Which agency should I join if I wish to become an Elite Diver?

[Sam Miller III]

If you. the OP. wants to become a real diver rather than one who just dives and a real instructor rather than one who just instructs may I boldly suggest that he and any other super poopers enroll in the worlds first civilian dive program, the one which all current programs are based, the four (4) month long 65 year old, non compromising never equaled LA Co UW Instructor's program.

Many have applied, only the best are accepted, only a select few graduate to be given the prestigious title of
LA Co UW Instructor

Sam Miller, III
LA Co UW Instructor #11 UICC
NAUI # A 27
PADI # 241
and the rest of the instructors alphabet

 

[kelemvor]

U.S. Navy. Everyone else is just eating at their table.

Not joking. Join the Navy.

 

[Bob DBF]

Or start your own agency and make up your own certification names, complete all the training and get the Elite Diver Card.


SEALS are trained in special warfare and learn to dive, they are not Navy Divers. As for joining the Navy and becoming a diver, it's not nearly as easy as typing it in a post. Depending on how good you actually are, a fantail watch on a destroyer in the North Atlantic the winter after you join is just as likely.


Bob

 

[Sam Miller III]

@kelemvor
"Join the USN and become a diver -"
Agreed !
(hombre - couldn't agree more !
I always enjoy and read your post )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


FYI ( & all on the board who were taught by an old navy diver using the New science of Skin and SCUBA as a text book

A very short history on UW (aka SCUBA ) instruction in US …

Scrips institute of Oceanography
Self contained diving
(Connie Limbaugh & Andy Rechnitzer)
(Suggest book:
Scrips Institution of oceanography
probing the oceans 1936-1976
Elizabeth Noble Shor
1978- HB/DC )

LA Co UW instructors program June 1954
Suggest Book
Manual "Underwater Recreation" June 1954
Bevlee Morgan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USN self contained diving
Suggest book:

US Navy Diving manual
self contained diving
NAVSHIPS 250-538

Navy department
Bureau of Ships
16 October 1956- 72 pages
(A.G. Mumma, Rear Adm USN)
'
(suggest book
The Naked Warriors'
the story of USN frogmen WW11 to present
Commander Francis Doug Fane
1956 - HB/DC
reprint 1995 _ HC/DJ
I knew Doug 0both copies inscribed to me)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scrips Institute of Oceanography aka SIO
developed Aqua Lung (SCUBA ) course in 1948
(Limbaugh & Rechnitzer )
Create diving instruction manual

SIO taught LA Co representatives dive instruction
(Morgan, Tillman & Parks)
Morgan writes Underwater Recreation in 1954
LA Co UW UIA created

Dough Fane et al experiment with Aqua Lungs
( recall Dick Bonin's 200 foot free assent under Ice 1955 ?)

October 1956 USN publish addendum to USN dive manual
NAVSHIPS 250-538
Almost 10 years after SIO and over 2 years after the civilian dive training documents

I find this very interesting --

Sam Miller, 111

 

[MaxBottomtime]

 

[Lorenzoid]

Relating to the side-snark above about lingering residue from GUE's formative years, here's a link to a current statement from Jarrod Jablonski, looking back on GUE's first 20 years:

In Retrospect: Twenty Years of Global Underwater Explorers

Our focused approach is certainly not for everyone, but that doesn’t mean we intend to exclude people. Our standards are meant to make us better, not to malign or otherwise degrade those who choose a different path. The tagline I chose for GUE, “Quest for Excellence”, does not presuppose universal correctness. Rather it is a quest for divers to get the most they can out of their diving and their lives. Likewise, our dedication to a standard approach is not meant to imply that nothing else will work but rather that teams of divers organized to use a common platform will reduce stress, encourage safety and have more fun. These teams of divers will also be more efficient when joining our numerous exploration and conservation projects.

 

[PfcAJ]

The agency really doesn't matter: the instructor does. The instructor chooses his agency for various reasons, and the student usually chooses the instructor based on location. Some of the best instructors don't teach much simply because they don't live in the Caribbean or work for a shop that pushes students through. To address your question, SDI is just fine and I teach through them. I also teach for NASE. I choose SDI for some classes and NASE for others.

The agency matters a LOT. You even use one agency for some classes and another agency for others. If the agency doesn't matter then why are you picking and choosing?

Agency sets their instructor requirements, the course content, structure, and materials.

NAUIs cave courses, for instance, are not equivalent to GUEs, which isn't equivalent to the NSS-CDS's courses. If I want to learn what GUE is teaching, I need to sign up for a GUE class. A CDS class won't contain the same information.

Thats WHY there are different agencies!

 

[Tribal]

NAUIs cave courses, for instance, are not equivalent to GUEs, which isn't equivalent to the NSS-CDS's courses. If I want to learn what GUE is teaching, I need to sign up for a GUE class. A CDS class won't contain the same information.

The agency might matter. Most agency’s give minimal requirements, instructors might add stuff. I can imagine that a Naui instructor that is also a Cave2 diver gives a different cave class then one who isn’t.

 

[PfcAJ]

The agency might matter. Most agency’s give minimal requirements, instructors might add stuff. I can imagine that a Naui instructor that is also a Cave2 diver gives a different cave class then one who isn’t.

Some agencies don't permit their instructors to add content.

 

[Bob DBF]

Agency sets their instructor requirements, the course content, structure, and materials.

Regardless of the agency and their requirements, unless there is ongoing quality control, the result will be dependant on the instructor.


Bob