Thank heavens for PADI

[MXGratefulDiver]

norcaldiver once bubbled...
Whatever. Padi gets picked on because they are the biggest, that's the only reason, not because they have wronged any of you in any way. If SSI was the biggest, you see Acronyms like Sucky Scuba Instructors, NAUI's Not Another Underwater Idiot, or GUEs Grand Undertrained Exagerationists. The lion gets the lions share. There's nothing wrong with PADI that isn't wrong with EVERY other agency.

Hmmm ... I heard someone talking about "Diving's Internet Religion" the other day. Took me a moment to realize what they were talking about ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[detroit diver]

saying once bubbled...



Eliteism is the coolest.

When you're good, you're good.

 

[detroit diver]

It's nice that you have the option to get out of the quarry, but for some of us it's the best that we have to dive on a weekly basis. Maybe you have no clue what is going on because you've never experienced it.

As for this board existing w/o PADI-that's a load of garbage. What does PADI have to do with this board other than allow us to point out how poor of a job that they do? If PADI didn't exist, an agency that taught diving well might just have taken it's place.

As for the vast majority of divers because of PADI, who cares? Why do I care how many divers we can pile onto our reefs and wrecks? I don't have a financial interest in PADI, so what does it do for me?

Nobody asked for exclusivity. Just proper skills.

Funny thing is, the more we beat your dead horse, the more that people take notice that there is a difference in dive training. Read the threads on the number of people that did not know what DIR was and found out about it on this board. Then they decided to look into it further. Some have taken a GUE class because of your dead horse.

In fact, the more you b*tch about "arrogance, elitism, kool-aid, religion, etc, etc, etc., the more press this dive style and agency gets and more people read about it. Then they find out that there IS a safer way to dive. And we have fun doing it, contrary to your perceptions.

We have YOU to thank!

Thank you.

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
The vis, the vis, the vis...

Get out of the quarry and you'll be amazed at how good the vis is! This board wouldn't exist if PADI didn't, and that's a fact. The vast majority of people diving wouldn't be if it wern't for PADI, and that's a fact. Which I'm sure would suit some of the spoiled brats just fine. Newsflash: The underwater realm is not the exclusive club you want it to be. Deal with it, and quit whining. Or buy some land with your own pond/stream/quarry, and don't let anyone else dive it. Then you can be sit there, all smug and superior, a big fish in a deserted pond. Have fun.

I figured this board out. (The basic scuba discussions part, anyway.)

Get a horse.

Kill it.

Beat it in every thread you can until someone else kills a horse, then jump over and beat that dead horse, until you can get back to your dead horse.

I believe that covers it?

I'm gonna buy a controlling interest in a cheese factory, and send out a bunch for x-mas presents!

 

[MikeFerrara]

DD, you have a point. After each thread like this sombody asks something like "How do you get horizontal" or "Is ther any video of a frog kick" or "I never though of having to do that neutral and horizontal"

They just never knew anything else. Many know it doesn't work well but just didn't have an alternative. I guess we should keep beating the horse.

 

[coliseum]

PADI and not any other agency made diving available for everyone AROUND THE WORLD!

I live in the middle east, the best and most available agency is PADI... so what if they take your money? aren't they developing good services? aren't they promoting safe diving? does it mean if there are some individual instructors out there who are reckless that PADI is bad? Maybe they should BAN driving cars world wide because there are some idiot drivers out there?

I wish there were other organizations like "PADI" for other cool recreational activities such as Sky Diving... Imagine an organization out there that makes sky diving as available as PADI did for Scuba Diving?! Maybe we will call it PAPI (Professional Assosiation of Parachuting Instructors)

There are over 10,000,000 divers out there... why? because of PADI mainly... so give them a break!

 

[gazzahawkes]

P Providing P Pay
A Another A Another
D DCS D Dollar
I Incident I In


4 -5 days open water qualified....????
18mtrs a min ascent rate........?????....
Standards unable to be changed eg C E S As due to legal issues.??
Non decompression diving (how do they work that out).????
No real control over instructors after passing exams a system that relies on q and a Or telling tales.?????
Instructors certified after 100 dives and 6 mths of diving ?????

Hooorrayy for Padi without them chambers would be out of business.....Myself out of a job...
Marketing skills are unquestionable though as is the awareness they create..

just thought id stir it up with my own thoughts.

Gary hawkes
padi staff instructor /bsac ins /ssi inst/ and dive medic.

 

[Walter]

coliseum,

"PADI and not any other agency made diving available for everyone AROUND THE WORLD!"

They did not. Diving was available around the world before PADI. People were diving arounf the world before PADI.

"aren't they developing good services?"

No, they are not. They provide inadequate training.

"aren't they promoting safe diving?"

No, they merely give it lip service. If they were acttually promoting safe diving, they'd have higher standards.

"does it mean if there are some individual instructors out there who are reckless that PADI is bad?"

No, but that's not the complaint. PADI doesn't have decent standards. PADI doesn't teach their instructors how to teach. PADI standards allow tens of thousands of unprepared divers in the water. Inadequately trained divers are a danger to themselves and to those who dive with them. PADI misinforms its customers about their level of training. Most divers are poorly trained and aren't even aware of it. Most dive charters have switch from being charters to being a baby sitting service because of the low quality of PADI training.

jepuskar,

"if you want PADI to up their standards to meet yours then the amount of divers will sharply decline...."

People want to dive. If they can get certified in a weekend and not be safe divers, they will. If you tell them it's 3 nights a week for a month, they'll do that too. You'll lose some, but these are folks who won't continue diving anyway, it's not a loss.

"The normal recreational wannabe diver is interested in a quickie course to get in the water.....I dont think that is PADI's fault"

Of course it is. If these inadequate classes didn't exist, noone would be taking them. PADI invented low standards.

"how many injuries do you know of that are directly related to the PADI system?"

Ask PADI to open up their data base. They know of thousands upon thousands. The problem is, they aren't telling.

norcaldiver.

"Padi gets picked on because they are the biggest, that's the only reason"

Nope. They get picked on because of their standards.

"There's nothing wrong with PADI that isn't wrong with EVERY other agency."

I agree some other agencies are also lowering standards in PADI's wake, but not all. It is still possible to find agencies with high standards.

PhotoTJ,

You can close your eyes if you'd like.

washow88,

"Without PADI, this board wouldn't even exist."

Come in out of the sun.

divemed06,

You might not be aware, but there is a difference in quality.

 

[Custer]

Walter once bubbled...



jepuskar,



"how many injuries do you know of that are directly related to the PADI system?"

Ask PADI to open up their data base. They know of thousands upon thousands. The problem is, they aren't telling.

I seem 'em whisk one off the other day in a black helicopter, after neuralizing everyone on the boat.

 

[khel]

Walter once bubbled...

Nope. They get picked on because of their standards.

"There's nothing wrong with PADI that isn't wrong with EVERY other agency."

I agree some other agencies are also lowering standards in PADI's wake, but not all. It is still possible to find agencies with high standards.

Well, after reading several threads on agencies - it looks to me that standards are almost the same And btw, I would like to choose an agency with higher standards (which one is that??) but PADI is the only one withing 1 hour driving distance.

khel

 

[chickendiver]

I am going to attach some links..and do not get me wrong ..I think Padi has done a lot of good for the diving industry in the way of marketing but also they work on profit. It is amazing that this poll conducted lists them as one of the worst in the industry! Is that because they try and rush everyone through a weekend course to collect the $$$. I have seen many good instructors in Padi but I find it is not consistent. The poll was done independately by Cyber Diver.

http://www.cdnn.info/editorial/padi-scuba-diver/padi-scuba-diver.html

http://www.acuc.es/indicee.htm