts about the bouyancy characteristics of a dead dog, so you never know .

LOL, ok, then "the buoyancy of a dead farm animal." ut:

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I'll probably never know if ScubaDon started this thread trolling for some good old fashion PADI bashing, or because he was ticked off at an LDS that couldn't compete with on-line pricing, or because he actually got shafted on his training.

But this I know...good OW training can be had under any of the major agencies. Unfortunately, the same can be said for bad training. Picking the right instructor can be a crap shoot. Yah, you can hedge your bet by asking questions like Mike suggested or by looking for referrals from people you trust. But picking an instructor based on which agency he or she represents is a bit like picking your wife by what her mother looks like.

ScubaDon, you started this thread by asking if anyone else had problems during their certification with PADI.OF COURSE THEY HAVE! It’s like asking if anyone has had problems with their Chevy! Now ask about the Fords and Dodges… or NAUI or the Y! Now how does that help you? Send your letter to PADI and get on with learning to dive. I hope your new shop will provide you with quality training and introduce you to some new friends.

SA

 

[Hamster]

Discussing the merits of the different agencies is an old topic and one without any clear-cut answer. I suspect that all agencies have their good instructors and their bad instructors. It might be more useful to discuss instructor training and how well the different agencies enforce their standards.

PADI is a big target so I might as well engage in a little harmless PADI bashing like just about everyone else. I do however find it difficult to accept any agency that considers buoyancy to be a speciality and not a basic skill.

 

[Ian Wigg]

chiara once bubbled...


Check here under "what do I need to start"; it clearly states "hold a dive certification for at least six months": http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/pro/owsi.asp

Yes - but thst doesn't apply to Asst Instructor which is what I said!

 

[chiara]

Ian Wigg once bubbled...


Yes - but thst doesn't apply to Asst Instructor which is what I said!

Doesn't it?

I have seen nowhere stated AI's are exempted.

I might be wrong, though.

 

[zboss]

This was not my experience at all... in my PADI class I had four 3-hour class room sessions before we even hit the water, then we had four 3-hour pool sessions followed by four 4-hour open-water (Quarry) sessions.

I think you should go get your money back.

 

[Diving Dave]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...


You can't be serious....why would someone even contemplate being an instructor after only having 1 year of diving experience. Idon't care if you've made 1000 dives in that year....there's no way you could have experienced enough to be a respectable Instructor after only 1 year of experience in the water.

Yeah. They Navy can teach people to fly F-18s in less than a year, but there's no way you can become a competent OW instructor in that much time? Right.

I can hear almost see it: Old man sitting in his rocking chair telling the grandkids, "Why, when I was your age, OW instructors had to fill their own tanks with a bicycle pump, then carry them to the ocean barefoot in the snow!"

 

[Popeye]

Diving Dave once bubbled...


Yeah. They Navy can teach people to fly F-18s in less than a year, but there's no way you can become a competent OW instructor in that much time? Right.

I can hear almost see it: Old man sitting in his rocking chair telling the grandkids, "Why, when I was your age, OW instructors had to fill their own tanks with a bicycle pump, then carry them to the ocean barefoot in the snow!"

"Uphill both ways..."